Potato harvest
snowathlete
Posts: 138
So with my potato plants begining to sucumb to early blight, the stems now starting to be affected, I decided to harvest one of the two containers. I still have one more container which I'll harvest in about a week's time hopefully.
I decided not to cut the stems back and then wait ten to fourteen days because we needed some spuds for tea tonight and I figured it probably wouldn't make that much difference (does it?)
My three-year-old, Thea, helped and really loved the little treasure hunt. I'm pretty pleased with what we've got. There were a number of tiny tubers, which I'm sure would have meant a bigger crop had they been left another month, but it is what it is.
They all look great, except just one or two (close up in second pic) which have a few minor blemishes, scab I guess? I think they came from the bottom where the soil was more moist than the rest.
The two darker ones are, presumably, the original seeds?
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Normally the original seed potato rots off.
One that looked the same darker colour but was a little smaller, had rotted and is now in the bin.
You will always get a range of sizes from large to tiny. Try and find every little one or they will grow next year.
I was really just wondering whether it would have been ok to leave them in the soil for a couple of weeks, whether that would still be ok, beneficial even, despite the blight.
My guess is that with the blight it's best to just get them up right away and scoff them. Apart from some minor scab on a couple, they all look in tip top condition.
I think we got all of them out because my daughter looked very carefully, she loved it.
I've binned the stems and major roots. Presumably, the small roots will just rot down and the soil can be used for growing something else? Is there any reason why I couldn't sow some carrots or beets in there now for instance?
Carrots or beets should be fine. Give it a sprinkling of fertiliser before you plant.
Today's harvest. Yum.