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Spuds in soil for a long long time , safe to eat ?

jambonsambojambonsambo Posts: 8
in Fruit & veg
Hi there ,

I tried to plant spuds last summer .

Everything seemed to be going well , the leaves sprouted and I was under the understanding that once they flower and the flowers die that it was time to harvest.

Unfortunately something happened at this stage , the leaves wilted and turned brown and died off.

I assumed it was either blight or that they had not recovered from a 10 day holiday I took during which time they weren't watered.

Anyway today I find myself rooting around in the garden and pulling what I think are weeds when down in the soil attache dto these "weeds" I find potatoes almost the size of melons .

So the crop didn't actually fail then ? or did it fail but these are a new growth ?

Most importantly are these potatoes safe to eat that have been lying in the soil for about 8 months?


Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    perfectly safe to eat unless they look really manky ( technical horticultural term )
    Devon.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    If the slugs haven't eaten holes right through them they'll be fine to eat.  

    The plants do die down after they've flowered ... that's perfectly normal, so you could/should have harvested them then ... but the mild winter means the ground didn't freeze and your potatoes survived ... lucky you 👍

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • jambonsambojambonsambo Posts: 8
    another question ! , If I cut of the sprouted sections of each spud and replant them will they grow for next season ?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Yes  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • jambonsambojambonsambo Posts: 8
    A few things I d love to know ; what happens if I just leave them in the soil and harvest as I need ? will they soon go off , would it be better to harvest them all now but leave just a few back in to continue for next season ?

    How long do you reckon they will keep once out of the ground ?

    if chop off the sprouting bits and replant will this mean these bits will grow another harvest ?

    Thanks I am very delighted with these spuds I thought It was a failed crop but I must have been following guidelines for a different type of spud and assumed they had died and never harvested. Its like failing an exam but getting a pass on the recheck!
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