Talkback: Harvesting potatoes - Talkback

02/08/2008 at 11:25

Oh yes, I did harvest the first potatoes and they tasted wonderful. I want to conserve the small ones for next year. The problem we faced last year was that most of the potatoes dried out or rotted away. Now I want to keep them in sawdust, in our basement which is cool. Is that a good idea? reinier van der Leij

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03/08/2008 at 10:33

This is my first year of growing potatoes. I took advantage of a special offer in the magazine a few months back for 3 patio planters and 3 varieties of seed potatoes, and I'm pleased to say it's proving to be a success! Going to plant more and more and more! Thanks to everyone at GW magazine, website, etc, for all the good advice!

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03/08/2008 at 20:25

I have a good yield of Rocket earlies and still have quite a few to be lifted. How long will they keep in store? I have a lovely cool cellar and have had success storing lates but have not tried with earlies before.

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03/08/2008 at 23:03

Hi first year planting potato's this year. Small/first crop. I'm digging them up as i want them. I was told that i can dig up the potato's as soon as the flowers die away. which i am doing. Beautiful flowery potato's. You talk of Storing, how do i do this?

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04/08/2008 at 11:50

I have grown potatoes for the first time and have loads of foliage, but help! How do I know when to harvest them?

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04/08/2008 at 23:27

Hi Im a first year potato grower and some of my haulms have rotted at the base and flopped is this because of the wet weather help before anymore do it or what course of action should I take at present when one flops I pull the haulm out and dig up the potatoes is this correct I would be very grateful if someone can help with this cheers John

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05/08/2008 at 10:27

A friend gave me a few potato seeds which i grew in sacks. Plenty of foliage and flower, but hardly any potatoes. So dissaponting. Her potato seeds were ok that she gew on her allotement. What did i do wrong. I did notice the compost was very dry

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05/08/2008 at 16:47

both our earlies (sharpes express) and 2nd earlies (catriona) have burst and gone powdery in the water when cooking this year no matter whether steaming or boiling any ideas what the problem might be

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06/08/2008 at 12:22

This is also my first few potatoes. planted them at the start of july should they be getting ready to be harvested? if not how long do i have to wait. they are white potatoes.

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06/08/2008 at 21:31

Sue - it's all down to the cook! Sharp's Express is notorious for breaking up on boiling for too long, due to its' high dry matter content. Catriona is almost as bad.These are both very old potatoes - you might prefer to try growing newer ones that have lower dry content next year.

Vee - maincrop pots take around 12 -15 weeks to mature. Not all pots flower, but if yours do, it's a sign that you might have some ready to eat. Scrape some of the soil away from one root and see what's there. If the tubers are small, water well and look again in a week or two.

Paula - the time tubers can be stored depends upon how warm the store will be, together with other factors. You must make sure that the pots for store are undamaged eg by slugs or your fork. Ideal conditions are to store in the dark at 4 degrees C and with low humidity. I put mine in the garage where it's quite warm. My earlies keep until we have eaten them all by November. Purists say you should only store second earlies and maincrops.

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07/08/2008 at 10:58

have just bought a house with a vegetable patch. have never grown anything edible before and can't wait to have a go. The children and I have dug over the soil, improved with manure and are ready to go, only thing is cant find any seeds which say sow in August! what can i grow for the winter, or do I need to wait until spring before I can get going?

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08/08/2008 at 11:14

You can't plant much right now. I'd sow seeds of a green manure, such as red clover, now, which will stop the nutrients leaching from the soil and add plenty of nitrogen, phosphates and potassium too (essential for healthy plant growth). If you let the clocver flower before digging it into the soil, you'll provide plenty of flowers for bees, which will keep coming back to pollinate your crops. In september you can plant onions and garlic, and you could try sowing broad beans in autumn too. Good luck, Kate

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09/08/2008 at 09:41

We have had an allotment for nearly two years, each year we try really hard to grow vegetables, but the soil is clay soil and its either rock hard or so wet there's more on your wellies than in the allotment, any idea to improve soil

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09/08/2008 at 13:18

we have started to dig up our earlies and mids and have noticed some of them have purple spots on them but not all. Are they still edible or should we throw the ones away that have the spots on them. Please advise. Thank you.

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10/08/2008 at 18:24

Good to see such enthusiasm! You could sow oriental salad leaves like mizuna & mibuna, Winter Density lettuce,mustard greens or corn salad (lambs lettuce) You will probably need to get these from a catalogue. Good luck to you and the children. Enjoy your garden!

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11/08/2008 at 09:01

Have just dug up Sharps express potatoes and they looked great When boiled they fell apart How should I cook them?

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17/08/2008 at 10:44

I would love some advice on storing my amazing yieled of potatoes from my allotment. Do you wash or clean them and store in any type of container. I do have a garage they can be left it.

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22/08/2008 at 08:31

This is my first year planting potatoes, planted them at the start of May and started digging them up, but most of the potatoes were really small and had little look alike warts on them. Can anyone tell me what I did wrong?

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27/08/2008 at 19:46

Hello Alan! My lovely crop of Rockets will not need to be stored after all because the later liftings have all got regular sized holes in them. It is not wireworms as holes are bigger so I think it is millipedes. There are no beasties inside but most end up in compost. How can I avoid this disappointment next year?

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30/08/2008 at 12:58

I bought some patio potatoes from a garden centre the information states that after the plants have flowered the potatoes can be harvetsted - my plants havent flowered but the leaves have turned yellow and started to die I can see some potatoes should I lift them now or leave them a little longer?