Topic: No potatoes!

[willsy]

This year I decided I would put some potatoes in my poly tunnel. Grew really well and flowered so I decided to take a look under one. No potatoes... well just two nothing to sing about. What's happening
people?

[Bing]

same here, 1st early - Lady Christl.
Very few potatoes and they are small (biggest is size of an egg)

My plot neighbors complaint as well.

[squeezyjohn]

I grew Lady Christl too on the recommendations here ... and although some of my plants are producing decent sized new potatoes - their direct neighbour plants have nothing more than bean sized potatoes on them.  It's almost as if it's 2 different varieties completely, a first early and a main crop.

What's going on?

[galina]

With all that rain we had, mine are very big plants.  But I don't think they have (yet) put any energy into producing tubers.  Potash feed (comfrey liquid etc) is what I am doing now to try and get root development going.

[artichoke]

I dug up some Apaches today for the first time and was fairly pleased with the result, as they are pretty potatoes and never grow large - but the ground was staggeringly dry. Is that the problem (East Sussex, not much rain at all lately).

May I tag on here with a question? Apaches seem to be sending out runners in all directions like strawberry runners.....they are growing tiny leaves and tiny potatoes. I imagine that if I leave them alone for a bit there will be a tight underground network of these shallowly buried runners. I have grown Apache before but never noticed this - certainly no other potato I have grown has done this.

Can anyone explain?

[galina]

Are they runners off the potatoes in the ground or are the runners coming off the original plant?

[artichoke]

They come from the stem of the plant just below the ground, and radiate out horizontally.....they definitely do not come from the original seed potato, or from any of the new potatoes - just from the stem.

[goodlife]

I dug up some Apaches today for the first time and was fairly pleased with the result, as they are pretty potatoes and never grow large - but the ground was staggeringly dry. Is that the problem (East Sussex, not much rain at all lately).

May I tag on here with a question? Apaches seem to be sending out runners in all directions like strawberry runners.....they are growing tiny leaves and tiny potatoes. I imagine that if I leave them alone for a bit there will be a tight underground network of these shallowly buried runners. I have grown Apache before but never noticed this - certainly no other potato I have grown has done this.

Can anyone explain?

I wonder if it because they are searching water...? I grew Apaches last year and in VERY lush position...there wasn't much 'wanderers' as you described..but the tubers grew BIG....many times of the size I was expecting them to be..not little salad ones for my table.. ....then again..I did let the tops die down naturally before they were dug out.

[GREGME]

I dug up some Apaches today for the first time and was fairly pleased with the result, as they are pretty potatoes and never grow large - but the ground was staggeringly dry. Is that the problem (East Sussex, not much rain at all lately).

May I tag on here with a question? Apaches seem to be sending out runners in all directions like strawberry runners.....they are growing tiny leaves and tiny potatoes. I imagine that if I leave them alone for a bit there will be a tight underground network of these shallowly buried runners. I have grown Apache before but never noticed this - certainly no other potato I have grown has done this.

Can anyone explain?

also poor yield in east sussex-(seaford) here with casablancas planted on 1st March in what i though would be a good year given the winter rainfall and good temperatures but as you say its been dry recently - I wouldnt usually expect to have to water early potatoes very much but perhaps thats what i should have done. My apaches are all volunteers this year (boo) but not noticed runners before.

[Palustris]

Best crop we have had ever from our Lady Crystl in the polytunnel.

[antipodes]

I am not sure why you would grow potatoes in the polytunnel???  They are so easy to grow outside and surely they need all that spring rain to grow big spuds? I just started digging up the Belle de Fontenay earlies and most of them are at least 10 or 12 cm long and about 7or 8 spuds to a plant.

[Palustris]

We grow them in the tunnel because we get frost up to the middle of July.

[Spookyville]

Mine in bins are going great. so far.... http://www.downtheplot.co.uk/?p=869

[Digeroo]

The ones outside are doing well this year but last year we had a devasting frost on 14th May completely did for my Mayan Gold which never recovered.  We get frosts up to 6th June, one year everyone lost all their beans.   Even if we do not have frost the nights can be cold.  So if you want early spuds you need them in a polytunnel. 

I expect it will be a couple more weeks before my earlies do much.   

[ancellsfarmer]

Funny you should mention polytunnei for spuds. Last Autumn,I noticed the local garden centre had "Autmn planting tubers (Charlotte) New potatoes for Christmas " it said." in little prepack bags  5 tubers for £3.9 (Greedy B888TDS i I thought, why not plant some of the many seed sized ones from the recently stored crop ?) So that is what I did. Coffin sized crate in the polytunnel, job done. It occurred to me in mid November that if they were to make the day , they would have to get a move on,seeing that only one shoot had appeared.Curious to find out , gentle excavation brought 2 tubers up. Perfect if one had needed to chit them, yellow buds all ready to plant. They were re-interned and forgotten. Christmas came and went, then on 23rd Jan the first leaves appeared, steadily they all emerged and were recovered with sack as it was frosty at night. An identical crate, minus base, positioned (like greedy boards) above and filled with leaf mould. They grew upwards and above and reached 36" from the planting height. Four weeks ago, 6th of May,the first crop was tickled out, early by  my standards but well after Easter, never mind Christmas. Presumably the offered sseed spuds were preconditioned (hence the price?) . Would this be by a cold period or some clever interference ? Did any one of you buy them I think they were branded "Taylors"Did they make it for Christmas. I would love to know.

[Paul.and.Lynda]

A couple of years ago my sister tried the Christmas potatoes. Nothing happened at Christmas and it was well into the new Year before they were harvested.

Paul 

[BarriedaleNick]

If I start my spuds in the poly I then move them outside.  I'm not sure they like the hot humid atmosphere - last year I had loads of green growth (on the ones I left in) - all a bit leggy but lush.  Very few spuds compared to the ones I moved outside..  Maybe just coincidence.

[green lily]

I bought a net of International Kidneys in hope of getting 'Jersey Royals'. It occurred to me that if I wanted some earlies then the poly was the way to go. Half went outside intercropped with Rooster and the rest under cover. They have been brilliant.By the time I dug flowers are half over and the spuds are bigger than the traditional Royals but very good indeed. Yes I mixed bonemeal into the soil and a tiny smatter of fertiliser left from last year and they have been watered but otherwise left. When they're done I'll go outside and dig outdoor ones and leave Rooster to carry on. I'm more concerned with all the blight warnings I'm getting already and this is dry N. Lincs.
But at last we are forecast wall to wall blue tomorrow ..

[squeezyjohn]

I've had much more luck rootling about for spuds in the earthed up hills than digging roots this time round ... it's the first time my soil's been even close to loose enough to do that!  Got a lovely dinner's worth out today - all at perfect kind of size.  I think I just jumped the gun a bit digging whole roots up.