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How do you know when your potatoes are ready to harvest?

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  • #1

    How do you know when your potatoes are ready to harvest?

    Hi, im growing 3 sacks of potatoes wilja, rocket and red duke of york varieties, i have read a lot of things about when to harvest potatoes but people seem to have lots of different opinions so i thought id ask on here for advice on the varieties i have.

    I planted them mid april and this pic shows them about a week ago so they have grown a bit since then, do i need to wait for them to flower? do they even flower? do i have to wait a number of weeks? (i read from 8 weeks) any advice would be great, Thankyou.

    http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/S6000279.jpg
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  • #2
    Hi MB,

    Rocket & Red Duke of York are first earlies, Rocket might make it in 8 weeks in ideal circumstances. However this year as been far from ideal so they will take longer. Personally I would give them about 10 to 12 weeks for both your first earlies and then have a gentle feel around (furtle) to see what you have got.

    Wilja are a second early and will need 16 to 18 weeks before they are ready.

    Hope this helps Colin
    Potty by name Potty by nature.

    By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.


    We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.

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    • #3
      Our early pots are trying to flower - what should we do, wait 8 weeks and cut the flowers off or....

      Tx!
      If the river hasn't reached the top of your step, DON'T PANIC!

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      • #4
        I tend to have a bit of a furtle and see if any potatoes are big enough to eat without disturbing the rest.
        Location....East Midlands.

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        • #5
          On my spuds the foilage is about 2ft high and beginning to flower?

          I believe they are about ready as the guide i got with them says when they flower ?(early june) they are ready so i will be extracting them some time this week

          i would take a picture but its peeing down out there
          http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow...Own/videos.asp

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          • #6
            [ATTACH=CONFIG]29788[/ATTACH]

            this is them some 3/4 weeks ago
            Attached Files
            http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow...Own/videos.asp

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            • #7
              Flowering is a sign that the tubers are forming, so keep up the watering if they need it, as this will encourage the tubers to swell.

              As above, have a gentle feel around in the sack to see how large they are. If they're large enough for you to eat, tip the sack out (on a tarp, or similar makes it easier to clean up) and have a good root through and enjoy!

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              • #8
                Thanks everyone for that its given me a better idea now, i will look forward to checking them in a few weeks time.

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                • #9
                  i thought it was when the leaves start to wilter

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Andrew0109 View Post
                    i thought it was when the leaves start to wilter
                    It is usual with main crop spuds to allow the haulm to die back before harvest.

                    Colin
                    Potty by name Potty by nature.

                    By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.


                    We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.

                    Aesop 620BC-560BC

                    sigpic

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                    • #11
                      There is also conflicting opinions that removal of the flowers puts more energy into the spuds rather that the seeds you get after flowering........I aim to give it a go as a comparison.
                      sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
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                      • #12
                        Yesterday i tipped out a bucket of my first earlies (Swift) that were started 25th Feb (15 weeks ago) - 5 really tiny spuds no bigger than a malteser - total yield was smaller than the seed potato i started with!

                        I checked one of my sacks of Charlottes, planted 1st April (10 weeks ago) - without breaking up the clump of compost too much, I found two small spuds, almost ideal for a salad

                        looks like i'll need to leave everything a LOT longer ....
                        http://MeAndMyVeggies.blogspot.com

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Terry1968 View Post
                          [ATTACH=CONFIG]29788[/ATTACH]

                          this is them some 3/4 weeks ago
                          Mine look similar to this Terry but the weather has been so hot, wet, hot, wet that I am going to leave my Charlottes until the end of June before I tip out one bucket.
                          P

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Farmer_Gyles View Post
                            Yesterday i tipped out a bucket of my first earlies (Swift) that were started 25th Feb (15 weeks ago) - 5 really tiny spuds no bigger than a malteser - total yield was smaller than the seed potato i started with!

                            I checked one of my sacks of Charlottes, planted 1st April (10 weeks ago) - without breaking up the clump of compost too much, I found two small spuds, almost ideal for a salad

                            looks like i'll need to leave everything a LOT longer ....
                            I planted some swift on the 25th of Feb too. I harvested the first of them on the 19th of May. I can't say I was overly impressed by the yield just over 1.5lb.



                            I may try a different variety next year.
                            Chris


                            My Allotment Journal @                             Google+ and Youtube

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                            Updated Regularly-Last Update was 30-05-16

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                            • #15
                              I always grow a few first earlies in buckets, they are ready a bit sooner and no pest damage to worry about. I normally find if I am careful I can lift the plant from the bucket and have a look to see if they are big enough, if not I put it back in again

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