Non-flowering potatoes

[Granny]

I've planted Pentland Javelin and Lady Christl as first earlies this year. Neither of them have shown any signs of flowering yet, and even my main crops are starting to flower now. I have heard that some potatoes don't flower. Is this the case with my varieties?
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Granny

[alan refail]

Hi Granny

Some varieties nearly always flower, some rarely or never, some abort the unopened buds.

The main thing is: when did you plant them?

[bensmall]

I've had the same issue. I planted out my chitted maris bards on 13th March but no flowers yet. However my estima's were planted out on 2nd April which are now starting to flower? Any ideas?

[alan refail]

Hi Ben

See my previous post. If your Maris Bard went in 13th March thay are surely ready by now.

[bensmall]

I've come home today and found the stems on some of my main crop have snapped with the wind (about halfway up the stem), will they be ok to leave?

[Johnboy]

Hi Ben,
I planted my Maris Bard after you and I have been tucking into them for more than a week now. Sometimes they flower other times not.
I tickle the row to find out how things are going.
Maris Bard if left to mature will give a superb crop of storable potatoes.
They actually mature into quite a large potato and make wonderful chips and baking potatoes.
Found this out a few years back when I had dug a few earlies and was then taken ill and didn't get back to anything until the late autumn.
JB.

[bensmall]

JB

Thanks for the pointers. Been out and dug up my 1sts (maris baird) and got enough for 1 meal!!!! Very disappointing! They were in a potato grow sack. I noticed at the bottom there were lots of tiny/un-developed ones. I've been using standard shop bought compost but think my problem might be the plating depth. I placed the chitted potatos on about 2 inches of soil. thinking there should have been more underneath, hence the very poor yield?

Ben

[Monika]

Have you been watering them enough, bensmall? I am always amazed how much water potatoes in pots/bags need. When planting, I mix some well rotted manure with the potting compost and then feed the bags with Chempak potato fertiliser when the foliage is well up. It has certainly paid off this year, because we have a good crop from Swift and Rocket in bags, much better than those in the open soil.

[bensmall]

I watered them when the soil seemed dry. didn't want to "drown" them with to much water. When planting/growing potato bags/sacks how much soil is best under neath each seed potato? thinking now I should have had about 6 inch underneath.

[Johnboy]

Hi Ben,
Mine are different animals. They are sown into the soil with comfrey compost under them and earthed up when planted. I have no experience of growing in bags but there are plenty of people who do who will be able to advise you far better than myself.
JB.

[Granny]

Thanks for replies. This is the first time I've been able to get the forum up on my screen - my server's been playing up all week.

I planted the first earlies at Easter - 2nd April - so I thought they ought to be ready by now, but was concerned that the cold weather might have held them back. I'll do as advised and have a feel around in the soil and take it from there.
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Granny

[alan refail]

Dear Granny

Get a fork or spade and dig some out - they must be ready. Enjoy

[Granny]

Alan, We did, they were, we did. Thanks.
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Granny

[alan refail]

Granny,
I hoped you would, I thought they would, I knew you would

Alan