Talkback: Potato scab - Talkback

Gardeners' World Web User

24/07/2009 at 14:40

My Charlottes still haven't flowered, are they ever going to? And if they don't will I still have potatoes?

Gardeners' World Web User

24/07/2009 at 15:02

Gigi - I've grown charlottes this year and only had one or two flowers, and not on all plants, but I've had loads of lovely potatoes so far. Have a wee investigation down into the soil and see if you can feel any potatoes, get an idea of the size then decide whether or not to harvest.

Gardeners' World Web User

24/07/2009 at 16:21

I got my seed potatoes from the garden centre when they were giving away for free because it was the end of the season for them, but i planted them just in time and they have succesfully grown. But the thing is that they were a mix bettween earlies, maincrop and god knows what else. So when do you think the best time for me to harvest the lot of these will be?

Gardeners' World Web User

24/07/2009 at 19:11

I feel it is important to help native ladybirds, but a picture of what the lavae look like would be helpful for lots of people.

Gardeners' World Web User

25/07/2009 at 17:33

Good idea about photo of native ladybirds' larvae - please do it. Grown Nadine for first time, and in a container. Blight free, but a disappointing crop in terms of size and number of spuds. Why is that, I wonder (I did water regularly)

Gardeners' World Web User

26/07/2009 at 10:48

johnd- I find potatoes are such gross feeders that I do not get a good crop unless I put a layer of well-rotted horse manure over the bed in the winter. The worms drag it down. My friend was complaining her potatoes were the size of peas so I gave her one of mine - it was so large she made three dinners from it, so it makes economic sense too.

Gardeners' World Web User

27/07/2009 at 07:10

thanks Lainey - I took a delve down this weekend, and there are indeed potatoes down there!

Gardeners' World Web User

27/07/2009 at 12:54

First-time allotmenteer whose grown Pentland Javelin, Maris Peer and Charlotte - all yummy and been eating them since the end of May (Charlotte's grown in an old dustbin on the patio). What I want to know is: how long and how well will the surplus store?

Gardeners' World Web User

28/07/2009 at 09:02

whoops 'who's' not 'whose'

Gardeners' World Web User

28/07/2009 at 10:10

Are the scab infected Charlottes edible?

Gardeners' World Web User

28/07/2009 at 12:39

I have ants in my compost . How do i get them to go . LOTS AND LOTS OF ANTS. HELP PLEASE.

Gardeners' World Web User

28/07/2009 at 16:30

have been travelling around in Herts and Kent and noticed lots of Horse chestnuts with what appears to be rusty leaves. is there a pest problem - are we going to lose our conker trees? Any ideas please.

Gardeners' World Web User

30/07/2009 at 23:09

Kelly, you usually get ants in the compost if it's too dry. Try adding a lot of fresh greenery, or give it a watering. They won't do any harm.

Gardeners' World Web User

31/07/2009 at 08:36

Can anyone help solve this: I found two of, what I can only say looked like small green tomatoes growing on my potato plants, when i cut one opened it was a greenish white colour with white tiny seeds in a kind of half moon shape at the bottom. Any advice please.

Gardeners' World Web User

31/07/2009 at 12:46

Mary - Them green tomatoe things growing on your poatoe plant are a new breed of potatoe plant, i read anarticle on tmen a while back. Im not sure if the tomatoes them selves are edible, actually i doubt they will be but it shouldnt affect you poatoes at all. Sorry but i cant for the life in me remember what the name of the potatoe plant is, sorry. Hopw this helps.

Gardeners' World Web User

02/08/2009 at 10:31

I had what I think was scab on my Nicola potatoes this year. They will all be peeled before eating as it's really quite unsettling to see it! The Kestrel were almost totally unblemished. I will definitely plant Kestrel again.

Gardeners' World Web User

03/08/2009 at 13:54

Mary - Don't eat the 'tomatoes' on the potato plant, they are highly poisonous.

Gardeners' World Web User

04/08/2009 at 04:52

Ants in the compost. Try ground cinnamon. Sprinkle it around the area covering the top and encircling. The ants will scram and not cross the barrier. Potato question: Anyone know the dates to harvest potatoes by the signs in Aug 2009? It's been wet and I need to get them in but would like to do it according to the signs. I didn't one year and they all rotted in about 3 days even though they looked great at harvest. It's made me a believer in harvesting them by the sign.

Gardeners' World Web User

07/08/2009 at 12:01

I planted my potatoes in old dustbins and the proper containers early in the year and followed the instruction for container growing but although there was plenty of leaf there were only three tiny potatoes in the small bag and none at all in the dustbins although have had fair result other year. Any advice for future?

Gardeners' World Web User

15/08/2009 at 17:50

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong with potatoes grown in bags… every year they start well, lovely stalks & leaves but then they seem to be struck with something. The leaves and stalks go brown and shrivle. Slugs & snails also seems to have a ball in the bags. I keep them well watered and generally look after them and this year tried Charlotte, Sharpes Express and Vivaldi but all suffered the same fate. I do get potatoes but not enought to make it worth while so what is the problem