Multicropping of First Early Potatoes

[Kepouros]

To any of you who read this advice when I first posted it 2 years ago I apologise, but for the newer members about to dig their first early potatoes it is worth repeating.

First Early Potatoes are capable of giving several crops from one plant.  Once they reach maturity they will keep on producing tubers until either they are exhausted, or they get blighted..  The trick is to lift the plant carfully, with all its roots intact (2 forks are better than one for this), then feeling carefully among the roots to take off every tuber of edible size.  If you look carefully you will see that the stolons (the thick white runners from which you have just removed the potatoes) have numerous tiny immature tubers which can still develop.  Replant the plant carefully, burying it slightly deeper than it was before, and keep it well watered for several days.  Two weeks or so later you can dig up the plant and repeat the process  - more than once.

I regularly take 3 crops from either Rocket or Swift in this manner, and I find that 4  plants of Rocket will keep me fully supplied in potatoes from late May until early July, when I start digging Sharpes Express.

[Kepouros]

[gwynleg]

Thanks for this - have been on this site quite a long time but hadnt known this. yehey more potatoes!!

[tomatoada]

Yes thanks.  I hope this will work with my International Kidney.

[PurpleHeather]

Brilliant information, please do re-post it because new people are always around and need this sort of advice.

I have often done a search on site, not found an answer and posted the question only to find that some smart ass puts a reply on that it has been answered in the past.

That is not constructive at all. Your advice is simply written, easy to follow and I am sure that a lot of people, experienced and new to gardening will learn from it.

Thanks.

[Georgie]

As a first time Potato grower this is certainly news to me.  Many thanks.   :)

G x

[grannyjanny]

Me too. Did my first earthing up today. Not perfect but it's OK.
Janet

[mummybunny]

Can you do the same to potatoes grown in bags and pots? ::)

Thanks lucy

[Larkshall]

This might be OK on light land, but I doubt if it would work on heavy clay.

[Kepouros]

And have you tried it or are you just going to sit there casting gloom and despondency around?  Two years ago I was told on this site that it wouldn`t work at all until I pointed out that I`d been doing it for years.  Anyway, if you think your soil is too heavy just mix a spadeful of well made compost in when you replant.

[Kepouros]

Sorry Lucy, I should have answered you first.  I`m afraid that I have never grown potatoes in either bags or pots, so I can`t answer from personal experience.  As far as bag grown plants are concerned I would think that the root damage caused in getting the whole plant out would make it far less likely to succeed unless the whole top of the bag were opened.  As far as pot grown are concerned it should work quite well, since you can turn the pot onto its side and ease the whole plant out rather than digging it out, but I would suggest a larger pot and fresh compost to repot it

The whole point is that you can`t lose anything by trying.  You were going to throw the plant away anyway once you`d dug it up and picked off the spuds, so what can you lose by giving it another chance to perform?

[Kepouros]

I`ve looked up the original posting ( with pictures).  This is it.

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,33428.msg334144.html#msg334144

I`m afraid that I don`t know how to turn it into a link, but perhaps one of our more `with it` members can oblige

[Hector]

Thanks for this information, really interesting :)

[tim]

Been there, done it, Mr K.

[redrichwen]

Can you do the same to potatoes grown in bags and pots? ::)

Thanks lucy

It will work on potatoes grown in bags or pots! I've done it for a couple of years. Its actually easier when its in a pot to get the plant up and repotted after with the minimum of stress, than when you're digging it up out of the ground. Just tip it gently out to one side whilst supporting the stem. Good luck

[chriscross1966]

I'm pretty certain one of the potato planter pots that the seed companies are selling ATM has little trapdoors in it to allow for early harvesting without taking the plant out....
chrisc

[Doris_Pinks]

Great idea, will be giving this a go! Thank you!

[Pink Fingers]

Sounds like a great idea. I've been told  not to dig up potatoes until they flower, or is that just an old wives tale.? :-\

[Kepouros]

It`s not an old wives` tale, it used to be very valid but it`s out of date now.   A lot of the very first earlies (Rocket in particular) rarely have any flowers at all, and with several others the flower buds form but drop off without opening.  The only way to judge with first earlies is either the careful "firkle" technique into the side of the ridge with the fingers, or just dive in with the fork, carefully dig up the whole plant etc. etc.

A lot of the 2nd earlies and maincrop start flowering long before they start producing tubers and can literally go on for months.

[Kendy]

Hmm very interesting !

Could you just have a firkle to expose the ready spuds and thereby not actually lifting the plant out of the ground ?

[Kepouros]

That is precisely what I meant, then a careful scraping away of the soil to extract them.  Trouble is that at my age it requires rather more bending than I like, so it`s easier to dig one up and replant.