Hi, Im hoping somebody can advise me on my potatoes. Im new to my allotment and have never grown them before. I dug a couple of plants up earlier to see what was what and there are lots that look like theyve split and then grown a bit leaving strange ridges in them. Havent got a clue why theyre like this. They did flower quite a while ago. Have I left them too long or something? Also, how many of eatable size are there supposed to be on each plant? There doesnt seem to be many :( Has anybody else got this problem?
Quote from: cockadoodledoo on June 22, 2008, 17:02:53
Hi, Im hoping somebody can advise me on my potatoes. Im new to my allotment and have never grown them before. I dug a couple of plants up earlier to see what was what and there are lots that look like theyve split and then grown a bit leaving strange ridges in them. Havent got a clue why theyre like this. They did flower quite a while ago. Have I left them too long or something? Also, how many of eatable size are there supposed to be on each plant? There doesnt seem to be many :( Has anybody else got this problem?
It's due to irregular watering, probably, with the added possibility of growing them for too long... And if they're super earlies, about half a pound per plant is pretty good... most earlies would be a bit more.
oh no, best get the rest out asap :-[ Thanx
Not much to go on there. Was the variety an early or late?
Quote from: cockadoodledoo on June 22, 2008, 17:02:53
They did flower quite a while ago.
led me to assume earlies... of course, assumption makes an ass out of er, umption...
Yes, early cheshires. Started flowering, maybe three weeks ago. A few are o.k. I pulled 4 plants today. The one that I pulled last was one of the slower starters and they did seem to be the best. Ive got a row of salad potatoes that look ready to flower. Is it best to dig up while still flowering?
I'm hoping to pull my earlies this week coming - epicure. When i've put potato peel (from commercially bought tatties) in the compost heap earlier this year, i've now got several plants growing up. If i pull up the earlies, can i compost the above ground green stuff - leaves nad stalks without the same happening? Or is it just the tubers and eyes that sprout?
(http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll282/cockadoodledoo2008/22ndJune2008012.jpg) Thought id test posting a picci ......hope it works.......p.s. Tyke Ive started chucking the greenery in to compost as sure its o.k.
That looks like the result of irregular rainfall, though I've not seen it to that extent before. They sit in dry soil for a while, then get a lot of water, suddenly start rapid growth again, and split. If you keep a good layer of mulch over the top, it keeps the moisture in, and you should avoid the splitting.
Right, thanks. I'll make sure to do the mulching thing next time.
p.s I made potato gratin with them......on the bright side, they looked rather nice.......a bit like i'd sliced them and then cut them into flower shapes.... ;D LOL