Topic: Potatoes and the hot weather/dry soil/lack of water affecting the harvest

[Deb P]

I have never watered potatoes before, but gave in last Friday and gave the earlies a soak as they were all wilted and keeled over, the soil bone dry and no rain forecast until yesterday. I'm going to dig some up this afternoon and see what I have got..... :-\

[cornykev]

Still dry here, we've had a few bits of pissy rain and a bit last night but nothing to write home about.  :'(    ;D ;D ;D

[compo49]

I Went to lotti this morning  the rain yesterday has not really made any difference the soil was hardly wet !
It started raining again this afternoon and still is doing but only a continuous drizzle no heavy down pours yet which is want we need!
More forecast for tomorrow hope it is heavier fingers crossed.
My potatoes that had fallen over and were wilting are still the same much to my dismay!
It amazes me how the weeds keep growing even when its hot and dry like it has been over the last few weeks.
 

[queenbee]

Raining here in Heywood, Lancashire, quite heavy, what a relief. But of course we all know what happens next the carrots start to split due to rapid growth, might this happen to my potatoes too?

[Deb P]

Dug up two plants each of Anya and Mayan Gold this morning, and I was pleasantly suprised by the size of the harvest although the surface was damp, the soil was like dust underneath despite being heavily manured overwinter. I got 1.6kg (3 1/2 lb) off the Mayan Gold plants, and 1.4kg (3lb) from the Anya. We had the Mayan Gold roasted with dinner tonight, lovely flavour.

[chriscross1966]

Dug up two plants each of Anya and Mayan Gold this morning, and I was pleasantly suprised by the size of the harvest although the surface was damp, the soil was like dust underneath despite being heavily manured overwinter. I got 1.6kg (3 1/2 lb) off the Mayan Gold plants, and 1.4kg (3lb) from the Anya. We had the Mayan Gold roasted with dinner tonight, lovely flavour.

I hope I get that sort of yield off my Anya... Only have a few to last between the earlies and the mains.... still eating Lady Chrystl and Rocket ATM....

chrisc

[manicscousers]

dug up 2 kestrel plants that the tops were dying down, make more room for the squash that's romping away, one of the spuds was 1 lb 7 ozs  :o

[cornykev]

We've had a few overnight downpours and a ten minute downfall yesterday evening, so I might damp it down a bit and I've given them quite a few cans this week.   :-\          ;D ;D ;D

[compo49]

We are now experiencing the opposite to my first post of hot hot weather &  dry/soil and lack of rain .
Now its rain rain rain so are we going to get blight now effecting our crops of potatoes hope not!
Seems  we cannot win this year does it!
my early pots international kidney have not died back yet and they went in 4th of april and so did my  second earlies charlotte which are showing no signs  neither .
Have had a peak at them but they are still small! and so are my pentland javelin .

[lottie lou]

Wish we could have a decent downpour.  The soil under the potatoes is still like the Gobi desert.

[calendula]

oh well you need to live in the hosepipe ban area, seeing as since it was imposed it hasn't hardly stopped raining  ;D

[sawfish]

We may be having a horrible wet summer as usual up here in the north west but at least our tatties are good. To be honest I'd rather be in your shoes.

[Stevens706]

Calendula, I do live in the hosepipe ban area and it’s been constant rain since, the forecast is for rain for the rest of the week, just in time for school holidays.

[cornykev]

Its still very hot and dry in the Sarth, I've been digging up my rockets every 3 or 4 days and the ground is very dry, I've only been getting 4 or 5 spuds  per plant,  :( there's a few more marbles but I can't be bothered to put them back in the ground, I have been watering of late but other lottie holders here don't seem to bother, I've also had about half a dozen that have been ravaged by slugs and a few more that are cut in half and edible.
I never usually water this much, the foilage is still green, I never have any holes in spuds this early and normally have more spuds per plant.  :'(        ;D ;D ;D

[Digeroo]

Things are still very very dry here last lot of rain only went down a few inches.  I dug up two Lady Christl plants and only got enough for one portion.  No slugs around though.  Nice clean potatoes no taste at all.

[Flighty]

I accidently dug this Kestrel second early up today!  :)

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[realfood]

The early tatties that I have dug up in Glasgow are superb with a large crop and slug free. I grow them under weed fabric which has conserved the moisture during our drought up to 2 weeks ago. No water shortage now as we have had almost 100 mm of rain since then!

[cornykev]

Looks like its a jacket spud for your tea tomorrow Flighty.   ;D ;D ;D

[sawfish]

Very pleased with my Shetland Blacks. Its supposedly a main season potato but these were dug up early July. Just the one plant. The plants themselves (right hand side) seem quite short and stunted with curled leaves as you can see but the tatties are great. I wonder what caused this? The whole row is like that.

[jonick]

 I have been watering my earlies forthe last 3 wk's and am getting around 3lb per plant although the ground still seems very dry!

 
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