Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Potato puzzle

Collapse

X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
  • #1

    Potato puzzle

    Help please...Earlier this year I purchased seed potatos from a reputable garden centre. Around 18 Kestrel second earlies, and 6 Desiree main crop for my small patch. I chitted and labelled these and planted them as normal. Both have grown well with lots of top growth, in fact much more on the Kestrel. Now the puzzle. No flowers have appeared on the Kestrel rows yet, but there are copious flowers on the Desiree row. I tried digging one of the Kestrel plants, and got nothing at all! Thinking things must have somehow got confused by me or the shop, I dug one of the flowering Desiree plants. This produced about six modest PINK potatos. So what's going on? The pink spuds look like rather immature Desiree ones due to the colour. The Kestrel ones should not be pink! I have pictures but cannot se how to attach them att he moment. Any help much appreciated! Thanks,
    Mike
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Not all potatoes produce flowers.
    Also the foliage on some varieties grow taller than others.
    Have a Google on the varieties you have sown and you will get more information.
    When did you plant your potato crop?

    And when your back stops aching,
    And your hands begin to harden.
    You will find yourself a partner,
    In the glory of the garden.

    Rudyard Kipling.sigpic

    Comment

    • #3
      Not sure where you are in the country, but my tatties aren't ready yet

      Comment

      • #4
        Hi Mike and welcome.
        The AHDB potato database has information on both varieties

        Varieties

        Varieties

        Does the colour of the flowers help to confirm that they are Desiree?

        Perhaps you're digging them too soon?

        Comment

        • #5
          What the labels say in stuff you buy and what it actually is, are sometimes not the same.

          Comment

          • #6
            The AHDB potato database has information on both varieties

            Varieties

            Varieties

            Does the colour of the flowers help to confirm that they are Desiree?

            Perhaps you're digging them too soon?
            Many thanks. The link confirms the Desiree row is what it was supposed to be. Right colour, and correct flowers. So yes, dug too soon of course. (only because I though the varieties got mixed up, and that these were perhaps the Kestrel ones). No flowers yet on the others (supposed to be Kestrel) but no spuds found when one dug yesterday. I live near Bath. End of June too early for second earlies??
            Foliage height of Kestral given as medium, same as Desiree. My "Kestrel" are MUCH taller!
            Last edited by veggiechicken; 23-06-2019, 03:33 PM. Reason: Fixing quote

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by bramble View Post
              Not all potatoes produce flowers.
              Also the foliage on some varieties grow taller than others.
              Have a Google on the varieties you have sown and you will get more information.
              When did you plant your potato crop?
              Thanks for the response. Spuds went in on Easter Monday. I live near Bath. See later reply in this topic.

              Comment

              • #8
                I tend not to grow earlies as I am too far north really, so my main crops tend to be left until the tops start wilting, those for keeping are left in the ground to harden them, they then store better.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Kestrel potatoes have pink eyes. I used to grow kestrel(for slug resistance) but even though they are listed as second earlies I treated them as main crop and allowed the tops to die off before lifting. Some tatties don't flower so I wouldn't worry about that. In my area it is still way to early to be lifting second earlies or maincrops, and earlies for that matter.
                  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)

                  Diversify & prosper


                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Hi Mike and welcome to the Vine. Lots of leaf may indicate you have nitrogen rich soil, (nothing to worry about). When did you plant the seed spuds, my Kestrels went in mid-March but I'm not expecting them to be ready until mid-July.
                    Location ... Nottingham

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      If you put them in at Easter, it's much too early to be harvesting them now. The info I've found suggests Kestrel take 15 to 17 weeks from planting to harvest. If you've found on a website they'll be ready from June onwards, that will be for people who planted them much earlier.

                      Leave them be and you'll get a harvest, albeit later than you hoped.
                      Last edited by Snoop Puss; 24-06-2019, 08:24 AM.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Snoop Puss View Post
                        If you put them in at Easter, it's much too early to be harvesting them now. The info I've found suggests Kestrel take 15 to 17 weeks from planting to harvest. If you've found on a website they'll be ready from June onwards, that will be for people who planted them much earlier.

                        Leave them be and you'll get a harvest, albeit later than you hoped.
                        Hi, many thanks for the advice, which agrees with other replies. (Thanks to others too!). Looks like the end of July then. My first attempt with Kestrels. I've grown Wilja up to now, and they have been ready around now in the past, planting around the same time. Looks like I was lucky.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Mr Bones View Post
                          Hi Mike and welcome to the Vine. Lots of leaf may indicate you have nitrogen rich soil, (nothing to worry about). When did you plant the seed spuds, my Kestrels went in mid-March but I'm not expecting them to be ready until mid-July.
                          Hi, many thanks for this. Yes, other replies are saying the same so I was being too hopefult, too early!

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Snadger View Post
                            Kestrel potatoes have pink eyes. I used to grow kestrel(for slug resistance) but even though they are listed as second earlies I treated them as main crop and allowed the tops to die off before lifting. Some tatties don't flower so I wouldn't worry about that. In my area it is still way to early to be lifting second earlies or maincrops, and earlies for that matter.
                            Hi, many thanks for the advice. Yes, I'm getting the same replies all round, so I'll learn to be more patient!

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              One year, I planted a couple of spuds in a clear carrier bag inside a bucket, at the same time as I planted out the spuds. I could lift up the bag and see if there were any spuds without disturbing the row.
                              If you're impatient, like me, it really helps.

                              Comment

                              Previous 1 2 template Next

                              Latest Topics

                              Collapse
                              View All

                              Recent Blog Posts

                              Collapse
                              View All
                              Working...
                              X