[MAK]

i dug my spuds up about a month ago and they were OK  even though I trenched with manure and wateried when I could.
This Saturday I have been summoned to harvest my potatoes planted in a neighbours garden. I have 4 long rows that will be ploughed up. But first I had to dig up the first 10 feet or so so that the tractor can get linned up on the rows. It was 28 degrees and the ground like concrete - the spuds were small and few. This Saturday it will be in the mid 30s so a nice welcome for my daughter and niece who arrive here on Friday. They do not know that they are joining the rest of the village to gather spuds in stupid temperatures ( I have however told them to bring a straw hat ). The festival of the potatoe with fireworks and music was last week so the girls can only look forward to a work out, sunburn and dehydration when they gather the spuds.
I just hope that the crop is a good one despite the lack of rain here.

[RUSTYME]

Good luck with the spuds and the heat !
I never know how my spuds have done till i dig them as and when needed .
However , last week i cut all the haulm and  when i picked it up i pulled one that i had missed cutting . It lifted the whole plant crop . Easily 3-4 lb of spuds . 3 spuds much bigger than my fist , 12 hens egg to goose egg size , and 6 cherry tom size . Not bad considering i moved the entire crop halfway through growing !
The variety was Nicola , and they are grown from the previous years crop for the last 5 years .
3 years on the trot was hit by blight , and winter temps down to -20 .
No manure and on the same patch for 4 years .
Thats how not to grow them lol .

[MAK]

Nicola heh! I will look out for them as my Mona Lisa were the size of ruddy quail eggs ( well small). I did not use the same patch in my garden that had spuds in last year but it is the lowest point and seems damper than other parts. My cellar is damper than the garden so I just hope that they store well.
Storing - Rusty - do you cover the spuds in their winter home or leave then exposed in the darkish store? Any tips are welcome.

[RUSTYME]

I wouldn't advise anưne to do it the way i do .
But , i planted spuds bought from tesco about 6 years or so ago . They grew well in the new veg plot , but before harvest i had a heart attack .
So , unable to dig up the spuds they were left in situation and i just dug what i needed every few days .
One reason after another has meant i have done the same since then .
I just dig up when i need spuds !
No extra covering just made sure i left at least one potato at each position for the next year .
I will be growing in a new bed , as per normal now . But will most likely leave them in the ground till i need them , saves on storage etc .
I did also have King Edwards in but although they gave a huge crop the first year , they didn't crop the second year . The same with Maris Piper . Really good crop first year , then nothing .
Just Nicola that keeps poping up with a very good crop each year .
I have been just scraping the soil away with my hand and taking small egg size spuds to use as new potatoes , leaving 3 or 4 to grow big on each plant .
Had some massive spuds used for chips , mash or baked .
I do have a problem with slugs but the bed 30'x15' , has kept me in spuds for 5 years . Only this year did i buy some , but i did move growing plants to a new bed and gave away 2 big bags of spuds , thats why i had to buy some , i miss judged things .
Some plants died after moving , so have about 75 left in the ground . Will see how they do as the winter goes this year . I did plant 11 Estima spuds near the middle of July to see how the did , as i was by then lifting home grown . I looked the other day and there are plenty of small spuds there . Will see what i get in November time .