Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: compo49 on July 09, 2010, 19:43:23
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Here in west yorkshire.
As the weather has been hot over the last month and the soil is very dry and short of water here.
I have tried to keep my potatoes watered as best i can on the lotti but the water is just soaking into the top couple of inches even though i put plenty on.
I have just had a look at one of of my early pentland javelin (foliage still upright not fallen over yet or dieing down) and a second early charlotte to see what potatoes they are producing .
The soil is very dry as obviously water is not getting down to them and the potatoes so far on each type are very small and not a lot of them at the moment.
We all need a really heavy constant down pour all over the country to boost our crops but at the moment that looks like its not going to happen does it!
How are yours doing in you part of the country?
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Wilting. I'm not expecting much if this goes on.
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Same here in South Cambridgeshire (probably worse, rainclouds tend to dry out by the time they get over to East Anglia). :(
Watering them with the watering can every other evening, but not the same as a good, long soak over the whole plot.
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oops i didnt water mine :( doubt ill get anything as the tops look yellow and sickly too, i havent earthed up either... might leave them in for next yr... shame tho kids will miss digging for pirates treasure!
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Dug up some earlier in the month but they were very few and small. Can't win can we? The last couple of years I have lost mine to slugs or blight due to the rain.
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had to dig up 4 plants to get enough for 1 meal for the 2 of us,not good at all
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I really feel for the poor third world farmers who have probls like this quite regularly.
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wet yorks here as well. same problem, hopefully the forecast rain for next week will arrive and be heavy.
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My earlies are all in pots and haver been ok so far, one decent pot (three or four plants) makes enough potato salad to last me four days. Main crops on the lottie have been watered twice total.... there#s planty of other things that need it more (beans, squash, onions) so even when I get a couple of hours down there of an evening there's not as much time left to water them as they need.....
chrisc
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Havent looked at mine yet as we are still eating last seasons! As we havent had hardly any rain for the last 2 months im not counting on there being much on them. The earlies got hit by the late frost so dont think it will be a good season.
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I never water my spuds. I just plant them deep and let them get on with it. We dug up two 4ft x 16ft beds last week and got just over 30kg's of charlottes. We also dug up two kestrel plants and had them for dinner yesterday for 5 people.
:)
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I'm having a great potato year too, sorry :P
Last year my plot was a desert and first earlies were scabacious so I took precautions: dug in heaps and heaps of peat (reclaimed, eco stuff), put them down extra deep in April, have mulched, watered regularly and copiously, which I failed to do the year before thinking it was naughty and un-eco (still feel it's bad actually) and I'm digging up some of my best ever, especially my one and only Charlotte which was earlier than any of the earlies and surprisingly large, but dreamy tasting.
I think with weather like this we need to know how other countries which are dry all summer manage. Cyprus is a big potato producing country for example. Anyone know how countries like those do it?
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Ah - I think what I MEANT to say was that I water the whole lottie every other evening (excep the tatties), but the tatties about once a fortnight or so. A bit a bit more fequently than that at the moment though, because they're really wilting.
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west yorkshire also - almost embarrassed to say our spuds have been fantastic so far, will be picking our third first earlies today, but they have been watered but one of the second early varieties hasn't been watered much as it is too difficult getting water to them and they look great also - maybe all down to variety to suit these conditions - but lots of rain coming this week 8)
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but lots of rain coming this week 8)
Trouble is they keep saying that and it never happens. I'm going to my plot for the first time since Monday and dread to think what I'll find.
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Three plants for a handful of marbles yesterday-rain forecast for Monday
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just come back from Ely (forgot baby bottles) heading back to watch the morris men dance around Ely cathedral and all the farms have got watering machines out spraying newly planted crops and some of the spuds are getting a soaking as well. Soil here is very dry almost dust like. My salads look like someones attacked them with a blow torch :(
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I dug up one of my 6 plants of the ooze watering line that i started very early.
all got was 90 kg of spud. What disappointment after earth up so much dirt and all other digging.
Here to hoping that the rest turn out better in 3 months.
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all got was 90 kg of spud.
How can you be disappointed with 90kg from 6 plants? What conversion rate are you using from pounds?
Mine seem to be varying between varieties. Just dug up a Mayan gold and was amazed at just how many small potatoes there were.
I have just dug up a Swift and was amazed to get a meal from it since it had rather been badly affected with Aminopyralid.
In 1976 the price of potatoes shot up. Up to that point they had been a few pence a pound.
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Is it possible to get 90kg from 6 plants???
:-\
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I grow about five miles from you and I never water potatoes as I believe with good preparation they don't need it!
However like you I was a bit concerned about the exceptional dryness this year and didn't expect much off my early potatoes.
This concern seems to be unfounded I am pleased to say!
I dug up my first root of 'earlies' (Rocket) this morning and this is what I got;
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd27/tgalmanac/July%2010/EarlyPotatoes.jpg)
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He actually says that he dug up one plant and only got 90kgs!
Last year he said that he hoped to get 150lbs from one plant!
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,50138.msg508018.html#msg508018
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Didn't even look at my potatoes today. Decided to wait and see if the rain comes. Light shower was forecast for midday, but nothing as usual. >:(
Actually nothing was actually wilting and I picked quite a few courgettes. When I dug down about 6" to plant some beans it was at least slightly damp.
Lugging watering cans about is so exhausting.
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if so what variety are they??????? and which garden centre??????????? TEE HEE
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Hello to my fellow Yorkshire Lotti people.
Just checked the BBC weather set to my area for mirfield and as calendula says it looks hopeful from Monday onwards for some rain. But saying that i looked last week i think it was Thursday and the forecast said heavy rain for this Tuesday coming but it keeps changing from day to day on the BBC weather site.
So i am keeping my fingers crossed that from next Monday the rain actually appears" Please " for here in West Yorkshire.
Hello to every one else in the country hope you all get rain as well and best of luck with your potatoes!
Bye the way i know we need the rain for the rest of our crops as they need it too!
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And some over the border into North Yorks, please! BBC today promised light rain showers and possibly heavy ones and we haven't had a drop. No doubt it'll come when I'm walking over at the coast on Monday. ::)
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Hello to my fellow Yorkshire Lotti peop
OOH wish I could say that -born in Yorkshire -live in Somerset
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mpdjulie if do right you can get over 1000lb /453.59kg. Alas i have not gotten that good yet.
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And some over the border into North Yorks, please! BBC today promised light rain showers and possibly heavy ones and we haven't had a drop. No doubt it'll come when I'm walking over at the coast on Monday. ::)
the rain promised now looks unlikely in the amounts it was going to be, probably due to the sw winds blowing it further north - my other 3/4 has offered to water ours and that will probably be x2 cans and 10 trips from pipe to plot ;D - the idiocy of a hosepipe ban is that I would probably use same amount of water but it takes 10 times as long - good luck
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Dug some of my 1st early and 2nd early potatoes and there was no more than 3 or 4 spuds per plant. It has been really dry for weeks here in Leicester so i'm sure that is the reason for the poor yield. I'm praying my main crop will be better.
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Read a post on A4A recently that said 100 days must elapse before first earlies can be harvested, curiosity got the better of me and I dug one up (80days since planting) I only got 4 potatoes, lots of broad bean sized so I will leave them for another three weeks, a bit late planting mine due to the cold weather. My OH let me have them to myself, they were charlotte and tasted just like new potatoes should do. Lashings of butter. Am really looking forward to digging up more. Despite drought the soil was quite moist as I put loads of home made compost in the trenches when I planted.
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Hello every one.
Just to update the lack of water here in West Yorkshire .
We had some overnight but it was not much but saying that its grey cloud this morning and a lot cooler so the ground will not dry out as quick as it has been doing with the hot weather lately.
As said before the forecast over the week still looks promising for some more rain and hopefully then more spuds to harvest!
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The earlies were good but the seconds.... well several spuds but all tiny. And now the foliage is completely dead... SO not sure what to do with them really, it's dry as a bone here. And yet they were mulched, etc...
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We have just dug up our charlottes and got an appalling crop. they were hit badly in the last couple of frosts and at one point lost all of their foilage, so to be honest, i did think we would get nothing at all :'(
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I dug up a desiree by mistake in a row of lady cristl. Finally got my first good sized potatoes and they tasted superb. Very disappointed with taste of everything else. I shall only grow desiree in future. If they produce more than the earlies when dug up at the same time there is not much point in growing anything else.
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Digeroo Desiree are the only maincrop ones I'm growing this year so fingers crossed that mine are as good as yours! :)
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we've dug up some of the kestrel and desiree where the tops have died off, brilliant, baking potato sized on some, hen's egg size on others but, as the soil is bone dry, I'm surprised we got any :)
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I've dug nearly a line of Rocket up and I've only had about six or seven off each plant, the same as per TG's picture in size and number, the soil is dry and I was earthing up with council compost so I was expecting a bit more moisture underneath, the size are fine for new potatoes and taste great steamed and served with mint and a thingy of butter. ;D ;D ;D
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As its rained here most of the day but wasn't that heavy i reckon overall about 1/4 inch or so.
It will not have penetrated much down to the potatoes but some rain is better than none!Will have to see if it rains overnight again and some more tomorrow hopefully a bit heavier .
Haven't had chance to get to lotti to day and tomorrows not possible i want to see if there is any improvement with the ground and the potatoes.
Some of my main crop (not sure if it was Romano or Sarpo Axona) and one of my earlies International Kidney foliage's had fell over/wilting last week due to the heat etc hope they have picked up with this bit of rain so far!
How are yours doing were you are?
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cannot imagine anyone in this region missing the rain that's coming Tuesday, late on and Wednesday - seems we have almost a week of it - soon we'll be moaning about the cold and wet weather ;D but the ground must be loving it
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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..... :-\
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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
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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 .
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Wish we could have a decent downpour. The soil under the potatoes is still like the Gobi desert.
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oh well you need to live in the hosepipe ban area, seeing as since it was imposed it hasn't hardly stopped raining ;D
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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I accidently dug this Kestrel second early up today! :)
[attachment=1]
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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!
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Looks like its a jacket spud for your tea tomorrow Flighty. ;D ;D ;D
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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.
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/stan.shepherd/tt.jpg)
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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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well what a mixed bag of results from around the country!!
My earlies (Lady Christl and Red Duke of York) had a very poor yield becasue of lack of water, but everyone on site is saying the same thing. Just finished digging up the last of the Charlottes, and they seem better for yield - didn't bother to count or weigh!
And like others on here I never water them - too little time and not enough energy!!
1066 :)
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We still have had no rain, we have started to water our main crop spuds as we are getting a bit worried, when we dug up our charllottes we had approx 4 spuds per plant a total nightmare :'(
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What size are the Shetland Blacks, Sawfish?
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They're a small potato. I reckon the biggest is maybe duck egg size.
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Still hardly any rain in northants! Have started to water some plants but cant do them all. Dug one row up and that did us for a meal for four some for my parents and about a handful to have with a salad!!! Our worst season in 25 years in need of some serious rain or im off to sainsburys :(
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All my water butts and tanks overflowing, fish ponds half way across the lawns, and last night the water was pouring in sheets over the edges of the roof gutters, and the greenhouse is surrounded by a small lake. I dug the first plant of my Sharpes Express yesterday and filled a 7inch pot with nice medium sized potatoes.
You can have my share of the rain now - I`ve got enough to last me for a few weeks.