When to harvest Charlotte potatoes?

[Crystalmoon]

Hi everyone, I haven't grown Charlottes before they are a second early according to the bag they came in. It says to harvest 17 weeks after planting which I haven't quite reached yet but the flowers have dropped off so I was wondering do I harvest now or wait?  Two rows are much smaller in size than the other rows but the flowers have also gone from these. Thanks,  Jane

[Crystalmoon]

[johhnyco15]

 hi i grew mine in tubs this year  put them in 1st week march they were ready 2 weeks ago flowered and died back however they were a little on the large side yield was roughly 11lb per tub 3/4  seed potatoes per tube so id give them a go try a root or two and i think youll be quite surprised hope this helps

[squeezyjohn]

I wouldn't worry about letting charlottes getting too big.  I grow mine as if they were a main crop type and let them get as big as they can for storage and it really doesn't affect the waxy texture of the flesh ... although obviously if you let them get older they will have tougher skins.

[strawberry1]

Do a little furtle ie gently scrape soil back until you find some tubers, you can then gauge the size you want. I cut the haulm off mine three weeks ago and now I just take out the tubers when I want them. They can become very large, too large for me, hence the need for me to stop them growing. They keep very well in the soil and are protected from blight as I cover the cut end with soil

[Crystalmoon]

Thanks everyone for you advice I will check one of the plants this week. Good to know they can stay in the soil until I need them if I cut the haulms off. xJane

[Flighty]

They're my favourite variety so I grow lots of them.  I wait for the foliage to begin dying back before I start lifting them. If left they'll grow to a good size which store well.  I'm usually still eating mine well into the following year. 

[Crystalmoon]

Hi Squeezyjohn & Flighty I am assuming you store them out of the ground rather than leaving them in the soil as Strawbeery mentioned....if so how do you store them? xJane

[lottie lou]

 

hi i grew mine in tubs this year  put them in 1st week march they were ready 2 weeks ago flowered and died back however they were a little on the large side yield was roughly 11lb per tub 3/4  seed potatoes per tube so id give them a go try a root or two and i think youll be quite surprised hope this helps

Wow Johnnyco15, I am well impressed with your yield.  I only got a few f**ty ones from my boxes and less than 5lb Anya from a dustbin.  However all my containers seemed to be very dry.  Will try to improve on watering next year.  Did you use commercial compost or your own or like me, to reduce costs, soil? 

[squeezyjohn]

To store them well through the winter I treat them as any other main crop storage potato:  Allow the tops to die back (or cut them back if there are any signs of blight).  Leave them for two weeks in the ground to develop thicker skins and then harvest (preferably when the soil is dry if possible) ... when the potatoes are dry store them in a cool dark place in sacks and they should keep through to Feb although I have eaten mine in to April when I've had enough - if they go that long in storage they can become a little soft.

[Crystalmoon]

Thanks Squeezyjohn, it didn't cross my mind to use them like a main crop xjane

[squeezyjohn]

It's great to have lovely waxy salad potatoes deep in to the winter!  Because the charlottes get so big, my favourite way to prepare them is to peel them, slice them lengthwise and steam them for 10 minutes - served warm with a little sprinkling of sea salt and olive oil they're great ... and if you have any left over they are nice and firm for a potato salad.

[Crystalmoon]

Thank you for the cooking suggestions Squeezyjohn...as I've never grown these before I have only bought them from supermarkets & used them as a steamed potato or for potato salad. xjane

[Crystalmoon]

Squeezyjohn...what type of sacks do you use for storage & where did you purchase them from? sorry for all the questions...I've got a new allotment after 4 years of struggling to grow things in a tiny back garden that is north facing & very shady so I'm trying all sorts of new things this year, lovely to have the space & light to experiment. xjane

[squeezyjohn]

I think the best ones are breathable old fashioned hessian sacking, they charge an extortionate amount for them at garden centres.  However our local independent ironmongers sells empty hessian sandbags for very little ... they're almost exactly the same thing but a bit narrower - I find the smaller size more convenient in separating the different varieties I grow.

EDIT:  here's a link to somewhere online that sells them for 77p each! http://www.mad4tools.com/hessian-sand-bag-with-ring-ties-750-x-325mm-10431-p.asp?gclid=CIK7_9T47c0CFRUW0wodCBoEVg

[Flighty]

Use any damaged and small ones. Make sure rest are dry and okay then store in hessian or paper sacks.  I check mine every few weeks to make sure that they're still all okay. 

[ancellsfarmer]

Full size jute/hessian sacks can be had from pet shops, who may receive peanuts and pigeon food in them These hold 25Kg of peanuts, and I guess more with potatoes. Some are free, others want a donation to the charity box. Paper potato sacks can be sourced from your local chippy, ask in advance that they pull the string binding, not just stick a knife in. My local fryer has a taste for spinach, 1 bunch for limitless bags!

[Paulh]

Do the hessian sacks let in too much light, so that you need to store them in a dark place? I simply keep mine in thick cardboard boxes (wine cases are good).

[Crystalmoon]

Thank you so much everyone for the storage tips for my spuds. Thank you for the link Squeezyjohn. xjane