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Title: Poataoes again
Post by: midnightvelvet on July 19, 2009, 22:02:21

Can I just ask a question please about spuds? The foliage on my King Eddies (in tubs) has started to droop and turn yellow. No signs of blight (yet) but was wondering if I should remove the foliage and leave the spuds in - will they continue to grow if I take the foliage off?
Thanks

Title: Re: Poataoes again
Post by: stevew451 on July 19, 2009, 22:55:35

try feeling into the soil drooping foilage can mean they are ready to harvest

Title: Re: Poataoes again
Post by: saddad on July 19, 2009, 22:57:45

Or it's just been very dry? :-\

Title: Re: Poataoes again
Post by: midnightvelvet on July 24, 2009, 00:22:46

Have been watering by hand so think its not that they're dry, and have had a rummage but they're still quite small really. I guess if it continues to die down I'll just have to harvest whatever is there...ho hum :-\
Thanks for the replies ;D

Title: Re: Poataoes again
Post by: MrBean on July 26, 2009, 17:45:33

I grew 4 plants in tyres stacked 3 high. As I'd run out of ground level spuds, and the leaves had just started to turn, I thought I'd have a dig and be amazed at the huge crop this method produces. I'd been heaping them up as the shoots grew, and when I broke down the pile, there were no more potatoes than there would have been grown at ground level. All the spuds were at ground level, and none had grown out from the stems.

What did I do wrong?

Title: Re: Poataoes again
Post by: davyw1 on July 26, 2009, 20:49:19

Quote from: MrBean on July 26, 2009, 17:45:33
I grew 4 plants in tyres stacked 3 high. As I'd run out of ground level spuds, and the leaves had just started to turn, I thought I'd have a dig and be amazed at the huge crop this method produces. I'd been heaping them up as the shoots grew, and when I broke down the pile, there were no more potatoes than there would have been grown at ground level. All the spuds were at ground level, and none had grown out from the stems.

What did I do wrong?

What you should have done was to start at two tyres high with your spuds in the bottom then covered them with well rotted manure, filled the Tye's to the top of the upper tyre. When the foliage appears put your next tyre on and let the foliage get to the height of that tyre then put your next lot of spuds in and fill again to the top of the tyre. As the foliage appears repeat the process always leaving a couple of inches out of the soil.

Title: Re: Poataoes again
Post by: MrBean on July 27, 2009, 23:58:38

Thanks, I'll try again next year.

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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: midnightvelvet on July 19, 2009, 22:02:21