Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi everyone! I think my pink fir tatties plus a couple of "unknowns" are ready for harvesting. The leaves are starting to die back and some are going yellow with little black speckles on them.
What is the best way to harvest them, particularly in all this wet weather? It'll be Saturday at the earliest before I get down to the lottie to do some digging - where is the best place to leave them to dry out a bit? I've already got some paper sacks for storage, just not sure what to do in the meantime.
Thanks! Bernie

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

As far as I know PFA are maincrop potatoes Bernie. They shouldn't be 'keeling over' yet.

If I am wrong (hopefully) and you have a sizeable crop I would just leave them in situ in the rain for a few hours. After that, collect them up and let them dry off on a greenhouse staging or shed window sill. Once dry you can commence bagging!

PS Welcome to the 3000 posts club. Not as select as the mile high club I fear but an achievement non the less!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I'm just digging spuds as I need them. Even if the foliage is gone (as my early Arran Pilots have) the potatoes underneath have been OK. Unless you really need the space I would leave them where they are and dig as you use. Normally harvest maincrop for storing late August/September. This is when you need to leave them to dry for a few hours at least before storing in sacks.

If the rain ever stops I will begin to eat my second crop potatoes, until then they are staying right where they are!!

Will the rain ever stop?

Still eating Arran Pilots - I only grow earlies - smallish veg garden - and only dig when I need them. As Snadger said, the only spuds you need to lift all at once (and therefore to store) are maincrop so I'd leave your fir apples a bit. Another month and surely to heaven we'll have a bit of sun!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

Thanks for your advice everyone, much appreciated. Hadn't realised Snadger that I was over the 3,000 mark! Bernie

__________________
Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

You were yesterday Bernie...but you seem to have dropped down below 3000 now for some reason?????

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Sorry but may I hijack this for a moment

Are you saying that if there are black spots on the leaves and the greenery is going yellow, that it's time to harvest???

Mine are looking like this, hence the root around to see what was down there, and they are flowering at the moment. Should I be thinking of harvesting??

She must have been on the Sunday Night Chat. When this is erased later in the week those posts don't count. Don't worry - she'll soon catch up again!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

It's not just down to that Curvy Vixen. It depends on the variety, when they were planted etc. Mine are like that but they were put in in the middle of March and are first earlies. What are you growing?

__________________
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

Ah ha! Just realised that perhaps it was my posts in Sunday nights chat? Ah well, not a problem! You'll just have to put up with me for a while longer! Bernie

__________________
Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Eerr...potatoes??

Sorry Flummery I know you're trying to help me but I haven't a clue! I bought a bag at a local garden centre a few months ago and it never occurred to me to look to see if there was a name! They have pink flowers on them though LOL!

Made hubby dig down last night again and he got a couple of ping pong balls out so I think I'll just keep an eye on them. If they are ping pong ball sized now have you any idea roughly how long they will take to get to 'potato sized'? Or will that depend on the variety? Think I planted them about end of April time-ish...

I dug my Charlotte pots. up last night - one lot in bin, only got about 2lbs but lovely taste. This is my first time growing potatoes (in fact growing anything) but looking at other gardens and comparing the foliage on mine was huge, about 2/3ft high. Does anyone know why? I was so proud though with my little colander, really good feeling. pammiep

My potato plants are huge as well, must be 3' now (sorry, dont know the variety cos I 'inherited' them) and I'm worried they'll be all leaf and no potato. Maybe its the weather we've been having pammiep? Someone who knows more than me will be along to tell us shortly no doubt.

Hi. moggsue - I hope so as would like to know for next time. I must admit the compost wasn't v.moist taken into account all the rain we've had. Maybe I haven't watered enough - how about you? + do you feed potatoes?

It's a bit hard to give advice without knowing the varety because maincrop and earlies are so different. However, if the foliage has died down they won't grow any more will they - so you might as well dig them up. Flowering can be misleading. Some flower very early. Many have white flowers, many pink, some almost lilac.

If the foliage is still ok you can let them grow on a bit more and get bigger spuds. Hope that helps.

__________________
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

Thanks Flummery, and sorry I cant give you any more info - next year I'll be much better prepared! My foliage looks fine so I'll leave the plants a few more weeks.
pammiep - I didnt know whether to feed potatoes either so asked on another thread. Got slightly mixed response as to whether it makes a diff or not so I'm feeding half of them now that I've stopped earthing up and leaving the other half - my own little experiment to see what diff it makes! I havent watered for weeks though, just hoping the rain is getting to the bottom of the containers. You?

I never fed them but put them in a mixture of manure and peat and havent watered since the rain but like I said when I emptied the container it was just damp. It will be interesting to see results of your experiment. Better get some work done I'm in office but keep having a read of forum. naughty girl.

Haha, I'm the same - in the office having a quiet spell - slap wrists! I'll post the results of my experiment, not that I expect it to be much help to anyone since I dont really know what I'm doing !

I've got the same quandrey moggssue. I seem to have a lot "up top" (as regards my tatties boys!) but not sure what is below. Concensous (sp?) of opinion is to leave them in till you need em. Bernie

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Okay, they're staying right where they are for a while longer then. Do I wait until the foliage starts to die do you think? At the mo it all looks perfectly healthy, if huge, and with pretty flowers. I tried a little furtle (just cos I like the sound of it!) and couldnt feel anything but didnt go down too far in case I disturbed anything.

If they're main crop, leave them till they die down. If they're first or second earlies you could eat them now - if you don't know - dig one up. You've only lost one. You'll get something at least and if it's a main crop you can leave the others.

__________________
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig