Second earlies still no flowers

justinexyz 549

It’s been years since I last grew potatoes and forgotten how they went!

I’m trying a one seed potato per 8 litre hadopot method that I read about in Which magazine. None of the plants have started to wilt or have flowers on though. I bought the bags 11 April and planted out a few days later so they should be ready to harvest? Most of the bags are quite lumpy so I’m very tempted 😀 Also, I’ll have about 80 litres of compost to get rid of, I’m guessing I can’t reuse this for veg again? Can I use for herbs?

BobTheGardener

Not all potato varieties produce flowers so that's really only a rough 'rule of thumb.'

If planted in mid-April, they have been growing for about 12 weeks - 2nd earlies take about 13-14 weeks, so I'd give them another week at least.  However, there's nothing to stop you gently digging down with your hand and feeling the size of the tubers.   To maximise any potato crop, you can leave them in until the haulms turn yellow at which point they are no longer feeding and swelling the crop.

PS: old compost - If you have no garden borders to sprinkle it on (which is the best use IMO) then you can re-use it if you add some nutrients, such mixing in a handful or two of fish, blood and bone or similar long-term fertlizer.  I wouldn't grow spuds in it again though (or tomatoes) but salad crops such as lettuce will be perfectly happy in it.  Probably won't be much good for anything after a second year though, but by then most MPCs have pretty much turned to dust anyway.

GemmaJF

Something I came across this year is that not all varieties flower, my first earlies didn't this year. Second earlies and main crop did. 

If it is 10 - 12 weeks after planting perhaps have a rummage and see what you have? 

Just about to pop out and dig up a second early plant to see what we have, never easy with potatoes because we can't see them!

justinexyz 549

That’s good to know I assumed they all flowered. I might empty the lumpiest bag out and hang on a few more weeks for the rest. I’ve just bought a lovely quiche for the weekend and it’ll save me going shopping again for the potatoes I forgot!

justinexyz 549

GemmaJF said:

Just about to pop out and dig up a second early plant to see what we have, never easy with potatoes because we can't see them!

Good luck! I found a plant with leaves yellower than the others so tipped it out the biggest is almost 4 inches long 😀 Put my finger through a big slimy one is that the seed potato?

GemmaJF

The slimey one is definitely the old seed potato. Nice haul! I cheated and dug up two plants, should keep us going for a few days 

justinexyz 549

They look great! I’m definitely sticking with the bag method next year, I was only expecting half a dozen 😀

cornelly

Lifted our first meal of potatoes the other week (Wilja) well pleased with them, they don't show much flower, there is a row of 10 across the garden, have five rows of ten, King Edwards to be able to lift and store in a few weeks will keep us going hopefully up to Christmas.

PurpleRose

I lifted our first lot of potatoes at tea time and boiled them up straight away. Delicious with pizza, salad and lashings of salad cream 😁

My plants did not flower. Just had the green leaves.

justinexyz 549

Can I eat them straightaway? Everywhere said eat them a few days later, they’re sitting in a colander in the rain poor things 😂

Dovefromabove

Eat them straight away!  that’s the best way. 😋