My Garden

potatoes

Last post 14-07-2009 5:30 PM by sue1002. 16 replies.

• 24/06/2009 11:14 AM
  keefy Location: england Joined on: 24 Jun 2009 Posts: 3	Reply | Contact I am growing potatoes in a bag ,and I've been told I need to remove the flowers to help growth,is this the best thing to do?

• 24/06/2009 11:23 AM	In reply to
  RogerBee Location: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Joined on: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 84	Reply | Contact Plants produce flowers to make seed. With potatoes it's the tubers underground not the seed that you want so it makes sense. Otherwise the plant wastes energy on producing something not wanted. I am trying this tactic this year for the first time so I don't know whether it is effective yet. Give it a go - it might just work!

• 24/06/2009 12:19 PM

  In reply to

  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,043

  Reply | Contact Research shows that there is a small gain in yield if flowers are removed. Clealry this is not practical on large scale unless you are very bored and have a very great deal of time on your hands(ie retired), but for a few tubs, you might as well. Most potatoes have been bred to have few flowers, but some, Charlotte and Desiree for example, flower freely and removal of flowers will be more useful than in those cultivars that set few flowers.   Boggy       Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 24/06/2009 12:32 PM	In reply to
  RogerBee Location: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Joined on: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 84	Reply | Contact Thanks Boggy, Always useful to know - especially as I'm growing Desiree (along with Juliette and Cara) Give it a go - it might just work!

• 24/06/2009 05:55 PM	In reply to
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 3,347	Reply | Contact  All my potato flowers dropped off without producing any fruits this year - presumably that means the plants aren't wasting any energy? Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 24/06/2009 08:09 PM	In reply to
  debbielon Location: Maidstone Joined on: 24 Jun 2009 Posts: 8	Reply | Contact Hi just wondering if anyone can help. We are new to growing veg and our potatoes are very tall to the point of falling over. We have been earthing up. They are Charlotte and have been in about 8 weeks. Someone told my husband that they are probably all stem and no potatoes so he dug one up and there was nothing on it. Is it too early yet or have we done something wrong?

• 24/06/2009 08:20 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743	Reply | Contact I think eight weeks is a bit soon to expect much of a crop my stems are really tall at the moment, it may have something to do with the warm weather? anyway I'd leave them a while yet to grow some tubers on. digger

• 24/06/2009 08:26 PM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200	Reply | Contact As digger says, 8 weeks after planting Charlotte's is a bit early to be ready for harvesting.  Charlottes are a second early and usually ready for harvesting from around 13 weeks after planting. sue1002

• 24/06/2009 08:50 PM	In reply to
  debbielon Location: Maidstone Joined on: 24 Jun 2009 Posts: 8	Reply | Contact Thats great thanks. My husband was very disappointed when he thought there was nothing there. We are getting a bit obsessed as he had a nightmare that somebody was pulling up his potatoes the other night

• 24/06/2009 09:03 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743	Reply | Contact Ha ha, It can become an all consuming hobby! I wasn't sure how long charlotte takes but i felt sue1002, woukld be along with the proper answer for you, good luck digger

• 24/06/2009 09:12 PM	In reply to
  debbielon Location: Maidstone Joined on: 24 Jun 2009 Posts: 8	Reply | Contact Thanks Digger, Thanks Sue1002.

• 25/06/2009 09:30 AM	In reply to
  keefy Location: england Joined on: 24 Jun 2009 Posts: 3	Reply | Contact thanks roger i'll give it a go

• 25/06/2009 09:32 AM	In reply to
  keefy Location: england Joined on: 24 Jun 2009 Posts: 3	Reply | Contact thanks boggy  i might as well remove the flowers

• 25/06/2009 12:19 PM

  In reply to

  hellyb Location: guildford Joined on: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 3

  Reply | Contact hello debbielon - hello all - new to this forum - found it on google searching for exactly the same problem !  I've planted Charlotte spuds and they have been looking fantastic - until last weekend when they all started falling over! I dont really know what to do or whats causing it but my advice is dont dig them up but harvest them while theyre still growing. I just fiddle around in the soil going from plant to plant to collect enough spuds for supper. You will probably find theyve already produced some good size tubers. I have to say I'm really impressed with the variety - they taste amazing and the ultra thin skin just rubs off. If you come across a tuber thats on the small side just leave it attached and bury it again. I did this last year with another variety and it kept going for ages.  good eating!

• 13/07/2009 02:37 PM	In reply to
  debbielon Location: Maidstone Joined on: 24 Jun 2009 Posts: 8	Reply | Contact Hi all we have left the potatoes until today again we have dug up another plant and there is nothing there, just roots. They are flowering but just seems nothing happening. Surely if we were going to get anything there would be little ones there! Could we have just got a bad lot of seed potatoes? Thanks.