Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: hazelize_uk on June 13, 2010, 12:16:49
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We have what look like beautifully lush green potato plants some that are starting to flower, so we thought we'd have a little look to see if any of the news were ready for today's dinner :)
We started by having a little peek, but found nothing so ended up digging right down under the plant, and found a big fat ZERO!! not even the tiniest of attempts at a potato. How can they look so healthy and not have any spuds at all?
We are racking our brains wondering what we could have done wrong? Under fed them, Over fed them, Over watered them, Under watered them??
Anyone got any ideas whether its something we can rescue? We have a 3rd of the plot for spuds and are really disappointed ???
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My guess, and only a guess as I'm not a spud expert - just lucky, is too much manure or similar which encourage leaf growth rather than spuds.
Which variety?, and when did you plant them? Has the weather been very dry?
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The variety is international kidney planted 19th March and it has been pretty dry but we have watered regularly. We did dig in manure to the beds but thats pretty standard for spuds isnt it thought they were hungry? Also had a helping of growmore on the top of the rows after planting and again a few weeks ago
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No idea ??? ??? I'd have thought there would be some sign of spuds by now. Your real dilemma is, do you now dig along to another plant. Have you dug out well around the plant, rather than directly under the main stem just in case the tubers have spread out?? If so, and still no joy, that is unlucky :(
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Your problem might be that you used growmore which has an NPK ratio of 7-7-7.
It is not properly balanced for root crops like potatoes which need more potash.
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mines are the same wonderful plants so big but no potatoes, teeni weeni, like a pinhead , wont get much chips out of them,
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It's funny you posted this as i couldn't wait either and dug one of my first earlies up and i found only one potato!...
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I had a look at mine too and found nothing. I wasn't brave enough to dig all the way up though, will leave a few weeks and hope for the best. They were planted 29 march in a large bag - also international kidney.
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i grew int kidney a few years ago and thought the yield was very poor.
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behave and wait until they are ready - they will grow like maniacs in the next three weeks. Anyway, International Kidney need at least 12 weeks - not 10 weeks and they will be a bit slow getting going this year because we had a cold spring. Water again - they need LOTS
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I think I have made the same mistake! ??? I have used growmore in my spud pots when I planted.
I had a little firckle in my Swift pot tonight - and guess what, no spuds!!! I didn't dare start to dig around completely, but it was not what I expected. The plants seem really healthy and have showed great growth. They were planted at the end of March.
I am going to leave them until they die back - but does anyone know if they will produce? The problem is I have also used growmore in my Lady Christel, Kestrel and Kind Edwards. :'(
Please someone give me some good news.
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no, growmore will not cause your potatoes to vanish - they just need more time. Wait until the flowers have finished and the topgrowth dies back. They do all their growing in the last three weeks.
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I'm sort of glad it's not just me. I've been really disappointed with the yield from my Swift in buckets and the ground, and Rocket were just as bad. It's the first time I've grown anything except Wilkinsons cheapest, hoping for better from all the other fancy varieties I'm trying.
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Plants reproduce to further the species
Each plant has a different ideal
Potatoes grow underground so a thriving top growth does not indicate a fantastic harvest underneath.
Once the potato tree above ground starts to drop off, new bits grow underneath.
A thriving green growth on top means ........WAIT.
Delicious as they are......be patient before digging up.
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Campanula,
The swift don't seem to be flowering though? However the others are showing signs of flowering.
Like you suggest - I will just try to be more patient.
Thank you. ;)
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Don't forget about the frosts, I planted some Swift on the 10th March, and some on the 24th March.
Having a firckle, it looks like the later planted ones are doing better that the earlier, which I can only put down to the earlier ones being hit worse by the frosts.
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As said, be patient 12+ weeks, 2 weeks recovery from frosts, later coming up because of the cold weather, give them plenty of water and wait, don't get me wrong I've been firking the rockets with flowers and they are few far between, the only ones I've eaten are the ones in tubs. :'( ;D ;D ;D
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Interesting post - my Swift, Accord and Rocket got slight frost damage and are taking a long time to recover. Dug some Swift up and got a reasonable enough crop for the two of us, one of the Accord looked decidedly ropey so dug that one up - sort of OK crop, then checked the Rocket - one potato on the first root so that will wait awhile.
The next row are looking decidedly better, but will wait a bit longer ;)
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I am going to leave them until they die back - but does anyone know if they will produce? The problem is I have also used growmore in my Lady Christel, Kestrel and Kind Edwards. :'(
Please someone give me some good news.
Glen
I planted Lady Christl and I planted the tubers in a row of peat with a scattering of Growmore and I had a look 1 week early and took about 2.5kg from two plants with some cracking size spuds and they taste great.
I have planted Ketsterel and Cara using the same method so will have to wait and see.....
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Iain tell us more about the growmore, I used spud fertiliser from our non working shop and when I asked one of the blokes what it was actualy called he said it was just the same as growmore. ??? :-\ ;D ;D ;D
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The Ministry of Agriculture's Allotment and Garden Guide Vol.1 No.3 March 1945 recommended using Growmore.
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Thats great news smudger - maybe there is still hope for my spuds yet! ;D
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The Ministry of Agriculture's Allotment and Garden Guide Vol.1 No.3 March 1945 recommended using Growmore.
The RHS book ....
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26field-keywords%3D9781845334086%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dstripbooks&tag=aldershomodel-21&linkCode=ur2&camp=1634&creative=19450 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26field-keywords%3D9781845334086%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dstripbooks&tag=aldershomodel-21&linkCode=ur2&camp=1634&creative=19450)
says use a 'general fertilizer'.
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I take no notice of the flowers. I note when I planted my earlies (in my case end Feb, beginning March) and wait at least 100 days. They are now starting to yellow and the foliage is weakening. I have started harvesting and they are giving good yields, several spuds per plant.
The Ratte second earlies have terrific growth but i won't touch them for at least 3 more weeks. And the lates, well, I wait till they have completely died off.
I think you are too impatient! ;)
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Iain tell us more about the growmore, I used spud fertiliser from our non working shop and when I asked one of the blokes what it was actualy called he said it was just the same as growmore. ??? :-\ ;D ;D ;D
Ok Growmore has an NPK value of 7-7-7 which means that for every handful of fertiliser that you apply you are getting 7 parts of N-P-K in equal measure.
A balanced potato fertilser will contain 1.5 times more potash than nitrogen so that more growth takes place underground and not in the haulms. A typical potato fertiliser would have a NPK balance of 7-5-10 or there abouts.
I use 14-14-21 in the field.
Hope that helps.
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Well growmore might not be perfectly balanced but it certainly would not cause potatoes to fail to thrive. Unless the plant really has died down, it is much too early to be mucking around hoping for dinner 9 oh, and don't think I haven't been there). And yes, the frosts most certainly did cause some delays - my top growth was wiped out to the soil surface and it took another 2 weeks to grow back. So, all those who planted in the last week of March ought to wait till the END of June, and that is for earlies. Kestrel and such won't be ready till the middle of July.
Calm down, we have nothing to fear - even blight is not so lethal at this time of year ..........by July/August though!!!!
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Here is 2.3 KG of Lady Christl harvested from 2 plants a week early after using growmore granules.
Will be using Growmore again...
Don't panic Glen and good luck ;D
(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s349/smudger280/LadyChristlHarvest005.jpg)
This is our potato plot
(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s349/smudger280/allotment12062010003.jpg)
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I just had a look at my Rocket...first flowers are out..and little potatoes are just started swelling..so I'll have another couple of weeks to go for start of the harvest...so late...oh well... ::)
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Wow smudger - they look amazing!!! ;D
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Haven't had a furtle yet, but it is early days, planst are still lush and green. I tend to wait for die back.
I only planted out on Good Friday so It's only 11 weeks for me so far.
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Just an update on our Lady Christls. We harvested this morning and took out some whoppers.
The one on the right weighed in at 370g, I'm sure new potatoe's are not this large?
(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s349/smudger280/CastleBeach20062010045.jpg)
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I have 3 rows x 24ft of Lady Christl spuds, I dressed with Growmore when I planted them. Last week I did a final earth up and accidently disturbed a few new spuds, so I had a little prod around and found enough for our dinner, They were the size of a chickens eggs and as sweet as a nut.
My main crop are looking very good and in full flower. Hope I dont get blight this year - I have been caught with bight this last 3 seasons
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I have 3 rows x 24ft of Lady Christl spuds, I dressed with Growmore when I planted them. Last week I did a final earth up and accidently disturbed a few new spuds, so I had a little prod around and found enough for our dinner, They were the size of a chickens eggs and as sweet as a nut.
My main crop are looking very good and in full flower. Hope I dont get blight this year - I have been caught with bight this last 3 seasons
Hi Powerspade I have been very impressed so far with Lady Christl. I have about another 8 or so plants to dig up before we start on our 2nds.
I was very suprised at the size of the latest ones.....
I thik my wife is going to try them as bakers LOL