Potato growing 2021

Do they go well with Merlot, and aren't you supposed to wait untill they're cooked?

For those with smaller veg plots it's a more efficient use of space as more tubers can be grown per m2.

Can also makes crop rotation easier.

 

Previously I've found that growing spuds in pots eliminated the problem of rabbits wrecking the plants by burrowing into the potato patch when growing in open ground.

That was until this morning when I found the 40L tubs (previously only grown in up to 30L) located in an unfenced area had rabbits jumping into them last night and digging amongst the sprouting spuds.

A few stems got shredded and some compost kicked out of several tubs, but they didn't get down to tuber level. Luckily I have a few spares coming on in pots (when you buy 40L of compost per pot, you neec a contingency plan).

Quickly pulled a length of 900m chicken wire around them. I was planning to install a horizontal length of Rylock fencing on posts above them to provide support to the stems that could be raised in increments, and maybe if placed at top of tub level from the beginning it would keep the rabbits out until the plants bushed up and they couldn't see that attractive soft soil in them.

 

First time growing potatoes so can anyone give me a bit of advice?

Potatoes are looking lush and have now all flowered. They were looking a bit limp today. Not sure if it's just that its sunny and I missed watering a few days (they're in felt 30l pots).

When do I harvest? They are Blue Danube, early maincrop. Should I wait until they start to die back, or is flowering indicative of "its time".

Also, if I can harvest them now, then is it possible to get new potato plants for autumn going in their place?

 

Blue Danube appears to be a main crop variety.

 

Sarpo says on their website "early maincrop" but maybe I should leave them. I dug my hand deep but couldn't locate anything, maybe they're still small. I'll leave them a while yet!

 

Think you're a bit early for harvesting Sarpos, this was posted on 2nd October

 

So is the Sarpo website incorrect? It says early maincrop, so I would be expecting to harvest mid to early summer (which is approaching)

Sarpo Blue Danube

 

Thanks for the advice, I'm fine to wait! Would quite like to try and early + christmas variety next year I think, but I'll keep going until the greens start to die back.

 

The statement early main crop seems to me to be a a contradiction in terms .
Surely if it is main crop it can't be early.

 

On the Sarpo website it states "harvested in autumn".

 

I had a bit of a know it all around my garden today! Anyway I cut our grass ( have a lot) yesterday and put clumps of the clippings around the potatoes. I only put on enough so they don’t heat up and avoid the stems/ leaves. I do this to keep any weeds down and it gets rid of the mountain of clippings plus works pretty much like earthing up. I have done this for a few years now and seem to have good results, well good enough for me. By the time the grass needs cut again the clippings have gone brown and dried up so it is fine to put another dose on.
Know it all says what I am doing is not a good idea, well maybe the yield would be greater if I earthed up but the clippings certainly prevent green spuds and the yield of the clippings spuds is about the same as other beds where I earth up with soil.
I would welcome others views on this and if I am doing the wrong thing explain why. Thanks.