Topic: Spuds dying off??

[antipodes]

I have almost finished harvesting the early spuds and am going to start soon on the Desiree seconds. However with all the heat of these last two weeks, I noticed yesterday that the plants were really yellowing up and dying. It doesn't look like blight-type dying, and it has been so dry I can't see that as being the cause. But it seems rather early?
I also have a type called Alliance and the PinkFir Apple which are still quite small (the size of the plants) but even some of those are starting to die off it seems.  I admit that I have not watered them manually...
They were planted succesively from early March to mid April except the Pink Fir Apple which have been in since the end of April.
Has anyone else's spuds started dying off?

[small]

Noticed this morning that my Pentland Javelin are beginning to yellow - haven't lifted many since my Charlottes did so well! PFA are pathetic this year, only half the size the plants usually are, but still green so I hope to get more growth on them. I guess I'll be lifting the earlies in a day or two, though - in this sun it's going to be a delicate job drying them out before they green!

[goodlife]

Yep..and I would have liked to see them going on for while longer. But I just cannot water everything as much as they need and sadly spuds been the ones that had to go with very little additional watering. Earlier on..before the heat wave, I mulched the whole spud bed with straw and grass clippings...after that we had few rainy days and since nothing..just baking hot sun.
Although I've had watering can strapped on my hand and it probably has rooted there too, watering potatoes with can is BIG job..not for me.

[Digeroo]

My earlies have gone yellow and the slugs are attacking them.  But the desiree are doing ok.  But I have been watering them and they are very well mulched up.  I think a deer likes the straw because there is  now a clearing in the middle.  Thought at first it was a dog, but there were signs of an afterbirth.

[antipodes]

I think a deer likes the straw because there is  now a clearing in the middle.  Thought at first it was a dog, but there were signs of an afterbirth.

A WHAT!!!??? Oh my god!
Mine are not really well mulched it must be said although I did leave the dead weds on the ground in between rows. The spuds are excellent, very big, so I mustn't complain, I just expected the plants to go on for longer... I suspect mine were planted before you guys in the UK?

[Flighty]

It's not surprising given that they've all flowered and the weather.
Water them if you can, wait for the foliage to die right back then wait another couple of weeks, as they'll still keep growing, before lifting them.

[Jayb]

So far just the remainder of my Pentland Javelin are starting to die back, but they didn't go in until May as it was soooo wet here. I dug some for lunch today, what a change the ground it's very dry and hard to dig.

[Digeroo]

A WHAT!!!??? Oh my god!

   After the baby is born the placenta is born, normally the mother eats it, but there are usually a few bits left and the odd streak of blood. 

Deer seem like to go off and find somewhere quiet to give birth.  The middle of a potato patch is just the ticket.    I provided a nice bed of straw.  We have had them in the past in the front garden as well.   Normally a fox will come and clean things up.  They do not kill the plants, but they tend to get rather flattened.

Our soil has set like concrete.  I planted my potatoes on the top of the soil because it was so wet.  I think this was a huge mistake.   I shall return to putting them down the bottom of trenches again next year.