Hello everyone - I'm a new poster - so forgive me if this has already been discussed. For the last few years I have been growing potatoes in tubs and had great success with Maris Peers and Wilja - this year I am growing Epicures and King Edwards - and have had to stake the shaws - they are HUGE - about 4 feet high - and in the main, the Epicures haven't flowered - there are buds, but they've gone yellow/brown and dropped off. Any ideas?
Meg
My tops and the tops of a lot of my neighbours this year are far taller than in previous years. The only ones without tall tops were the ones who got frosted so I think it must have something to do with the weather this year but i don't know what. Light levels have generally been good - I would have expected tall foliage if it had been dull and warm!
Welcome to the site Meg...
Epicure are one of my favs... they don't always flower. I f you have that much top it is worth having a firkle.... Epicure don't go off like some of the newer varieties... :)
hiya, meg, welcome to the site..lots of our flowers have barely opened and dropped off, we've had a good amount of spuds though ;D
Thanks for the warm welcome guys - I will have a firkle and see what's about. The reason I was a bit worried is that I live in Ayrshire - and Epicures are grown right up the coast and are known as "Ayrshires" locally. The commercially grown Epicure shaws looked normal - not like my triffids:-)
Thanks again
Meg
They are the best at recovering from a late frost... perhaps the commercial ones were set back by a frost? A rare thing I know on the Ayrshire coast. Is shaws a local word for the Haulm (tops) older varieties tend to produce a lot.. Pink Fir can get to 7'... ???
Hello saddad
Yes, shaws are the green bit at the top - didn't realise this is a Scottish word. I planted mine in the middle of April this year, Good Friday being way to early. Dont remember a late frost - as you said, it is quite unusual. Is it advisable to stake the haulms if they get too big or should I just leave them to wave about in the wind.
Meg
If they are going to get broken a few stout posts around the outside and a couple of layers of Twine should keep them in the "box" :)
Thats what I have done - thanks for this saddad.
Meg
QuoteIs shaws a local word for the Haulm
As soon as I read it I saw the Scottish connection.
Being an anglo scot it brought many memories of the tattie howking days I spent as a schoolboy.
These were the days when we were allowed two weeks off school to pick the potato crop.
As I recall we were paid around sixpence (2½p) an hour and it was bl***y hard work!!
Then after the potato 'howking we went rose hip picking getting about threepence (1p) a pound.
With these we had to top and tail them which made it a right 'itchy' job particularly if the rose seeds got next to your skin.
Needless to say; seeds were maliciously put down the collar of many an unsuspecting student, and it was masochistic fun to watch them squirm during class ::) ;D
Ah!! those were the days :'(
I dont know if this is going "off topic" - sorry if it is - but I also remember the howking days - Irish gangs used to start work in Girvan and work their way up to Largs - and once the fields had been cleared and the gang moved on, the kids were allowed into the park (never called a field for some reason) and were allowed to keep any potatoes they were able to dig up - AND - it never rained ;D
I also got into trouble for putting "itchycoos" down my brother's back!
I think clearing up after the howkers gave me my interest in potatoes - both growing and eating!!!
Meg