Good grief those pictures are so far ahead of mine, I have some in a greenhouse too to get early potatoes and those are probably still a couple of weeks off being harvestable!
As to earthing up, I don't bother I may do it if weeds start being a problem and I do normally end up doing it with the baking potatoes as they get so many tubers they push up to the surface.
Something I often see spouted is that you get more potatoes if you earth up, well yes and no it depends on the potato you are growing, potatoes are like tomatoes some are indeterminate and some determinate, so with the former earthing up or growing in tires etc will get you more with the latter you are just wasting time and actually reducing your yield by forcing the plants to constantly grow new leaves. (of course earthing up does help stop green potatoes)
I've tried growing them under straw and it worked, but I got almost no potatoes myself as every SINGLE ONE had been half eaten by voles.
To be honest, i don't want too many but spud growing is full of mysterious practices, earthing up and the like, and it's all going on underground. Next I'm going to need to know when they're ready to harvest and some are best used straight away and some you can store. 😵 They'd better taste better than supermarket spuds.!
What variety are you growing ? and harvesting time depends on first early / 2nd early or main crop. I think main crop are best for storing as long as they aren't damaged. I don't grow maincrop anymore keel slugs bore into them and ruin them. I grow first or 2nds , this year I am growing Yukon gold. Spuds are normally ready to harvest after flowering I lift one and have a look a week or 2 after flowering and judge then if to lift the rest.
Whether they taste better than supermarkets is questionable I like to think they do. I grow Charlotte spuds maybe last year and they were delicious some of the best I've ever had. I prefer to grow things the supermarket don't sell if I can.
Jerseys as in Jersey Royals? Thought they had protected status and couldn't be grown outside of Jersey... If JR they could be ‘hot’ potatoes
If they are new, as in salad potatoes best eaten right away. I agree Perki, have tried all sorts but Charlottes are the best! I do like growing a small crop of Pink Fir Apple too, for their knobbly looks and nutty flavour.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Jerseys as in Jersey Royals? Thought they had protected status and couldn't be grown outside of Jersey... If JR they could be ‘hot’ potatoes
They are a variety called 'International Kidney'. If you happen to grow them in Jersey, they're called Jersey Royals. You can buy the spuds easy enough, just have to be careful what you call them if you set up a greengrocer stall with all your surplus produce
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
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Next I'm going to need to know when they're ready to harvest and some are best used straight away and some you can store. 😵
They'd better taste better than supermarket spuds.!
Whether they taste better than supermarkets is questionable I like to think they do. I grow Charlotte spuds maybe last year and they were delicious some of the best I've ever had. I prefer to grow things the supermarket don't sell if I can.
If they are new, as in salad potatoes best eaten right away. I agree Perki, have tried all sorts but Charlottes are the best! I do like growing a small crop of Pink Fir Apple too, for their knobbly looks and nutty flavour.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Main crop in the ground under straw, 2nd earlies in raised bed again under straw.
and 1st grown in a bag with 3” compost covered by straw...