This is the first time I have ever grown potatoes. I have them inside in a potato grow bag . I started to grow them about 3/4 weeks ago layering them as told to. The bag is now full and they are growing well with about 3 shoots, 6 inches long showing. My question is. Silly as it sounds. When will I no they are ready to eat?
Hi lyn, Iam just new to this forum and also gardening by the way, I planted my international kidney aka jersey royal sets just over a fortnight ago and on the bag it says they will be ready in 10to 12 weeks from planting, I don't think early potatoes take as long as maincrop do, As far as knowing when they are ready to eat' Iam going to wait till the plant starts to yellow a bit after the flowering, Good luck TG.
Hi Lyn. If it were me, I would wait until they flower, carefully scrape away some of the compost, and have a look at how they are. If they look a reasonable size (for a new potato), then away you go :WINK1: Otherwise, just cover them back up, and try again after a couple of weeks. Cheers...Freddy.
Can you remember what variety they were? If they were a really fast first-early, and assuming the Bags are in a conservatory or similar, then perhaps as little as 8 weeks. For a normal first early, grown outside, its usually 10 weeks Second Early and Main crop varieties each take a bit longer I don't recommend waiting for flowering, some varieties don't flower, and if what you want are "New Potatoes" you may want to harvest them earlier than flowering time so you get small Potatoes. If you want a "decent crop size" then waiting longer will give time for the crop to bulk up, but that may be at the expense of flavour. If you can have a "furtle" in the pot from 8 weeks onwards, without disturbing the plant (I've never managed that, my plants always start wilting after I go rummaging around in the pot) then you will be able to time it "just right" according to tuber size.
Hi I grew potaoes in bags last year nice and easy you know where they all are but now I have more room im growing them in the ground and just wondered how do you find them all when it comes to harvesting them and does it matter if you miss any and leave them in the ground?
I've decided to grow 7 varieties this year all in bags got 2 fe, 2 se and 3 mains so hopefully i'll have plenty of spuds, But beware to get the impatient gardener bug like i did last year took my pots out way to early but hey we live and learn. Got it marked in me diary when to start checking.
They are the very early ones and yes they are indoors in a conservatory. So about 8 weeks from planting I'll start to investigate. Many thanks
