Potato Problems

We planted some Potato`s in containers (2 x king edward and 1 X Pentland (i cant remember the exact type but I know it wasnt Javelin )) theyve all come great but have gone yellow and the stalks have fallen over

The potatoes look fine but very small (new potato size ) and they tase fine (just cooked one to see)

Ill take a piccy in a min

Any ideas what caused this to happen - its our first time of growing spuds

Carl & kirst

 

Sounds like the blight, you can still eat the spuds but they won't store for any length of time.

 

right - i googled that and it didnt look like that but im clueless

Are we best to lift them now and get them eaten ?

Whats the best way to stop it next year ?

Im assuming best plan is to throw the compost away rather than put it on the garden ?

 

If its not the blight then a pic would be good before giving further advice. There are quite a few potato diseases, one of them is even notifyable

quite a few of us have been caught out with the blight this year. I get txt & email alerts from blightwatch advising when to spray in my area (Bordeaux mixture) but with the weather this year its not always been possible ( No good spraying in the rain) so it still got mine.

You can put the compost somewhere you're not intending to grow spuds or tomatoes.

 

It could also be that they starved to death.

It is also quite possible that they were simply ready. The foliage dies off when they're done.

 

Heres the piccy

 

Looking at the photo, there are two possibilities that spring to mind, given that they've been grown in a relatively small container. Lack of nutrient, or lack of water, or both. They have the appearance of plants that are 'finished'. in other words, ready to harvest. I know quite a few folks get decent results from growing spuds in containers, but I've never done well myself.

Cheers...Freddy

 

I think Freddy has hit the nail on the head.

I've grown a few earlies (Javelin) in containers the past couple of years and while the ones in pots did ok'ish, this year I grew some in a big tattie bag and they produced a very much bigger crop.
You need to keep them well watered as once established into growth they are heavy drinkers and they also need feeding fairly often if you want to maximise the crop.

 

How many spuds went in each container? From the size of the containers I'd say one seedie is plenty, but the top pic looks like two distinct plants to me. I'd also vote, naturally finished, and probably a bit starved.

 

i think weve starved them - there were 4 in each pot - they will be going in the garden next year

didnt realise theyd need feeding , theyve had plenty of water but havent been fed

what kind of thing should we have fed them with

 

Did they flower? If they didn't,I'm going for blight.

 

they didnt flower but there late varieties so I think they died before they got that far - the potatos in the field up the road are just flowering now