Allotments 4 All

First post, and am going to show just how silly I have been!!
Help!  I have 3 rows of spuds coming up currently - I know one row is king edward, one is pik fir apple, but I have no idea what I put in the third row!!

Is there any way to tell?  And if not, is there any way to know when they are ready for harvest as a general rule? ???

When the plants flower is usually a good indication of when the tubers are suitable for harvesting although not all types will actually produce them. Don't know how you can tell what kind you've planted although the actual tuber might narrow you're choices down a bit ie colour etc

Join the club. I had to ring my supplier to check on one of my varieties. At my age??

Don't feel stupid I did exactly the same last year (unless we are both stupid?!  ;D).  Had no idea what I was eating but to be perfectly honest - didn't care!

Have been a bit slapdash this year too although some of them are Pink Fir Apple so at least they should be easy enough to spot!


Unless you really need to know for a trial just eat em and enjoy!

I have labeled 2 of my potatoes with the same name and I know they are different ???

I don't know where my kestrels end and my caras begin.

hehe, i have three varieties and have the same problem, RC. i know what is at each end but dont know where the middle variety starts and ends. oh well, i am sure they will all be tasty :)

Unfortunately, except in the case of earlies and (some) second earlies, flowering does not necessarily indicate that potatoes are ready to harvest.  I often have Desiree (early maincrop) flowering at the beginning of July, and they have plenty of buds even now, although tuber initiation of maincrop varieties is not provoked until daylength has shortened to about 14 hours - which for me is around the end of July - and harvesting can not take place until the tubers have grown and the skins have set several weeks later.

Quote from: Kepouros on June 08, 2005, 22:17:31
Unfortunately, except in the case of earlies and (some) second earlies, flowering does not necessarily indicate that potatoes are ready to harvest.  I often have Desiree (early maincrop) flowering at the beginning of July, and they have plenty of buds even now, although tuber initiation of maincrop varieties is not provoked until daylength has shortened to about 14 hours - which for me is around the end of July - and harvesting can not take place until the tubers have grown and the skins have set several weeks later.

I have two maincrop varieties flowering already!  These are coloured ones - burgundy red and salad blue - and they have white and blue flowers respectively. It rather surprised me when I saw them on Monday night!

moonbells

There is no point in leaving the flowers on, moonbells, they are simply taking energy from the plants, especially if they set and form seedheads. Nip them off and allow the plants to continue growing unhampered.  The size of the crop will depend entirely on the size of the plants at tuber initiation stage.