Talkback: Harvesting potatoes - Talkback

04/08/2008 at 10:38

my potato plant has produced a small bunch of fruit bodies. they are very similar in look to a small green tomato. when cut open it has small seed and smells like a tomato. when I lifted the plant there were tuber attatched. any ideas ?

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29/08/2008 at 15:22

I'm desperate for some advice with my own potatoes! For the first time, I planted some second-earlies back in April and and they romped away magnificently to begin with and I haven't seen any sign of any blight (touch wood!). They suffered a little when I went away for three days back in July when it was hot and some of the stems died so I cut them back. The problem is, I don't know when to harvest them! They don't look like they're ever going to flower which I understand is the usual sign and they're in those green potato bags so it's difficult to just pull some soil away to see what's going on. Should I just bite the bullet and empty the bag to see what I've got? And if all the stems died on any one particular plant, would the (possible) tubers rot away and damage the other plants in the same bag? Any help would be gratefully appreciated. :-)

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30/08/2008 at 16:07

i need some advice on storing potatoes in a clamp... how much straw? how much space do they need? how accessible are they for use? Iâve got space in the greenhouse, is that a good place to make a clamp?

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03/09/2008 at 19:48

I had exactly the same thing happen to me,plus I had some lovely big plants,lots of foliage and was looking forward to lots of potatoes from these plants but when I dug them up there wasnt a potato to be seen,so what happened to them,? all the other plants yielded lots of very large potatoes but these 2 plants,nothing

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04/09/2008 at 09:29

My potatoes did not flower, they are in containers, some of the leaves died back and on harvesting I found they burst after minutes in boiling water, the skins were very thick and just peeled off and the potato was powdery and dry and tasteless. I don't think it's blight because the potatoes look fine before cooking. Would appreciate some advice.

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07/09/2008 at 16:05

My potatoes have not done so well. the tubers were too small. may be it was was because they were supermarket bought potatoes. what should i do next time. where do i buy chitted potatoes.

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07/09/2008 at 20:39

My potatoes cropped well but some have sufferred 'slug' damage. When cleaning the mud off I found not slugs but what appeared to be centipedes in the holes. Is this what you call 'slug damage'?

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08/09/2008 at 16:50

When we lifted our main crop potatoes they looked really good, but on closer inspection they had little holes with small worms in quite a lot of them. If you or anyone else can help with this and give a remedy We would be eternally grateful

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12/09/2008 at 13:35

Catriona, did you use home made compost or manure on your plot shortly before planting your potatoes? If so, this is probably what caused your damage, you should add organic matter in the autumn before planting potatoes in the Spring.

Vee, only use seed potatoes from a proper supplier (nursery or garden centre should be fine), supermarket or other "eating" potatoes could carry blight or other diseases when planted. Put the potatoes in a tray and leave in a dry, light cool place uncovered (a windowsill is fine) for about 6-8 weeks before planting out, they will chit beautifully. You want nice green small leafy chits rather than white roots. Try to buy small potatoes, they can also be chitted in egg boxes if you don't have many.

Brenda, I have had this problem before, this year I grew a brand called "Swift" for first earlies and "Pink Fir Apple" for main crop (both purchased from good nursery) - unbelievable, so many good potatoes, we are feeding the village!

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18/09/2008 at 22:02

I planted 9 tubs and 12 bags alternating with 5 varieties. we harvest them as we need them, as Christine says Swift and Pink Fir Apple are great but not a large crop from the Pink Fir Apple, All the others fall when boiled and do not have much taste even Roosters. I cook them in the microwave for a short time add some salt cover and leave in the water for 2/3 minutes before draining this helps, but they roast or fry, cut up small add some chopped garlic and a little olive oil then roast in a dish or on top of a meat or veg dish, just add flavours to make them more interesting to eat. This is my second year and I will keep trying new types. Don't give up We had them from July to new years day last year, so it saved a lot of money.

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21/09/2008 at 11:13

I am really thrilled because I put some ordinary potatos that had been forgotten and had chitted in a green plastic sack and gradually topped the soil up until it reached the top, and today I got a sieve full of potatoes, from really tiny ones, to some good size ones. Hopefully next year we're getting an allotment, and I will have a good row of them, but right now I'm delighted with the ones I unearthed today.

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01/10/2008 at 13:00

I only have a small vedge patch but am determined to provide the household with some home grown vedge, to prove that it really does have flavour. Somewhere I read that the foliage on potato plants could be pruned, this would help in the later months so that I can see my way around the patch. Is this possible and would it harm the growing tubers? Thankyou.

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02/10/2008 at 19:24

My potatoes did not do well this year, however I still have some in a big pot and they don't do well I will try again next year.

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26/10/2008 at 22:36

I planted some of those small artichokes this spring; I now have 8foot tall plants with bright golden daisy flowers at the top. I cant seem to find out when to harvest, are they ready to dig up yet?

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01/11/2008 at 17:14

Does anyone know of a good fork to lift potatoes without damaging them? I heard Pippa saying about one she had recommended- any ideas? Thanks!

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15/11/2008 at 16:00

I have had one 'Hayward' and one 'Tomouri' Kiwi growing against my South-facing garage wall for 20 years or so. I never feed or water them and pruning consists of severe cutting back all summer just to keep the rank growth under control. Two years ago I had a superb crop of fruit, however, this year has topped that. I have just finished harvesting and boxing the fruits from the single 'Hayward' and have crop with 780 fruits; is this a record for one vine? I live in sunny Clacton, Essex.

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15/12/2008 at 16:30

For alisnodgrass--- For 40 years I had a "potato fork",used for ALL digging jobs too, never a spade! It was four-tined, and the tines were a 'flat-triangular' section,(not the square section of 'garden forks'), about 3/4" across the flat. They were made just for lifting potatoes! Broke a tine 7/8 years ago, and cannot find a replacement fork in the UK - tried all the usual shops, and our local agricultural auctions too, but no luck. Try there perhaps? I saw a few 'flat-tined' forks a couple of years ago in German garden centre - should have bought one, but I now have a s/steel 'garden fork'. It is OK, but the old one fitted my hands better! Good luck!

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03/02/2009 at 12:43

I would Like advice on how to grow Potatos under Black Plastic in a veg bed not a bag. Saw a reference in Carol Klien's Veg Book but no instructions. As I suffer with a really bad back I thought this might save on some digging.

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03/08/2009 at 20:12

can i plant any type of potatoes just now to harvest in the winter?

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02/09/2009 at 14:26

all of my potatoes had little holes in them and also found black worm like things in them, I have had to throw almost all of the potatoes. It was my first time growing them in small veg patch, where did I go wrong and when I plant next year what is the best advice anyone can give me.