Allotments 4 All

This is my first year growing veg and after my success with early potatoes, I decided to sow a second batch in the hope of having new potatoes for Christmas dinner.  However, on visiting the lottie today, I noticed that my previously healthy looking shoots were looking decidedly sickly with very few leaves left.  Any ideas what this could be and is there any chance of harvesting any spuds for Christmas?
Also, harvested my maincrops today [cara].  There was a bit of a delay in between cutting down the haulms and harvesting because we have been away, noticed that lots of potatoes had long white runners on them.  I assume that this is because they have been left in the ground for longer than ideal but is it okay just to rub them off and can I still store them??
Last question, honest... Have loads of Pink Fir Apple potatoes, again haulms were cut down about three weeks ago, should I dig them up and store them or leave them in the ground until needed??? can't remember if these store or not.
Sorry to sound like such a novice but am learning fast and really enjoying my plot more than I thought possible!!!

First your earlies -  You don`t say exactly what is happening to the foliage.  Are the leaves simply turning yellow (all over), or have they got brownish purple spots. A picture would help.  When did you plant them and what variety are they? If you planted them in early July and they are a quick maturing variety it could even be that they are maturing now.  Some more information would help.

Secondly your Cara - The long white runners are in fact the stolons on which the tubers form (they don`t form on the fibrous roots), and are nothing to do with being left in the ground.  Just rub them off.  The tubers will store perfectly well.

Thirdly your Pink Fir Apple - Dig them up and store them.  Although they are a salad potato they store just as well as any other maincrop.  If you leave them in the ground they will simply be eaten by slugs and other soil pests.

Pink Fir Apple store beautifully - they are always the last ones in my store to start regrowing - had some last year that were OK in April.

Catz - yes , PFA are great keepers & still 'salady' in February.

But why cut down so early? We don't normally lift till well into October. What size are the tubers??

I'd dig up the PFA up whilst you can remember where they all are - I left some in for a while a few years ago, and had loads of problems with self setters the next year. PFA quite often have lots of small tubers, which on my stoney allotment can easily get left begind.

My Cara also had the same growths, just rub them off. Leave the spuds out to dry before packing away to store. I just spread them out on sheet on the lawn for a few hours on a sunny day.

Thanks for the advice everyone.
have dug up some of the pfa and have lots of large tubers, foliage was looking dodgy which is why I cut them down early, will dig up rest and enoy over the winter.
My earlies that I planted were bambino, think I put them in mid to late july and the foliage started to come through quite early but now most of the leaves have died off and am left with some withered, yellowed stems. don't have digital camera so no pictures unfortunately.  there are still one or two healthy looking plants.

Hi HappyCatz,

I'm a novice too, and found my neglected potato patch did remarkably well.

Any advice on varieties for next year? I got the Thompson & Morgan catalogue and it's full of varieties.

Am definitely going to try pink fir apples, as eveyrone says they keep so well. I like Charlottes from the shop (waxy, golden) but don't know how easy they are to grow?

Now for some absolute indulgence....ever tried frying individual PFA as Gourmet Chips.....they're totally amazing... ;D

I agree there - I tended to cut them into quarters lengthwise, then fry for several minutes. My children would even eat them cold, and I never needed to add salt or vinegar ...

Read the T+M Catalogue Mrs Greenjeans for ideas then find a cheaper source... our local GC usually has the same size packs at 1/2 the price and no P+P. Or better still go to a Potato day event where you can buy per tuber @15p each and so try loads of different varieites very cheaply. The Ryton (Coventry) one is about 27th Jan...
8)

Happy Catz, in view of what you say about the foliage, and if you are correct in thinking that they were Bambino, I`m afraid that your earlies have simply had their day and are dying back naturally.

Bambino is an early maincrop potato, and as such is sensitive to daylength - it would try to initiate tuberisation once the daylight hours decreased to a certain point.  Under normal conditions tuberisation of an early maincrop potato would start about the end of July or early August.  It can be delayed by stress, such as caused by drought, but not greatly so.  The size of the crop in such varieties is governed by the size of the plant when tuberisation commences - small plant equals small crop - and with planting in late July you will have given the plants no chance to make any size before trying to form tubers.  Let them die down naturally, and hope for something worth while undeneath them, but I certainly wouldn`t leave them in the ground until Xmas.

For new potatoes at Xmas you need a daylength neutral variety - an early variety, in other words - which will not be affected by lessening daylength, and will simply form its tubers when it has reached sufficient size or maturity to do so. These will keep going until very late autumn or early winter (depending on the weather conditions) but will need protection against frost and snow.  Not all earlies are quite suitable for this and if you decide to try again next year you would be wise to seek out the varieties especially recommended for the purpose

Thanks for your words of wisdom, Kepouras.  had another look at them this morning and they definitely look as though they have had it.  Am disappointed as they came from Dobies as recommended to plant after the first harvest of earlies. will have to hope that my delicious pfa last til Christmas.

I bought Bambino from dobies as a xmas potato. Does this mean that it wont be a good harvest due to day lenght. They went in about mid Aug and are about 18" height with nice green foliage. I shall be very disappointed if they aren't supposed to be grow now. :(

jo xx

I too bought some from T&M I think which are supposed to provide new potatoes for Christmas.  I planted them mid August & they grew quickly but last week they started to die back & I assumed it was blight - it looked like it.  I pulled one plant [they are in tubs] & there were very small tubers which I wouldn't mind if they'd last till I want them but don't think they will & I'm planning to harvest them all next weekend in case it is blight.  I'd rather have a few small pots than a nasty slimy mess - yuk.

Bambino is a very new variety.  It is not listed in either the European Cultivated Potato Database (which contains 4120 Cultivated varieties and 1353 Breeding Lines) or the British Potato Council Seed Variety Handbook.  The only definitive information I have on it is in The Organic Gardening Catalogue, in which it is described as "Early Maincrop Maturity".

Thompson & Morgan do not offer it at all.  Marshalls offer it only as a Salad Potato.

The only advice I can give to jchapman is to keep your fingers crossed and be ready with the frost protection in good time.  The fact that they are still green and growing indicates that they haven`t yet formed their tubers.