New Potatoes

Anyone dug any first earlies yet ? Tried to check my Arran Pilots today but i've earthed them up so much I would have to empty half the barrel to get to them.

Reason I ask is that they are growing in a rainwater butt of pure horse poo & that would be better employed on my impoverished home plot.

 

No I expect mine in 1st week of June.

 

I would usually expect mine in the first week of June (Rocket), but this year they seem more advanced than last year, some flowers are now going over. My wife; who's not really in to gardening, but loves the produce lol, had been asking when we can try some and I promised her we'd have a look in one of the bags where I planted some left overs, on Saturday; the ones in the ground can wait a little longer......it is her birthday on Saturday too.......

 

Might give it a go tommorow then, these were planted out in the frost period, using the heat from the horse poo & a lid at night to protect them.

They are over 2 foot tall now.

 

Not flowered yet John, but they did get shaded out by the trees for a bit, moved the barrel into the sun a few weeks back, blimey that was heavy.

Will have a look tomorow, the horse poo will be more use for the tomatoes & i'm hoping to get ahead of the blight this season.

 

I reckon Arran Pilot will flower before coming ready (assuming that Flowering is a "Variety thing" rather than an "environmental thing"??). I think A.P. are amongst the earliest (although not as early as Rocket I reckon). We ate our bag of A.P's a couple of weeks ago, and that was planted mid February. We had only one bag of A.P for our First Early spuds, as we prefer Charlotte - but bags of Charlotte, planted the same time, are a couple of weeks later - already finished some of those too now - delicious!

Can you have a rummage Ziggy, and see if you have decent sized tubers yet - before committing to tipping the whole lot out?

 

I'll give it a try Kristen

On a different plot, I planted a couple of Estimas at the same time as the APs, they got away a lot quicker but have now stalled and have been overtaken by the APs.

Got a few Charlottes come up from last augusts late planting, but will have them out before any blight conditions happen.

I like Charlotte Sometimes.

YouTube - the cure charlotte sometimes

 

I planted some last August too, but ate mine for Xmas!! What happened to yours then, eh?!

 

:D Blight took the tops off, didn't find the tubers till late jan when I was digging the bed over, could have had them for Xmas, just didn't know where they were:DOH:

 

Well as promised I let my wife empty a couple of our potato bags today; must say I was pleasantly surprised how many we got, all perfect size too (golf ball and slightly larger). We've just had some for tea, lovely, melt in the mouth....

 

What variety were these? were they 1st earlies?

 

Hi, they were Rocket....the 3rd year I've grown them; usually they are ready in the first week of June but they have been far more advanced this year. I have a few rows in the ground too that more or less at the same stage....

 

Checked mine, still a bit small so i'm leaving them longer.