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Desiree spud haulms going over already...

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Holbert (U3994703) on Friday, 9th July 2010

  My Desiree spud haulms are beginning to yellow and wither already.
  
  This happened last year and I ended up lifting them all in August which I was told was far too early (although they did store for 5 months in the end ). I thought perhaps I had neglected to water them sufficiently, so I have cosseted them this year by giving them a good soak every other day and feeding periodically with fish blood and bone.
  
  But they are still going over and I think it is too early for them to be doing this according to my books!
  
  Does anyone have any observations as to why this might be happening please and what I should do now?
  
  Many thanks for any help.
  
  PS I used fresh seed potatoes from a different supplier, and not ones I had saved from last year's crop.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by U14520529 (U14520529) on Friday, 9th July 2010

  i suggest you get some new books and better growing advice.

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by kiocarp (U2370311) on Friday, 9th July 2010

  
  You could cut it all off and your spuds will still be ok to leave in the ground for at leased 2-3 weeks or even just dig them up when you need them.Iam still finding spuds from last year what keep sprouting up and look at the winter we had.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by cazsudz (U7061972) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  Hi Mandy
  
  Thats not really very helpful! The point of this board is to ask for advice so that is what Holbert is trying to do!
  
  Holbert
  My desirees are also going a bit yellow and I am thinkng about digging them up soon. I need the space for leeks and winter salads!
  But my books also say don't dig until Sept/Oct. Last year I grew roosters for main crop and dug them up at the beginnig of September by which time they were huge.
  
  Caz
  
  

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• Message 5

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  Posted by farmerSteve (U2644680) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  The main reason for early senescence is
  alack of fertiliser and lack of weater
  I would guess you are probably on light soil
  Potatoes are gross feeders of potash. They also like nitrogen
  make sure you soil is well manured before your potato crop an application of nitrogen now may still green them up if if it is not too late
  What are the size of thew potatoes underneath?

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by margaretstar (U14415248) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  
  Desiree to me is a middle and not late cropper and if planted out early will mature earlier than would seem normal - but mid July is
  very early indeed, I'm sorry I can't help you on this.
  
  One thing I do know for sure however is that if the weather becomes cooler, it rains and then becomes warmer in August the potatoes can start to shoot gain, which is not good.
  
  For this reason I would lift them within a few weeks after the haulms have yellowed off.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by Logissimo (U14020652) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  My desirée are still lush and green ( planted chitted seed 21st April).
  
  I think they are considered maincrop.
  
  Apart from what farmer steve suggests, I wonder if eelworm might be the problem. Is it the whole crop which is going over or are there patches worse than others which wilted readily in the warm sun?
  
  It might be worth pulling up a couple of the worst affected plants and looking at the roots which if infected by eelworm will be quite a thick network with the eelworm cysts attached, visible like smaller versions of nitrogen fixing nodules you find on peas and beans

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by Holbert (U3994703) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  Many many thanks for all your replies and suggestions.
  
  I haven't seen any eel worm on the few potatoes I've dug up and used. They were all a good size too, say the size of the ordinary white old potatoes one might buy from the supermarket.
  
  I'm sure they haven't suffered from a lack of water this year, as I've been very conscientious about watering (and I'm in West Wales so we tend to have more rain than other areas anyway - it's raining and 14C today, when it's 29C in SE England!).
  
  Although I've been feeding them with fish, blood and bone, perhaps I haven't fed them enough? I didn't manure the beds last autumn due to a torn wrist cartilage, although I did manure them the year before and the spuds still went over early!
  
  Have you been feeding yours anything Logissimo and what sort of soil are yours in? I'm on a very clay, slatey soil so mine are in raised beds of compost and bagged topsoil from B & Q, so the bed is rather free draining, but I don't feel I could have watered them any more than i have this year!
  
  Perhaps I planted them too early? I thought it was traditional to plant spuds on St Patrick's Day (17th March) so mine went in on 20 March.
  
  I have some sulphate of potash - shall I dash out and apply some of that for the potash or should I dash out and apply some chicken pellets for nitrogen or nothing at all?
  
  Many thanks for your forbearance of all my questions

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by margaretstar (U14415248) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  I think you have your answer Holbert - you planted your Desiree a full month before Logissimo. They've been in for 110 days, middle to late potatoes like these are ready ± 120 days, so they are getting close anyway! And therefore I would say adding nitrogen at this relatively late stage would not be advisable.
  
  Desiree have the capacity to make a quick early harvest, so it's not a question of 'wrong', but if you want a larger and later crop, plant about mid april. One advantage of early planting however is a greatly reduced risk of getting blight on your potatoes - some is better than none!
  
  Storage in a dark, cool and not too dry place will help.

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by farmerSteve (U2644680) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  would you recognise eelworm as it is a possibility
  They are little white nodules on the fine roots

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• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by Logissimo (U14020652) on Sunday, 11th July 2010

  Hello again.
  
  I think Margaretstar has got it right, your potatoes are probably just maturing.
  
  I'm in France on shallow but fertile medium loam (raised beds too to gain extra depth) and even after planting on 21st April the potatoes still were scorched by a late frost, which is why I plant late. They soon caught up though.
  
  The same frost destroyed many friends' tomatoes however, I hadn't yet planted mine outside.
  
  Farmersteve rightly said that you won't see eelworm cysts on the potatoes themselves but on the fine roots. It doesn't sound as if you have this problem however as you would have noticed premature wilting much earlier in the season.
  
  Hope your crop is good

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• Message 12

  , in reply to message 11.

  Posted by Holbert (U3994703) on Monday, 12th July 2010

  Hello everyone and thanks very much for your input.
  
  I think I shall just start scoffing them but leave them in the ground for as long as possible, until slugs or blight look like rearing their ugly heads. Mind you, there won't be any top growth for blight to get into at this rate lol!
  
  Next year then, I'll put my earlies in around St Patrick's Day and leave the maincrop until a month later.
  
  Cheers very much

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