I've just dug up my first potato plant and got 15 beautiful tiny potatoes
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Is this the right amount or is it usual to get more or less potatoes from a plant? Also, can I leave potatoes in the ground until I want to use them or do I need to harvest and store them? Will they just keep on growing or does it vary with variety?
Thanks
Emma
Emma,
I think that your crop will depend on variety of potato and prevailing conditions so could vary from year-to-year or location-to-location.
I tend to harvest mine as I need them but there is a limit to how long to leave them in for. The longer you leave them, the more chance of damage by pest and/or disease.
Thankyou
They were lovely ;D
emma - you can get up to 30 or so per plant - depends, as said, on variety & how long you leave them
But 15 on your first earlies is fine.
I dug up my first ever the other day (Epicure) and only got four or five :'( Although they were delish! ;D I've left them for a few days and will have another look later.
I had potatoes yesterday - half a plant yielded 6 goodsized pots, enough for the two of us. i could have started taking a week or two ago, as the pots are a good size already (about 6 cm)
so will start taking now at liberty.
my first earlies are arran pilot, followed by nicola (which are flowering now)
Some of the earlies, especially the earliest like swift and rocket, tend to go hollow if left to grow too long.
;D
The 'thing' is, surely -
1. How many plants of what sort do you have? Presumably some 'later' types?
2. Do you actually want some as 'new'?
3. 'New potatoes' are only 'new' as long as the skin will come off in your rough hands. (This is where gender is helpful - the ladies never have rough hands.)
4. For how many days can you lift them as new?
5. If they are going to get 'old' before the 'main' come on - lift them whatever the cost! So sad to see your first earlies as bakers!!
I am still digging up volunteers and am amazed everytime how many I unearth! Filled a bucket again today so new tats, freshly cut salad, freshly pulled radish, and a lovely barbequed chook for our supper tonite.
The thing that disappoints me is the lovely spuds I left behind as volunteers. Some of them have been HUGE!
Dug my first potato plant today, a Duke of York, and this is what I unearthed
(http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5786/3069/320/090606potatoes.jpg)
This is from one plant. Last year the charlottes didn't yield as many per plant. I've grown them again this year but they're not ready for lifting yet so we'll see if they do any better this year. :)
ab - bl...y marvellous!
Emma - why have none of my many & large volunteer plants - missed because of being cut down after blight hit last year - produced a single new potato??
After all, they were in months before the news that we're lifting now. Sort that one!
A mystery Tim. Some have more than others, and of course, they are being dug before their time really so some have 'proper' sized news, others have a handful of marbles. Either way, they take a second to wash, a few minutes to cook, and taste heavenly!
What variety are your volunteers? If they're a maincrop they wouldn't be yielding yet.