Maincrop potatoes - can I cut back top growth?

[squashyhat]

I am growing pink fir apple potatoes which aren't harvested until autumn. I only planted eight seed potatoes but the top growth is going mad. I know that when the top growth goes yellow and dies back it's an indicator to harvest them, but I don't think the surrounding plants can wait that long! Does anyone know if it's OK to cut it back a bit?

It will probably affect the crop if you cut them back early, if you have to, for the sake of more expensive crops nearby then I guess you have to. You could try tying the tops up to stop them falling everywhere, just a string (or two) around the tops of each plant although that may also damage the tops a bit. I grow earlies in tubs and put canes and strings around the tubs to stop the top growth falling over the sides..

I'm growing pink fir apples this year, they are a bit mad 🙂. Tying them up a bit is a good idea as Greentree suggests. I think the only time to cut the tops is if they get blight - and as it is so wet and chilly where I am, I'm watching them like a hawk.

When it gets to the end of the season, the plant takes all the nutrient from the leaves (which then die down) and stores it in the roots in the form of tuners - potatoes. The less top growth you have, the lower the amount of nutrients, so less need for tubers for storage - so, few tubers and smaller

OK looks like I need to snip a few of the longer stems judiciously and get busy with canes and string. Thanks all.