My potatoes are flowering. Does this mean they are ready to pull up?

[Meglet]

I planted some sprouting potatoes in March and the plants are about 1ft out of the ground now. They've been earthed up too.

Now the plants are flowering (little purple flowers) does that meant I need to harvest them?

I was hoping they could stay in the ground until Autumn so we had some nice big potatoes, but they won't be that big now will they?

bump

Hello Meglet

When I saw the title I hoped there would be an answer

I thought that you lift the potatoes when the plants have wilted (my new pots are starting to do this), but I'm not sure.

hello

I got my hopes up then . I'm sure someone who knows about these things will be able to tell us shortly.

Wait for the flowers to die then lift up. The flowers signal that the potato tubers are growing so now is a good time to give extra water for bigger potatoes.

leave them in the ground. If you are curious dig one to see how they are doing.

Watch out for little brown spots on the leaves developing in the next few weeks - that is a sign of potato blight. If you see it, cut off the haulm (it the green stalky bit), bin it (don't compost it), and leave the spuds in the ground for a few days, then lift and store (in a cool dark place). Check regularly for any rotting (blighted potatoes are foul when they rot - distinctive smell).

If you catch them early the blight doesn't spread from the leaves to the tubers. I have never yet managed to grow any without blight !

Thanks ladies.

So what I said about waiting until the plants wilt is rubbish?

I think that's the case with onions...you wait until the tops go yellowy.
My gardening book says 'earlies' are ready when flowering or when the flowers fall off, but 'maincrop' are ready late summer, and some can be left in the ground, but the longer you leave them the more likely slug damage is.
And watch out for blight.

thank you all.

Will have to get the hosepipe on the spuds as my water butt is empty.

don't let them get very dry and then water - because then they will split which makes them not good for storing.

Are you growing maincrop or earlies ?

I don't know

They were ones in the kitchen cupboard that were starting to sprout so I chucked them in the ground

lol meglet.

I like your style

Oh heavens - who knew this veg growing was so complicated? Now I have to worry about blight. And watering when too dry.

they are probably main crop then as that is what most commercial ones are that are grown to store over the winter. So they would want to grow for as long over the summer as possible (unlike earlies which can be harvested from now onwards depending on how light your soil and how early you put them in).

We found once growing spuds from ones we had bought to eat - they didn't crop well - we thought they might have been sprayed with something that inhibited growth of the tubers.

I wonder whether it would be worth having a little poke about now - if they're something like King Eds then they're yummy eaten as new potatoes. I don't bother with maincrop anymore because of the blight.

If they are maincrop, you should wait until the foliage dies back. Then chop the stems off and leave in the ground for a couple of days. This lets the skins thicken up a bit for storage. Water them well while they are flowering to make the tubers swell. When you pick them, store them somewhere dark and cool, inside a couple of doubled up cotton pillow cases or a hessian sack if you have one.

Whatever kind they are, the tubers grow while the plant is flowering, as far as I am aware, so don't pick them until the flowers die back.

I didn't realise that blight was so common. I've been growing potatoes every year for more than 20 years and have never had a blighted crop. Tomatoes, on the other hand, are a different story. If anyone knows how to avoid that, I'd love to hear.

interesting - we have blight on our spuds every year - and have for as long as I can remember. We rarely have blight on our tomatoes though.

BLIGHT ON THE TOMATOES???!?!?

so glad I read this thread. Mine are being grown in tall dustbins and are about 3 feet high from the soil, which I earthed up.
Mine were kitchen cupboard sprouters too and having never grown any veggies before this year, I'm really proud of them.

I have 3 different types of potatoes (some 1st early, some 2nd early and some maincrop), never grown them before and very excited!
the 2nd lot are flowering now but the first earlies are not yet flowering and they were supposed to be first!
can't wait to see how many & how big the potatoes I get.
ok I will wait...

I've been talking to mine like they're babies. caught myself doing it this morning as I was getting rid of the earwigs around the bin tops. I reckon it's them nibbling the leaves.
3 different varieties is adventurous!

I also have never grown before but i am getting worried about our potato plants - several of the plants are wilting/collapsing onto the ground.... Any ideas???

I just want to dig up and eat!

water them - if they stay green they will still be growing.

If they die off any more - cut the stalks off, leave in the ground for a day or two and then dig them.

You could try digging one up to see how they are doing. It is a bit early to expect much from outdoor ones at present, particularly if you have heavy soil or are in the north.

My stalks are also looking a bit yellow and wilty. Should main crop be ready yet? Mine are just starting to flower but still closed buds really.

I go out every day and tell my spuds how wonderful and clever they are. Next door think I'm barmy.

main crop are normally harvested in Sep I think - so too early for them at the moment.