My potatoes are growing really fast!!! Is this normal?

[GlenAmple]

This is only my second time growing potatoes and I can't believe how fast they're growing. They're were planted in empty compost sacks, 2 sacks are 120 litre and the other is 70 litre, the potatoes are Maris Peer, I only planted them 6 weeks ago and they're already right up to the top of the sacks. There is no way I'm going to be able to earth them up again, there's just no more room and there's still another fews weeks before harvesting. Do I just let them get on with it now? and not worry that they can't be earthed up anymore?

The reason I'm surprised at their rate of growth, is that I planted Rocket potatoes last year (same way) and they grew slowly, I didn't write it down but I remember that it was March when these were planted and July/August before I had anything worth harvesting. The Maris Peer are big healthy looking plants, I just didn't expect them to get so big so fast after my experience last year.

[hamsterqueen]

mine have shot up in the last week or so, all the rain followed by sun and then more rain. How far up the bag is the compost? can you shove in a few handfuls a round the stems? I fill mine to within 2 inches or so of the top.

[GlenAmple]

I think I've got enough room for a few more handfuls, they're very near to the top of the bag, the compost is about 4 inches from the top, with about 3 inches of leaves showing through. My potatoes haven't just suddenly put on a growth spurt, they've been growing fast from day one.

[reetnproper]

My King Edwards (planted into the ground) are flowering! I have 3 lovely purple flowers open and attracting the bees and dozens more ready to burst open during the next few days.

This is only my 2nd year growing tatties but I'm sure last years King Eds weren't flowering (let alone with flowers open) this soon. Hopefully all the lovely rain we've had this past week will have worked its magic and dozens of lovely tubers will be growing underground, as I type

Reet
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[GlenAmple]

Thanks must just be the weather we're having, giving just the right conditions for optimum growth

[Creemteez]

Flowering means the tubers are forming, and the rain came just at the right time to help them swell Just keep fingers crossed that the dreaded "B" word doesn't put in an appearance!!

[Suky]

Just keep fingers crossed that the dreaded "B" word doesn't put in an appearance!!

La la la la hum humm, I can't hear what you say, I have my fingers in my ears Never had blight at home (fingers crossed) but the lottie has had it in the past so I am hoping that if I ignore it's existance we won't get it.

[teakdesk]

Flowering means the tubers are forming, and the rain came just at the right time to help them swell Just keep fingers crossed that the dreaded "B" word doesn't put in an appearance!!

I'm not sure that is quite correct. To the best of my knowledge the flowers and the tubers on potato plants are completely unconnected.

Many potato varieties produce their edible tubers, and get harvested, weeks before the flowers form.

In fact, the flowers are a waste of the plant's resources as they use energy to form the potato fruits (which are poisonous) and keep this energy from the edible tubers.

Many gardeners with small plots (and hence the capability) remove the flowers although large scale operations find the work too much.

...They're were planted in empty compost sacks, 2 sacks are 120 litre and the other is 70 litre, the potatoes are Maris Peer, I only planted them 6 weeks ago and they're already right up to the top of the sacks. There is no way I'm going to be able to earth them up again, there's just no more room and there's still another fews weeks before harvesting.

Do I just let them get on with it now? and not worry that they can't be earthed up anymore?

Yes, just leave them. The plants need green growth in good sunlight to form the sugars to expand the edible tubers and put taste into them.

You do not normally earth up by more than, say, 8 to 12 inches above the seed potato unless you have a fancy way of harvesting the potatoes from the bottom.

When using bags earthed up, the tubers at the bottom will be ready before those nearer the top have started growing properly. Harvesting from bags normally destroys the plant and so the top tubers remain too small to justify the extra earthing up. I guess you could get a few by furtling but I would struggle to clear all the tubers from the bottom of a 120 litre bag!!!!!!

There are some systems which have removable side slats so you can go into the bottom of the compost and remove those tubers without damaging the plant.



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[Aberdeenplotter]

Potatoes flower before the tubers develop fully so seeing them in flower is no more than an indication that the tatties will soon be ready. I remove the flowers from mine but I don't think it makes a significant difference

[Potstubsdustbins]

Maris Peer is a second early that love to be well irrigated If you had plenty of rain or kept they well watered thats your reason for the spurt in growth.

I would just let em get on with it now but a feed of high potash will help the tubers form.

Colin

[reetnproper]

I would just let em get on with it now but a feed of high potash will help the tubers form.

Colin

I seem to remember reading (just in the last few days in actual fact, although I can't for the life of me remember where ) that ash is a good source of potash.

So, if that's true, if I take the fine ash from our wood burning stove (we light it using wood and then burn anthracite in it) and spread that around the base of my tatties and then water well, will that work ? I would rather recycle as much of the ash as I can, than put it in the general waste bin once cooled .

Reet
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[Potstubsdustbins]

Potash is a chemical potassium carbonate/hydroxide. This was originally obtained by evaporating a solution leeched from vegetable ashes in to iron pots, hence the name.

I am pretty sure wood ash laid around your spuds would not have the desired effect, though others may be able to tell you differently.

Colin

[reetnproper]

That's a shame - would have been great to find a use for the stuff, as we generate plenty of it Oh well, not to worry and thankyou.

Reet
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[solway cropper]

I wouldn't recommend the ash from your stove if you burn anthracite. You want just wood ash for the garden and that is usually alkaline so it might lead to scabby potatoes as scab thrives in alkaline conditions.

Tomato feed is the best option as the potash is immediately available.

[teakdesk]

There's been a lot of discussions on this.

Most (probably all) agree with Solway.

Use search - such as this.





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