How soon can "new" potatoes be harvested?

[897tgigvib]

I planted my potatoes in the berry bed, just kind of an extra thing to do. But then last week I also stuck in some Hopi Beige Lima Beans, oh, call them half runners. Now the potatoes are growing fast and big and going to shade the young Limas which should do well between the berries. So I'd like to finish the taters soon as possible. How soon can I harvest them taters? Little tiny golf ball sized ones would be good. One of our campers makes an awesome new potato dish. Cooks them whole with olive oil and other things like strips of steak.

 

[digitS']

I think your beans may be in trouble, altho' I'm not sure about Limas. If they were snapbeans, I'd guess they would be, maybe, 3 weeks behind the new potatoes, if that. They are both about 60 day crops but the spuds go in early. Problem is, they don't make all that much growth during the first, cold weeks.

The rule of thumb is that you should have some new potatoes when the plant begins to bloom. If you have a variety that does not bloom, that might be a problem to gauge. Personally, I'd like to see some "bulking up" there at the soil surface. They might get past the earliest stage but my plan is always to entirely remove the plant. Ain't so wonderful to rip a plant out of the ground and find that the new potatoes just aren't there yet!

If they've made it to tennis ball size, that's no problem. They are still new potatoes in my book, even if they have to be cubed.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

I think they take 50-60 days to harvest. You WILL get little "baby" potatoes, and they taste great! If you want to move them, go ahead and hand dig down to see what's happening, and save some to start in another location.

 

[baymule]

How long have the potatoes been planted? Can you peek under their skirts to see if they have any potatoes?

 

[897tgigvib]

O hay Bay! Peeking under skirts I've been expert at since kineegarden! I remember discovering teecher's nylons were really silky when she was reading Brer Rabbit to us.

I think they went in right around St. Patrick's day. These are both bloomers. One plant has flower buds starting. Guess I'll wait a week and start pulling them. I'll wait for camper Betty to come up with their family so she can cook her magic with them. These I planted this year were some I saved from last year. O wait. I also planted an ole store bought Russet. The other 2 are an all purple inside and outside variety, and an all red in and out variety. I don't know the variety names. Cool looking colorful plants.

Most of the Limas are in the 2 spots where I wanted to put the Blackcap Raspberry, the other spot saved for when, (I know how I am), when I get some other berry I just must have. So the Limas are good for a week or so.

Just those taters are hogging light from some of the Limas and also some of the canes.

Ok, a week or so, and I'll begin peeking under their skirts. :rainbow-sun

Don't worry. Ole hippies like me are harmless.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Marshall, when you are in this much trouble, you dont ask. You grovel.

At least, thats what I call it, groveling for new potatoes. I learned the term and method from Dad. You carefully dig down with your fingers to see if there are any potatoes under that plant. If you find some, take them and let that camper have you over for dinner.

Ive read that if you do this you stunt the growth of the potatoes left behind. Dad would grovel down for new potatoes and leave the rest. I grovel down and leave the rest. I guess we just dont know how to do it. In your case taking the entire plant out may be a good idea anyway. Just dig down to make sure there is something there.

Good luck. I do think you may be in trouble. Dont promise that camper anything until you are sure you can deliver.

 

[hoodat]

We used to call feeling around the base of the plant for new taters grabbling. It doesn't seem to lower the size of the bigger potatos at harvest but there will be less of them. The bigger potatos are developed from the small ones you missed when grabbling. My potato plants are beginning to yellow now and a few fruits are still ripening. If any develop seeds I plan to make planting the seeds instead of the potatos as my experimental project next year. I only have a small garden so I limit myself to one experimental plot each season.

 

[897tgigvib]

There are now 2 or 3 of them starting to bloom. I think I'll pull one or 2 today, see how they are, and if golf ball sized at least, I'll pull more and more over the next few days.

 

[joz]

A couple weeks ago I pulled a manky-looking Yukon Gold that I'd planted on March 16. It had 4 wee potatoes on the bottom, just smaller than a golf ball. I didn't poke around much in the dirt to see if there were more. It was about to bloom, but then went yellow and spotty.

 

[vfem]

I planted my potatoes at the end of Feb I do believe, no flowers on mine yet. We'll be at 90 days shortly. I noticed some of the lower leaves yellowing on mine. I have a feeling these won't be blooming this year.