Hi all
Growing Maris Piper in growbags & pots (pics) doing realy well, have heard somewhere that I should remove all the flowers to allow more energy to go to making more potatoes what are your thoughts on this .
TOPMAN ;D
(http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j221/cjt_1946/IMG_2375.jpg)
(http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j221/cjt_1946/IMG_2374.jpg)
Some people do recommend removing the flowers. I've removed the flowers (and fruit) in the past when I had time and inclination, but haven't done a parallel test to see if there was a difference with the ones whose flowers stayed on. The farmers don't take them off and the flowers are a lovely sight in the fields. I suspect it does no harm though. What about trying it with some and comparing the tubers at harvest time?
My views concur with those of Supersprout ... ie it is not done at a commercial level (too labour intensive perhaps). A controlled test should give a good indication of the benefits.
Thanks for your views Supersprout & Curry
A contolled test sounds a great idea , got 2 pots & 6 half growbags earthed up to the top and I'am just about to remove the flowers from 1 pot and 3 growbags.
Let you know how I get on round about september with a bit of luck.
I take the shears to mine and just take off the top couple of inches of foliage, quick and easy. I think it makes a difference, maybe not with energy going into flowers, but there must be energy going into the fruit later when that develops I guess.