Topic: Main Crop Potatoes - Can I harvest?

[apike36]

Hi everyone.

I am currently growing some Marie Piper, main crop, potatoes in containers. This is the first time I have grown anything and so, am a bit apprehensive of mucking up!

The leaves seem to be wilting if they do not have water for a day or so. However, when you water them they perk up. Are they ready for harvest? They are really tall and some of the branches are breaking from their own weight. However, every website Ive been to says you shouldn't harvest until later on.

Also, there are some tiny (marble size) potatoes just below/slightly above the surface of the soil. I would have thought they would have been larger by know. Do I still have a long way to go?

Please help!!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Maris Piper is a maincrop so it'll have a long way to go yet. I'd have used an early myself.

[amphibian]

I have already harvested one plant of an early maincrop cultivar, I had an excellent yield.

[chriscross1966]

With main crops if you don't get blight then let them run till the foliage goes yellow with age..... sounds like they need daily watering......

chrisc

[manicscousers]

our desiree went in in march, all dug up and stored, just had the outdoor toms go to blight so just as well  :)

[flowerlady]

I think  it all depends when you planted them ...

According to T&M ... Main crop spuds need a minimum of 15 weeks ... lates 20 wks  ...

[ Earlies = 10wks ... 2nd earlies = 13wks ]


What variety did you plant and what date when you planted them ????

[GRACELAND]

i would see whats under one or two ,

if  plenty start digging as you need them

un less  blight sets in  ???

[OllieC]

Wholesale sacks of maincrop spuds are in the farm shop on Hayling Island now - picked up a sack last weekend - but they warn you they won't keep more than a month as the skins haven't hardened. They grow them on their own farm, so it is possible to have a crop now (these Marfona are monsters!!!) although it's one of the best climates in the UK down there...

[GRACELAND]

got a couple of 2 pound Marfonas here in Gloucester  :)

[BarriedaleNick]

@manics - did you get a good crop?  I've grown desiree this year for the first time and they look ready..thinking of pulling them at the WE.

[saddad]

Welcome to A4A aPike  :)

[Flighty]

Sadly the slugs have been at my Desiree!

[manicscousers]

barriedale, we got a bag of 56lb from a bed, 12x4, don't know if that's good or not, quite a few bakers..the tops were yellow and dying off, even though we took them early, there were still a couple slugged, glad we got them up quickly  :)

[GRACELAND]

Sadly the slugs have been at my Desiree!

Them Slugs love this Dry Wet weather

 ???

[Flighty]

Graceland at the same time as I was digging them up my plot neighbour was doing the same some 20 feet away and his were untouched!

[cornykev]

I've still got earlies in the ground, and I found quite a few slugged today, so the quicker out the better, the foilage on my ratte have nearly died down, so if there ready there ready and I've Kestrels in between them.     ???     ;D ;D ;D

[kt.]

We are still pulling and eating Pentland Javelin.  Have not started with 2nd earlies Kestrel yet.  All are in the ground and will be staying there for now until we need them for the table.