[moon unit]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum. I did a search on this but couldn't find any answers.

I am growing first early potatoes in pots out my back garden. They were planted around Paddy's Day. They were looking brilliant there for a while, growing up nice and tall with lovely green leaves. But last week they started flopping over, and some stalks are now broken.

Can anyone tell me if this is going to affect the potatoes? Should I have been pruning them? Should I cut the stalks off now?

Not really sure what to do or why this happened? Maybe it's because they were too heavy?

They haven't started to flower yet.

Any help or advice on this would be much appreciated.

Thanks a million

[James Kilkelly]

Any pictures of your plants moon unit?

[michael brenock]

the potatoes are probably short of water as they require a lot more water in warm dry weather when the stalks are bigger and the tubers are developing, you might have to water them twice a day especially as they are in containers.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

[Hacketstown]

I had a look at the Met Eireann web site but I could not see where to get notification of Blight warnings. I live in North County Dublin. I have a few drills of spuds and am afraid I will loose them to blight. Thanks.

[poisonivy]

If you go to met.ie, if there is a blight warning it will display in red at the top of the home page. You can then click on the text for more info.

[moon unit]

[cathd]

I always find that potatoes grown in pots do get leggy stalks, and are much more vulnerable to wind blowing them over. Maybe because we tend to place them closer together than the ones in the ground, and we give them a very rich compost which really gets the leaves going fast.
But if they're first earlies, and they've been in black or dark coloured pots (which absorb heat) and growing well since mid march- it might be worth having a 'furtle' round in the pots with the most damaged foliage to see if you have any decent sized tubers in the soil. Explore gently under the soil to see what you find. If the pots have been in a sunny sheltered position, you might be pleasantly surprised- just don't forget the butter!!

(I checked some of mine earlier in the week- have a few marble-sized but I want to wait till they're nearly golf-ball sized before harvesting. My mouth is watering at the thought!!)

[Hacketstown]

[moon unit]

Great thanks a million everyone, I'll have a root abou when i get home

[Hacketstown]

Blight Warning from Met Eireann site

Conditions favouring the spread of potato blight will develop in most parts of the country early on Saturday and further blight spells will occur up to Wednesday of next week. There will be opportunities for spraying today, Friday, and again on Sunday.
Issued at 02:00 on 28-May-2010

[Gautama]

[monkeynic]

I agree with you about Blight paranoia, Its still early in the season and I find myself constantly worrying.

[simonj]

[monkeynic]

I have just found this problem with my main crop king edwards, They were standing upright but now a line of them have started leaning one way. No sign of anything wrong, just seems the leaves are too heavy. We have earthed up some more to try and support them but don't think its really helping and they are well earthed up. Can any one advise me what to do please? Really don't want to lose a load of main crop spuds.

[michael brenock]

it is normal for potato stalks to lean over as they grow taller. it does not affect yield or blight attacks. Black leg would have appeared long before now.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)