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harvesting potatoes

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rdak:
does anyone have any good tips on when potatoes are ready to harvest? I will make a note of when they are "due" but understand that the weather can affect growing progress. My second earlies last year (Charlotte) I harvested a few days after the flowers appeared and that seemed to be the right time. Is it different for first earlies and maincrops?

Do people tend to harvest their tatties all in one go and store in sacks or leave them in the ground?

tim:
Depends on when they went in and how soon you want to use them.
Earlies - typically '13 weeks' - but you can start looking even before the flowers are out.

Main - typically '22 weeks' - but you can start looking when the flowers are out. Use as needed, but cut down the haulms when they have withered, wait 10 days to clear any nasty spores and lift, dry & store in paper or hessian sacks.

Any premature, random wilting or browning, cut & burn. = Tim

philcooper:
I would not advise lifting whilst they are flowering - 2nd earlies and maincrop are bulking up at this time. You should remove the flowers to concentrate all the plant's energy on producing tubers and water at this stage.

I agree with removing tops if there is any sign of disease - blackleg or blight - and burning DO NOT COMPOST (apologies for shouting). The normal advice is to leave for 3 weeks to allow any spores to die off before digging up.

So for 1st earlies leave them until they are the size you want to eat.
For second earlies start lifting when yopu have run out of 1st earlies and they are big enough to eat
For maincrop leave until 3 weeks after you have removed the tops or they have died down

Phil

tim:
- once again, I bow to your experience but, flowering or not, early or main, if I want a potato and it's there, I'll lift it. = Tim

philcooper:
Tim,

You are the master of your own allotment (unless there is a Mrs Tim, that is ;))

The advice to leave them in the ground until the tops have died down for 2nd earlies and maincrop is to maximise the yield.

If you lift them earlier you'll have potatoes that could have gone on to be bigger

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