Allotments 4 All

Sodding potatoes, i planted them in March earthed them up 2/3times foliage was 3ft high, i got 3 lousy spuds from them never again.
I got loads the year before just growing them in large plant pots .
What went wrong. I grew them in those famous green potatoe bags.
:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

I think its what gardening is all about, you win some, you lose some.  You have good years with some crops, and the next year is rubbish.

It's disappointing, but 'next year is going to be (has GOT to be) better.

valmarg

too much nitrogen in your fertiliser? or not enough potash?
you may have been lucky-when I earthed up me spuds last year, that was the last I saw of half of them

Last year was a nightmare potato wise.I put in loads,tried to plant enough
to last us most of the year.With the constant rain I lost the lot to blight.The soil was liquid mud and the smell was awful.I have let that bed grass over this year.On the plus side had lots of onions and runner beans.
It is a constant battle against the P and Ds and the elements :)

the low number of potatoes may be due to the variety you grew, was it an early type, or main crop?

same thing here last year was so wet lost all mine and me toms to blight, this year looks ok, as they said, win some loose some.

I can't help thinking that you didn't give them long enough. Earlies need at least 100 days or longer.

I'd put it down to the amount of time in the grownd too.

In the North of Ireland we have a saying, 'in on the green (March 17 St Patricks day) out on the orange (12th July William of orange - parade day).

By following this rule I always have a bumper crop.

My problem this year was a hungry Badger.

Sounds as if all the energy has gone into producing the tops. Shame when things go wrong. My carrots and parsnips failed this year and Ive had to sow them again and yet last year they were great.

Mary - had they flowered?

No Tim, they had not but the foliage was about 3ft above the green bag , so i thought they must be ready.

You were in a right hurry; wait until people are reporting on their crops here! Last year was a dead loss for me as well; I planted a big patch of spuds, and had four plants which survived the blight long enough to produce small potatoes. The toms never even got that far, and I lost a lot of other stuff as well due to waterlogging.

think you have to wait til the stems have flowered then withered??

Thank you all for your usefull comments. ;D

I think i was to hasty to harvest.
Also may have put to much manure in the bags.
Lessons learned for next year.
  The foliage was so high i could have made a hedge LOL.

yes i think you should have left them for at least another 3-4 weeks. That is the time I calculated for my earlies and here it is warmer than the UK...

Not withered with Earlies, Poet.

Welcome to the site GIJane... at least you are supporting local wildlife..  ::)
Potatoes in bags are always hit and miss but the number of days is critical and does vary by variety only Swift and Rocket, the super earlies are much below 100 days which is why the Irish Saying is so informative. At least 3 months from the tops showing. We put ours in near Easter and don't expect them much before my Birthday in Mid July.
;D

Rosebud I dug up one just about flowering plant , as I had ferkled a couple of fair sized spuds but that was it just the two :( , I will wait until they come into full flower before I dig any more up, with earlies as Tim said, you don't have to wait until they wither.   ;D ;D ;D