Once some one has explained the technique vegetable growers use to check if their potatoes are ready to harvest it seems obvious. However the first time you grow anything there are lots of questions that need answering, next time you will probably be passing this information on to the first time potato growers.
I have written an article about the method you use to find out if your potatoes are ready, the chances by now are
- first earlies - almost certainly but check one plant before you dig the whole row up.
- second earlies - probably if the weather conditions have been right, again check one plant before you dig up a whole row.
- Main crops - not very likely that they are ready yet - they take longer and will probably not be ready until later on.
Check out your potatoes by gently unearthing one plant use a hand fork or trowel, remove the soil carefully and gently or use your hand to work down to where the potatoes should be - judge by size if they are ready or not. if they are too small and still attached to the main plant leave them, just cover them up again to grow on. Any first or second earlies that are not large enough and that you remove by mistake you can still cook them. Tiny new potatoes are nice fried whole. You can harvest the first earlies as soon as they are large enough to eat, remember new potatoes are nice small and are not meant to be as large as man crop potatoes. If you need a size guide to judge a new potato is often sold at about the same size as a hens egg. I have posted about this earlier on this blog and also have an article about furtling for your potatoes this is written on my Hubpages collection.
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