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I am growing potatoes for the first time this year (in large bags) and I was just wondering of someone could tell me when I can harvest them? They are first earlies and I planted them in early March in my greenhouse so now they have masses of top growth and have been earthed up to the top of the bags. I noticed yesterday that there are signs of flower buds beginning to appear.

Should I let them flower or take those off and, as I mentioned earlier, how long should I leave them before I harvest them - is there a hard-and-fast rule about this?

Many thanks!

There is no hard a and fast rule about home growing, that is for the mass producers who grow commercially. People make up their own growing rules as a guide to when they will harvest their crop and the information can be helpful to a new grower.

Potatoes can be harvested as soon as they are big enough to cook. About the size of a chicken egg, or they can be left to grow a bit longer and get quite big.

After about 12 weeks some could be ready and a fumble in the bag will reveal the size of the spuds. You can just take out enough for a meal and leave the rest to grow on if you want to.

Out of the bag, a quick wash and cook. That way you get the fullest flavour and nourishment both of which begin to diminish as soon as they are picked.

Enjoy.

Some varieties are best harvested when the foilage is in flower,  others once it starts to die back,  depends on the variety.  From a March planting - i would leave another few weeks.  If you don't have the patience..... dig one up from the edge of the bag to check its size, taking care not to disturb the remainder of the plant just in case they need more time to grow.

The firkling season is upon us...  :)

Quote from: OllieC on May 17, 2010, 09:59:35
The firkling season is upon us...  :)

Is Firkle the correct verb to use to describe 'potato sack fumbling'?

I do love a good firkle  ;D

Alison x

I have a bag of sharpes express that I planted for the great spud challenge in February, stayed out in my proch for a bit and are now against a nice sunny south facing wall. Now unless I blinked and missed them I dont appear to have had any flowers but they appear to be dying off. They havent been hit by frost so its not that

Ive had a little firkle and there are some definite spuddies in there are they dying off coz they are ready? will they still grow bigger?

Can ya tell ive not grown spuds in bags before  ::)

I grow them in pots instead of bags, that way I can tap the pot about half way down and listen to the sound. If it sounds like there's potatoes in there, I harvest, if not I leave them for another few weeks.  8)

Quote from: terrier on May 17, 2010, 14:54:33
I grow them in pots instead of bags, that way I can tap the pot about half way down and listen to the sound. If it sounds like there's potatoes in there, I harvest, if not I leave them for another few weeks.  8)

What do the potatoes sound like?  :)