Single hen

[Guest]

 

So a couple of weeks ago we finally got around to planting potatoes into tattie buckets, and they've started to grow!!!! When should I be covering them over - as soon as they sprouts show, or should they be allowed to grow up a bit first?

 

Am terribly excited, as I've never done potatoes before!

[Mel (& Paul)]

How exciting!!

You can start earthing them up but leave some shoot showing.

Here's to lots of lovely fresh boiled potatoes dripping in butter

[Egluntyne]

I've earthed mine up as high as the bags they are in will allow.

 

There is now masses of foliage but I can't earth up any further.

 

What should I do?

[Snowy]

Me too Egluntine! I think you just wait for them to flower now!

[Nicola H]

Yes just wait for them to flower and once the flowers start to die you can harvest your lovely pots. I sometimes just gently dig round one plant and have a look how big the pots. are to see if they are ready...........

[Egluntyne]

Thanks Snowy and Nicola. It's my first time growing spuds so was imagining I'd have to get a ladder to keep earthing them.

[Tara.F]

for delicious new potatoes with that 'rub off skin' you can harvest early salad types when flowering.

For maincrops, wait til the flowers die back.

 

If your maincrops get blight, cut the plants at ground level (and burn them quick) then wait a further two weeks before harvesting the tubers.

[Guest]

 

My potatoes appear to be growing, on avarage, an inch a day at the moment!

 

My Jerusalem Artichokes have failed to do anything.

[Snowy]

Mine did that too Chookie! I was adding fresh compost to their bags every day! They are now full and trying to compete with the cherry tree for height No flowers yet though.

[ubereglu]

That's great news Shona! Hope you get delicious potatoes to last you throught the summer!

[Snowy]

Whoopee! I've got flowers on my charlotte potatoes! Only buds at the moment, so does that mean I'll have spuds soon?

 

Just realised, I go on holiday for 2 weeks next week - I do have someone to water them, but will they be OK left in their bags until we get back??

[Martin B]

I think so.

[Janet G]

Potato plants will continuing producing spuds until the foliage starts to die down, but take off the flowers. You'll get more potatoes as the plant won't waste energy on flowers & sedd heads, that you don't want.

[Egluntyne]

Useful tip Janet. Thanks.

[CannyCat]

What's 'earthing' them?

 

My mum planted half a bag in pots. They didnt flower, just grew and then turned yellow and droopy, so she dug them up and got reasonably sized new potatoes. I planted the other half-bag in pots two weeks later. Mine are still green and very tall, but there is the odd yellowing plant - no flowers.

 

Was mum right to dig them up when they turned yellow, or would they have flowered eventually?!