GYO potatoes

[MissFoodie]

me again....
I'm thinking of growing potatoes and/or jerusalem artichokes...the one thing I am not clear on is when they are ready for harvesting do you have to harvest the whole lot???? or can you just pick the few you need and leave the rest in the ground???? this is the deciding factor as A would be a problem.....

if B, has anyone tried those containers for growing potatoes in with a flap at the bottom???

thxxxx

Failed miserably at potatoes last year so can't answer that bit but jerusalem artichokes can be left in the ground until you want them. I cut mine down to about 30cm when they start to die back in the autumn then just dig them up when needed up to around March time (when any left in the ground will start growing again). So simple.

can you clarify what you mean about cutting down to 30cm? the actual leafy/flower bit?and did you just dig up a few when needed and the rest stayed ok in the ground?

was thinking of doing them in container but I guess the flower might be too tall?

I grow lots of potatoes, but have never grown jerusalem artichokes so can't comment on those (although I know they spread terribly, one reason I don't grow them).

I grow my potatoes in the ground and harvest one plant at a time - if they are new potatoes we like them quite small and one plant usually yields enough for a meal for 4 people.

I leave the other plants in the ground until I'm ready to dig up the next batch. If you want to stop them growing bigger you can cut off the leaves above ground and leave them in the ground for a couple of weeks.

One of the joys of having home grown new potatoes is that they taste so much better when they are freshly harvested.

On the artichokes, you cut the stem down to 30cm which means you can still identify where the tubers are. I dig up one or two plants at a time depending on yield and how many tubers I want. The rest then stay in. They can stay underground for months - natural storage. I guess it depends on the type/size of container - they grow to a couple of metres tall easily. Potatoes are probably better for containers. You can grow artichokes at the back of an ornamental bed though if you want to - they look quite pretty and add lots of height to the bed!

On the spread aspect George - they definitely do this unless you can absolutely ensure you've got all the tubers up. I grow mine in the same patch each year and there's nothing else around them so a few unexpected extras isn't too much of a problem. The patch I have was growing wild when we moved in and I've managed to keep them going and expand - they are the easiest things to grow! I basically ignore them apart from the cutting back, digging up, and redistributing the remaining tubers for next year's crop. I don't water, weed or do anything really and they do just fine with the neglect. Wish all my vegies were the same.

thanks so much!!!!
am v tempted to have a go now.....!!!!
Will opt for container method though as cannot be bothered to dig up garden, plus am writing feature on how "easy" it is to GYO if you don't have a garden!