When do I dig up my potatoes?

[hjscho]

I was told I had to wait until they flowered, but I have no sign of buds on my potatoes. The packet said 13 weeks and I am almost there...should I just dig and see? I am dying to eat my first home grown spuds.

Flowering is usually the best indicator that the potatoes have reached an edible size, but not all varieties have flowers. What sort did you use?

Don't dig them all up at once, earlies don't store very well. It won't hurt to dig one up and see how they're going but wait until the time recommended on the packet.

I can't remember what variety it was so I'll just dig in a week or so. As you say, I'll just dig a few and see. Thanks for the tip.

Scrabble away at the soil around the roots until you find potatoes. Decide if you want to extract the potatoes, alternatively earth up and try again in a week.