Potato flowers?

[Plot69]

Just been reading the potato in containers thread and found it very interesting.

Got to the point where people were talking about the flowers but I didn't want to hijack the thread. I'd be interested to know if and why people remove or don't bother to remove the flowers on main crop spuds?

Some of the old boys on my site do, most don't. I'm removing all my flowers this year. Dead heading flowering plants is an attempt to trick the plant into living  and flowering longer rather than letting it produce seed and then die knowing it's life cycle is complete.

My theory is, if you do the same to a spud, it'll stay alive longer, grow bigger and so produce larger spuds and also give some of the tiny embryonic spuds time to grow to an edible size and so increasing the yield. Would this theory be sound or am I just being over optimistic?

[Plot69]

[Robert_Brenchley]

I wouldn't bother. any difference to the spuds is going to be infinitesimal.

[lydsy]

I'm wondering when I need to harvest my potatoes. They are either Jersey royal or charlotte (dunno which...but they've got white flowers). The plants are huge, really, really huge. One of them just died all of a sudden about three weeks ago after I earthed them up. When I dug it up the tuber I had planted was empty, just the skin and no other tubers. Can potato plants come up blind? How do I know when the plants are ready?

[betula]

Charlotte will or should be ready this month.The flower is an indication to most people that the time is getting close.I was advised to dig them up when they flower or when the foliage starts to die down.What I do is have a feel of what is happening.Carefully remove some of the soil and have a look at what you have.

I had three left over seed spuds and because I had nowhere else to put them I put them in my flower bed on the lottie.They have just flowered and as they were in the way it was excuse to dig them up.Heritage variety I forgot the name of.Doh ::)They are smallish but look very healthy.See pic.

Last year I had a crop of spuds that had nothing under the foliage.I put it down to the very wet weather but do not know the real reason.

[daileg]

first earlies can be left in the ground and dug up only when required once they have flowered is a indication there ready to eat i tend to leave them a week to a fortnight after flowering as this gives the smaller ones a chance to catch up .

[tim]

Flowering? Speaking for Earlies, we started lifting Swift in mid-May. Four or five per plant. The 2 rows are now finished. We're now lifting Lady Christi, 9-10 per plant, up to 3" long. We don't want Bakers!

Not the suspicion of a flower in sight.

[daileg]

Tim you too are a fan of lady christelle then my favs   mmmmmmm

[Pesky Wabbit]

Not so much as removing the flowers, but by removing the seed pods after flowering will increase your yield by upto a ton per acre,


As the new tubers dont really get going until the plant has flowered, if you want small spuds, harvest shortly after flowering.

If you want maximum yield, wait until the foliage dies down (they cant possible grow any more after that).

You can of course leave the in the ground until your ready. It depends on the population of slugs, wireworms etc on who eats them first.

Me I'm harvesting Rocket now, but I'll leave the King Edwards and the PFA in the ground until Sept. They'll keep fresher in the ground than in my garage, and I don't really have the space, and I know exactly where they are, no one can come and chuck them out as has happened before.

[Plot69]

Thank you Wobert and Wabbit. I wasn't totally convinced myself. It was just a theory I had. I've only grown main crop this year, Cara, Desiree, Sarpo Mira and Axona, none of which are showing any signs of dyeing down yet. They are all in flower though... Or would be if I hadn't pulled them all off.

I grew PFA's last year and hated them, they're totally unpeelable and all my kids wouldn't eat them so I didn't bother this year.

[tim]

Now that is really sad.

Peeling? You peel after cooking - half a dozen strips flake off easily.

Eating? Remember that they are a meaty salad potato & are at their best as such. But they work well roast or 'chipped'.

[cornykev]

Don't bother with the peeling, chip em or roast em. Also I've never removed flowers before, a pointless exercise in my opinion.      :P      ;D ;D ;D

[Plot69]

Now that is really sad.

Yes I know. I liked the way they stayed nice and firm when cooked but there's no point me growing them when only one person in eight will eat them.

It's the first year I've grown Sarpo Mira/Axona, I'll have to see what the verdict is on those as to weather I grow them again. Hope they do go down well as I'm pretty optimistic about my spuds this year.

[Trevor_D]

Removing flowers? Never heard of it. Sounds like a job invented by a Victorian head Gardener to keep the youngsters busy!

Lifting earlies? I'm with Tim - as soon as possible, then plant something else in the space. (My leeks go in tomorrow.)

Charlotte? Any time now, then lift as you need. (Have a firkle!)

Maincrop? Leave till September, but chose a dry spell so they can dry out on the ground.

PFA? Don't even look at them till October. Better still in November. I've lifted in January and had a far better crop than pre-Christmas.

[simmo116]

when should my accent first earlies be ready i planted them the 4th of april? i also planted charlotte as a second early aqnd there just starting to flower.but no flowers on the accent.... ???

[tim]

Yes agree, Trevor - wait until they are a good size!

They are great keepers.

[Pesky Wabbit]

no point me growing them when only one person in eight will eat them.

To me this sounds like the best reason in the world for growing them.  ;)

[tim]

EIGHT - are they all yours?

You should have started training them sooner!!

[Plot69]

EIGHT - are they all yours?

I've been a Foster Carer for 20 years.

[tim]

What a lovely thought. But no sinecure!!

[Digeroo]

Carefully remove some of the soil and have a look at what you have.

Go on have a firkle.  I do love that word. 

Its been very dry.  I think that the potatoes need a few days to use up all the recent rain.