Home Page
   Articles
       links
About Us    
Traders        
Recipes            
Latest Articles
When to dig up spuds

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Downsizer Forum Index -> Grow Your Own
Author 
 Message
JonO



Joined: 05 Mar 2005
Posts: 119
Location: South Birmingham
PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 05 2:39 pm    Post subject: When to dig up spuds Reply with quote
    

My dad keeps telling me that you have to wait for the small white flowers to come before earthing up spuds. Is this an Irish old wives tale ?(not that my dads an old irish wife)

My 2nd early Charlottes have been in 12 weeks now which according to the packet is long enough but have no flowers. But my maincrop (I think they were Desiree) some of them have flowered. Any advice ?

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 05 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

2 things:

1. Not all spuds flower

2. Removing the flowers can increase yield

I'd have thought that your Charlotte will be ready to pull, just dig up a plant and see what you find, the Desiree will be a few weeks yet.

JonO



Joined: 05 Mar 2005
Posts: 119
Location: South Birmingham
PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 05 2:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Cheers Tahir !

Guest






PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 05 9:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Removed one plants worth of Charlotte. Yum yum !

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 05 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I always thought earthing up was to keep frost off then increase the yield. I ran out of soil before the frost ended this year and the flowers dropped off before opening.

Blue Sky



Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France
PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 05 7:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

These are my earlies, which I have just taken up. They are the "sprouters" from last years Charlottes. They flowered a few weeks ago but not properly. They do taste bloody good tho'.

The second pic is of my "Maincrop" ... can't remember what they were but they have just flower, and very well indeed. Maybe they were not maincrop after all Can't remember! They will be staying in a while all the same.

Blue Sky



Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France
PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 05 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

At last ... success! Been fiddling around with this post for ages.

Something weird is happening on here this evening. Assume it is Jema making the transition to a better host.

snafu-newbury



Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 05 1:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

When spuds flower it is best to take them off, you will according to bob flowerdue increase the crop by up to 15%.

In terms of earthing up...well the reason you earth up is to increase the number of the crop because the spuds form along the main stems from the top of the earth to the original stem...

Spuds flower when they are ripening so no more spuds. Earthing also stops the spuds pushing through and going green...

bit gardled but hope it helps

Nanny



Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales
PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 05 1:46 pm    Post subject: spuds Reply with quote
    

so my anya second earlies might not be flowering ones

i am in the same plight as jono

Dunc



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 134
Location: Lancashire
PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 05 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

My Scottish rocket earlies have not flowerd at all, but so far they're producing very well. I've been eating them by the plateful all weekend.

My desiree maincrop are flowering though, I will take these off - I'd never heard that this can increase yield.

Post new topic   Reply to topic    Downsizer Forum Index -> Grow Your Own All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1
View Latest Posts View Latest Posts

 

Archive
Powered by php-BB © 2001, 2005 php-BB Group
Style by marsjupiter.com, released under GNU (GNU/GPL) license.
Copyright © 2004 marsjupiter.com