Dug my first potatoes today

[meg_gordon]

Emptied my first big pot of Epicures today - three seed potatoes - didn't get a great harvest, but there were three or four big potatoes that burst open and oozed out lots of yellow liquidy stuff.  Sorry to sound so disgusting but dont know another way to describe it.  The rest all are fine, and tasted lovely tonight.  Any ideas what might have been up with yucky ones?  Didn't have phone or camera with me unfortunately or would have taken a picture.

Meg

[meg_gordon]

[grannyjanny]

They may have been the seed potatoes.

[meg_gordon]

They may have been the seed potatoes.

No - the seed potatoes were also there.

Meg

[midnightvelvet]

I had that too in a couple of my tubs...I assumed they were the seed potatoes! 

[saddad]

They usually are... what do you mean by "no the seed potatoes were there as well?" If not could be soft rot...  :-\

[meg_gordon]

They usually are... what do you mean by "no the seed potatoes were there as well?" If not could be soft rot...  :-\

Sorry for the confusion Saddad - I was answering the previous reply by saying the rotten ones weren't the seed potatoes, the seed potatoes were also there.

Guess it must have been the rot you mentioned - have you any idea what might cause that?

Meg

[saddad]

The heavy rain... seriously, can you tell which were the ones you put in three months ago? Tiny spuds "chats" or outgrades are not the seed you put in...  :-\

[meg_gordon]

The heavy rain... seriously, can you tell which were the ones you put in three months ago? Tiny spuds "chats" or outgrades are not the seed you put in...  :-\

Aren't the seed potatoes the ones that are all wrinkled and soft at the bottom of the root?  As I said they were there as well as the "oozy" ones.  Will empty the second barrel this weekend, so hopefully this  wont be a repeat of last week.

Meg

[Robert_Brenchley]

I was pleasantly surprised by my Duke of Yorks. They're on a very slightly higher patch, and while I was expecting half of them to have rotted after the flood, theres very little damage. Some slug damage, but almost no oozy ones.

[Deb P]

I dug a couple of Charlotte plants today as I wanted some small ones for tea and thought they would still be tiddlers, but they were all medium baking size already! Never happy eh.... ::)

[Barnowl]

Our soil drains so quickly that our spuds seem to suffer more from scab than rot.

[meg_gordon]

Emptied the other two barrels and although no more "oozy" potatoes, the crop is disappointing - this is the second time I have grown epicures in containers, and I think I will try something else next year, the small amount of return for the work put in just isn't worth it. 

Is International Kidneys any better?

Meg

[Squashfan]

First year planting these sarpo mira, and had very good results with them on the lottie. Nice size potatoes and plenty of them!
http://www.gardencentre.co.uk/product.asp?id=5485

[meg_gordon]

First year planting these sarpo mira, and had very good results with them on the lottie. Nice size potatoes and plenty of them!
http://www.gardencentre.co.uk/product.asp?id=5485

Looks good but are main crop - I have golden wonders in this year - what do you recommend for first earlies?

Meg

[lushy86]

Deb P I have had the same with my charlottes, some of the were really big, I thought I'd better have a look because they were dying back and I was worried that they might have blight.  I have lifted them all now-  I got a good crop but though.  I wonder why they grew so quickly?

Lushy x

[Deb P]

Charlottes can be a bit tempermantal I find....I planted some about a month earlier last year under fleece initially, and harvested several servings of salad size potatoes, very nice, The other bed I left for another month, and they were all baking size!They do seem to have a massive growth spurt quite quickly once they get going. I think it depends on so many factors each year, all you can do is have a quick look every so often and try and catch them at the size you desire! ;D