Allotments 4 All

I dug up my first plants worth of King Edwards yesterday and although there were enough to easily feed the family they were not very big, more like new potatoes in fact.

How do you get them to grow bigger or is just luck of draw?

They were delicious though   :)

Mmmmmm did they have enough water? Lottie  ;D

I have been told by my neighbours that it is down to nourishing the soil before planting, using BF & B or potato fertiliser ...

I must admit, this year is my best ever for potatoes, the international kidney are just delicious, and both the desiree and cara are slug free, and at least a reasonable size. I did not feed, so will endeavour to compare with next years crop, which I intend to feed with BF & B. I still have pink fir apple to lift in October.

Each year sees different results though, so comparisons are difficult. :-\

More important to me though is the flavour, King Edward are just superb ...

Derekthefox :D

Under general advice I didn't water so that could be part of it....

As for fertilising I went by the general that you should plant root veg in unmanured/fertilised soil.......well it was my first year  :-\     So if your supposed to thats another learning for next year!

Thanks guys or should that be guy and girl....?  ;D

....oh yes, one other thing - am i guessing right that BF&B = blodd, fish and bone?

Hi Icyberjunkie

Try http://www.hdra.org.uk/factsheets/gg9.htm

Regards

MikeB

Thanks Mike - but that has reminded me of another question!   

The item states about not storing potatoes in plastic sacks...but are the plastic woven kind acceptable or does it have to be paper?


Thanks Iain

Blood Fish and Bone yes! apparently potatoes are so hungry that they dont classify as normal roots ..., and they are tubers of course. To be honest, I have always wondered why potatoes are grouped with roots too, but then I am rather intellectually challenged, hmmm this is leading back to the sanity question again ... I need to lie down in a darkened room ...

ha ha ha

Derekthefox :D

Hi

I believe the reason for storing potatoes in paper sacks, is that the paper absorbs any moisture on the surface of the potato, hence reducing the risk of mould or fungus.  Alternatively Hessian sacks as these allow air in and do the same job.  Plastic sacks make the potatoes 'sweat'

Regards

MikeB

Mwah, mine aren't very impressive - holes, eelworm, slugs, and even the Sarpo blight resistant ones don't look all that healthy. The groundkeepers where I had Sarpo before look a darn sight more healthy than the other spuds planted this year.

you need to talk to them and sing to them Icy thats what they need love and attention  ;) ;) ;)

lol dibber - must stop ignoring them then  ;D

Wardy,  there was no growth left as the plants had completely died down about 2 weeks ago.    Dug a full row tonight and had a few bigger ones so maybe not as bad as I first thought.  Strangely the plants grown on last years compost heap ground produced more small potatoes than the rest of those in that row so very confused now - although thats easy done  ::)

Must go looking for spud sacks though - todays are in an old charcoal bag I had so should be fine but not enough room for them all!

Thanks for all the reponses,  and apologies for putting you in the darkened room Derek  ;)   Iain

No problem Iain, someone questioned my sanity I recall, perhaps they were right ...  ;D Other than that I am doing ok  ;)

Derekthefox  :D

Try your local chippie (fish and chip shop) for spud sacks they are  usually pleased to give them away as they have loads and most just throw em away .Some even have to pay to have them disposed of.   

My spuds have been grrrrrrrrrrrreat this year, with the exception of the roosters which the slugs really enjoyed.  Still to dig my King Edwards though.  The foliage has been gone for a good 3 weeks so must get them out this week.  I was always told plenty of feed and water gives you big spuds, but I do not water mine, and have had some monsters! 

On a meter, I could not afford to water thoroughly. And I don't always use fertiliser. And we have no manure. And we are on fast draining land.

So why do we get a good proportion of huge potatoes?

I guess you could keep a philosophy class occupied for hours with that one Tim  ;) That's one of the strangest things I have noticed about gardening, the unpredictability ...

Derekthefox :D

I grew king edwards last year and they seem to produce massive tops but only loads of fairly small spuds, most sort hens egg to lemon size. But they do taste very good.

Dig in plenty of manure this year, i find spuds grow much better (bigger) in rich soil, also water them if it gets dry. I hav'nt been able to get any dung for the last couple of years - this year the spuds ive dug so far are just about average but not as big as i'd hoped, hav'nt dug my cara's or most of my desires yet though. This year i'm going to do a midnight raid on the local farms dung pile up on the downs  ;)

Paper sacks are the best - let less light in and help to keep the spuds dry.

The first year I had the plot I got mini-potatoes. They've got bigger every year since, I put it down to lots of organic matter going in.

Quote from: Icyberjunkie on September 12, 2005, 12:48:50
Under general advice I didn't water so that could be part of it....

As for fertilising I went by the general that you should plant root veg in unmanured/fertilised soil.......well it was my first year  :-\     So if your supposed to thats another learning for next year!

The main reason you don't fertilise root crops is to avoid the roots splitting, and looking unattractive as a result- they are still edible, if the root tip should encounter pockets of high nutrient concentrations. Potato tubers do not have actively growing roots so there is not much danger of them splitting from that cause. They also don't count as a root crop because they are a storage organ, not a root.
Potatoes are generally viewed as heavy feeders so, in addition to a base dressing being put down, a top dressing of N is applied just prior to flowering as this tends to coincide with tuber initiation. Sufficent water is also most critical at this point. This will help avoid hollow heart- due to inadequate boron being available- and allow the cells to swell to their full size.

Thanks again for all the input as well as the rather obvious tip of talking to the local chip shop owner - particularly as I know him quite well!

Makes me feel much better to see your comment Tim.  If even you don't know there must be some hope for me  ;D

Somebody told me to put a layer of Comfrey under the potatoes when you plant them. I tried it with just one row and they were bigger than all the others.
Rosemary 

Hello Wardy you said "I have a look (as mine are no dig and easy to see without digging )and if they aren't very big I leave them  "

How do you do this? What do you grow them in?

Thanks RR

Quote from: wardy on September 12, 2005, 14:58:29
I've ordered spud sacks from Marshall.  Hope they come soon as I need to store my massive spud harvest  ;D   Not pulled my Cara's yet.  No hurry is there?

Wardy,

Paper sacks are just as good and free from supermarkets - the plastic bags of spuds come in 25kg sacks - just ask

Phil

On the original question, all potatoes are gross feeders and require soil in good heart to produce good yeilds (if you want good taste as well) Commercially chemical  fertilisers supply the nutrients and help the take up of water - but at the expense of taste.
King Edward although tasstey is not the easiest to grow and does require a better soil than most.

So next year, even more FYM, compost or comfrey leaves!

Phil

Derek - Potato tubers are roots - just swollen bits of root

Phil   You've just answered my question.  I was thinking whether comfrey would be a good fertiliser for spuds and thought it likely as you were both spud and comfrey king  :)

I have got my Bocking 14's on the allotment now, plus I've got a big russian variety at home, for leaves to put down me pipe.  What dilution for spuds 15 to 20 ratio to water????

Or do you just put the leaves in at planting time which sounds much easier ?

Could you tell me what black sheet mulch is please?

No answer??

Black polythene sheeting or black porous woven stuff.

Rosy red have a look for SmithnJones on the web  :)  or Allplas

Speaking of potatoes, this is the very last root of the Nicola.

We had to cut out the haulms early because of blight.

Interesting, though - the blight has taken several weeks to run through Lady Balfour, right next to the Nicola, so it does seem that she is somewhat resistant.

Picasso was mentioned somewhere - do agree about its size!

Iain,
If you want paper sacks, try twisting someones arm at Tesco.
I have enough for years to come.

Nice Spuddies Tim :)

The_Snail

And virtually snail free!!

THey are very nice Tim - do they taste as good as they look?

I don't have shares in Maris Piper - I enjoy every potato.

Nicola? We all had mash tonight & they said what great mash. Nicola. A 'salad potato'!!

MIght give Nicola a go then Tim.   Especially as I ignore what type they are and concerntrate on what eating I want to do  ;D

Thanks

our spuds last year were tasty but tiny as I had not given them much water - this year, I didn't bother watering until I saw flowers then really went for it with a couple of lavish soakings. Also, chucked around loads of chicken manure and planted on a trench of pure horse - fantastic huge spuds (Pomeroy) which taste terrific as bakers. Kestrel still favourite for flavour by a country mile and soooo versatile. Carlena (first earlies - small and a bit nondescript. Anya - also benefitted from the watering campaign so many - in fact, I would say that my crop has tripled this year with practically the same varieties as last year so water, water, water - but I think there is a crucial time (not sure whteher flowering is the best time but it worked for me).

Sure you're right but, on a meter, we don't.

They say 'salad' type, but more rock hard than waxy. Hence no slugs?

NO meter but most advice seemed to be about not bothering with water so didn't!  Might try that this year.  STill going to grow King Edwards cos I love the colour and taste.  Sharpes Express earlies cvos excellent every way, Anya cos they are great out the shops so must be stupendous home grown and now Nicola.   Maybe I'll need to find a third plot  :o

Quote from: philcooper on September 15, 2005, 12:38:19
Derek - Potato tubers are roots - just swollen bits of root

A potato tuber is not a swollen bit of root. The tubers form on rhizomes, underground stems, and are themselves swollen stems. While it may seem that I am being fastidious, an appreciation of this will help a gardener realise why earthing up the stems is so important and isn't just done for frost protection. These rhizomes are produced from buried leaf axis- the more that are buried the greater the number of rhizomes that can potentially be produced by the plant and could result in an increased yield- everything else being equal.   

I find it important to  chit and then rub off all bar 4 shoots on crown of seed potatoe(the thick blunt end) to get larger main crop potatoes.I dont bother doing this with the first earlies as I dont mind these being small..
Potatoes need moisture to grow large, anything added to trench when planting seems to aid this as in strawy manure ,shredded paper etc. .Earthing plants up helps this too.
They also if it is possible need watering in dry spells. 
Potatoes are heavy feeders  so a fertilizer helps , But more important is a good crop rotation sytem on yer lotty.
cheers..Jim