I am just wondering when is the best time to harvest maincrop potatoes planted in April? Is there a certain amount of weeks needed? Or is it something related to the flowers on the stalks?
Some of them have had flowers in the last week or so.
Also, instead of harvesting them altogther, is there a certain amount of time that you can leave them in the ground after starting harvest or should they be dug up altogther?
Thanks,
John........ a first timer..
Maincrop potatoes can take 18-25 weeks to mature. This usually means if you sow in April they should be ready for harvesting from late August to October depending on variety, growing conditions etc.
If you want to leave some in the ground rather than harvesting all of them at once, you can do this however a hard frost will damage them and the longer you leave them in the ground the more likely it is that something else will decide to have a nibble. They also are more prone to rot in wet autumn weather and/or might decide to sprout.
Since they're starting to flower this is a good sign that they are heading towards maturity. Wait for them to completely finish flowering, and ideally for the leafs to yellow. Once they turn yellow, cut the leaves off and leave the potatoes in the ground for about 10 days to allow the skin to set for storage. Let the potatoes dry for a few hours before storing them, and enjoy your harvest for many dinners to come!