ARE YOU EATING YOUR NEW POTATOES YET ?

[Chrispy]

I find my Pentland Javelins do not produce many flowers, so I don't wait for flowers to form.

Have not had a look yet, will start digging mine when I have finished the previous lot, I think they were  a variaty called 'Tesco', or was it 'Sainsburys'?

[Ellen K]

^^ ha ha, I am finishing off some Jersey Royals and then I will be digging ....

But it also depends on whether your plants took a hit from the frost....

I covered mine on a couple of frosty nights in May and the plants escaped mostly.  But if you weren't so lucky and the plants are still recovering, wait a few more weeks.

Last year my earlies were frosted and the crop was reduced.  Not too bad for me as I had 22 plants but one plant produced only one potato and several produced only a few spuds.

So be patient and wait if you got hit by the frost.

[tim]

By the way - I hope it goes without saying that we're talking about one or two tubers from these plantings - NOT a bucketful?

And would it be better, petemac, if it had been worded  " As mentioned in my last post"?

This is the state of play with 'earlies' here - and, since we last spoke, A flower!!

[manicscousers]

Been eating the red duke of york for three weeks, after firkling, now on to home guard, took up 3 home guard plants from the poly, enough to feed 6 people  :)

[tim]

Aha - the poly!!

[manicscousers]

yes, Tim, not pretty but a wonderful invention  ;D

[cornykev]

I've just emptied two tubs of rockets
I was going to wait until the weekend but I still have some Sarpo Mira to get in so I need the tubs
I will be having them for dinner tomorrow
;D

[tonybloke]

By the way - I hope it goes without saying that we're talking about one or two tubers from these plantings - NOT a bucketful?

nope, getting plenty for a meal for 4 adults from 2 plants ( and we do eat plenty of spuds along with the asparagus)

[tim]

What I meant, Tony, was that in suggesting that you could firkle long  before due date, don't expect a full crop. One or two tubers make a treat for two oldies.

And, for those who lift too early, re-planting does work!

[debster]

yes from what i class as my extra spuds the ones that were not dug last year somehow over looked and they are delicious
xx

[GodfreyRob]

I've been eating Swift for 2 weeks now and yesterday I cleared the rest of them and Rocket (the spud that is) too to make way for Aubergines, etc in the polytunnel.
The Swift have been really good - I planted them January 15th - very tasty, great texture and lots of them! Not eaten a Rocket yet - but a good yield too.

[davyw1]

Walking among the spuds removing the flowers the temptation became to great, i don't usually take any up for a few weeks after the flowers have bloomed as i think you are robbing the plant but i succumbed to greed and dug up two roots and removed a mighty fine boiling, then dug them back in and covered them followed by a good watering to let the small spuds grow on.