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crazywelshchuck
Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 95
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 Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:00 am Post subject: when to dig up my spuds!! please help |
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Hi
My potatoes now have purple flowers on them and my grandad years ago told me you should lift them once the flowers die back? is this correct as have entered a few into a local show in july and don't want them going green.
They are a red variety and mixed white pototoes have'nt a clue what kind
please any advise would be great |
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robgodfrey
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 109
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire
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| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:48 am Post subject: |
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If they are earlies then there should be some tubers there if they are flowering - this is not the case for maincrop varieites though.
You could have a sneek look by gently pushing the soil away from the plant (from the side) to see whats there. Just carefully cover them over again (without detaching them from the plant) if too small to pick. |
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Kitsune
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 1312
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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| I thought you were supposed to pull them as soon as the flowers arrived as that takes the energy out of the spud. (first year to be growing them.. can you tell!) So when do you pull pink fir apples (not sure if they are an early or late!) |
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vanessa
Joined: 24 Sep 2005
Posts: 1231
Location: Correze
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| Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:39 am Post subject: Re: when to dig up my spuds!! please help |
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| crazywelshchuck wrote: | ... don't want them going green.
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They won't go green if they're well earthed-up. If in doubt and you don't have the time to earth them up properly, use straw, hay, dried grass clippings - ANYTHING - to create a thick mulch all around the plants. They'll be fine!
Earlies shouldn't be left in the ground too long after flowering. Apart from anything else, the slugs will get them! Generally, we don't want "huge new potatoes" either, so another reason for lifting them quite early. |
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crazywelshchuck
Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 95
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:52 pm Post subject: thanks |
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| Thanks everyone for the advise I have bark mulched them up and am battling with a few roaming chickens who seem to enjoy playing in the veg patch!!! the spuds are nearly all flowering now and with this rain should be a good crop fingers crossed!! |
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