# Its gone all soft n squishy n shrunk ;) ;)



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I've been growing some potatoes in tubs as experiment, we usually put them in the garden, but Slugs get at them.

I put my hand into one of the tubs the other day and pulled out a single potato, about 50mm long, and brought it indoors, and it has been getting softer each day, also going from a nice pale colour to dark brown, and it's about half it's original size.

I've looked online, bit not found anything useful.

Any ideas why, I'm not gardener, Liz is, but she's more into flowers than veg, I know you store them in a dark cool place, but they should last a bit longer than 3 days.


----------



## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Sorry Kev - I can't help you with your potato problem.

I only wish I could solve my own soft 'n squishy 'n shrunk problem.

Summat to do with tubers no doubt.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Very funny Pip old chap.

The gardner in the family says it was not ready to be taken out (not ripe) when did you plant the spuds Kev its a bit early to dig em up maybe. :frown2:


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

JanHank said:


> Very funny Pip old chap.
> 
> The gardner in the family says it was not ready to be taken out (not ripe) when did you plant the spuds Kev its a bit early to dig em up maybe. :frown2:


Back end of May Jan, I was thinking not ripe, but it's the first tie I've done spuds in tubs, not sure how long to leave them and not sure what type, I was clearing a raised bed for Liz to plant hers, and I found them still in the ground from last year, about 20, but sprouting, so I thought I'd see what they produced, I've been earthing the up etc, and they look very healthy, nice bushy greenery, some have a purple flowers and some white.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Back end of May Jan, I was thinking not ripe, but it's the first tie I've done spuds in tubs, not sure how long to leave them and not sure what type, I was clearing a raised bed for Liz to plant hers, and I found them still in the ground from last year, about 20, but sprouting, so I thought I'd see what they produced, I've been earthing the up etc, and they look very healthy, nice bushy greenery, some have a purple flowers and some white.


I think you have to wait until the flowers die before the spuds are ready. You didn't have a hard winter then, otherwise the old potatoes would have been rotten coz they don't like being frozen. :frown2:
Praps red flowers are reds and white flowers are whites, don't know how I came to that conclusion >


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

No idea, I don't do gardening, but I used to like getting the almost dead plants from garden centres and trying to gently bring them back to life, and I was quite good at the nurturing part of that, and I've been quite successful too, but I don't know one plant from another, but what I like, I like, Liz is the gardener here.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Kev, why don't you ask Liz, or aren't you on speaking terms ?


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

JanHank said:


> Kev, why don't you ask Liz, or aren't you on speaking terms ?


Read last para of the OP Jan


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Read last para of the OP Jan


She must know more than you if she grew some last year, my Dad grew spuds, but I can't ask him either for an obvious reason. Himself grew sweetpeas once, but don't think that counts. Go down to your local allotments I bet someone there can tell you, if it's that important. :smile2:

Your Jan 0


----------



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

If you're growing in tubs it's better to grow chips. You can get more chips than whole potatoes in a small space.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

JanHank said:


> She must know more than you if she grew some last year, my Dad grew spuds, but I can't ask him either for an obvious reason. Himself grew sweetpeas once, but don't think that counts. Go down to your local allotments I bet someone there can tell you, if it's that important. :smile2:
> 
> Your Jan 0


Ah you confuse doing with knowing, she just planted them when they were supposed to be planted and lifted them at the right time, I planted when I found them, so a bit awry to know for sure, but a bit of research has shown they are too early to lift now.

Second earlies take 16 to 17 weeks to mature after planting, so you should be able to harvest them from very late June through to the start of August. Maincrops are ready 18 to 20 weeks after planting, so they can be lifted usually from July through to October.

I've planted them now, so god knows what they'll be like when lifted end of August mid September.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Spacerunner said:


> If you're growing in tubs it's better to grow chips. You can get more chips than whole potatoes in a small space.


I have to agree, but the plant has other ideas, any ideas on how to grow a chip hybrid anyone?


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Didn´t see the picture on the Kindle Kev, now on desktop and they certainly do look healthy. Maybe you should join a gardening group, looks as if you have green fingers and could win the biggest pumpkin competition. :grin2:


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

JanHank said:


> Didn´t see the picture on the Kindle Kev, now on desktop and they certainly do look healthy. Maybe you should join a gardening group, looks as if you have green fingers and could win the biggest pumpkin competition. :grin2:


Nah, I'm with Groucho on that


----------



## dovtrams (Aug 18, 2009)

It depends whether the spuds are 1st, 2nd earlys or maincrop. We are eating our 1st early potoatoes at the moment, planted in April. For these you don't wait until the shaws have turned brown, but you need to do this for main crop. Just look at potato fields, they are harvested when the shaws have virtually disappeared.

As to your soft ones, I take it you haven't just picked out the seed potato, that is always a mess.

Good luck and the ones in the photo look great, just be patient and enjoy.

Dave


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

If not planted in the ground

Potatoes can be grown in a rolled sack or ventilated bag , just top up with soil and unroll as necessary(acts like earthing up) 

Not masses of potatoes but fun and a bit special to eat freshly dug up potatoes 

Sandra


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

dovtrams said:


> It depends whether the spuds are 1st, 2nd earlys or maincrop. We are eating our 1st early potoatoes at the moment, planted in April. For these you don't wait until the shaws have turned brown, but you need to do this for main crop. Just look at potato fields, they are harvested when the shaws have virtually disappeared.
> 
> As to your soft ones, I take it you haven't just picked out the seed potato, that is always a mess.
> 
> ...


The seed potatoes are almost on the bottom of 15" pots, I took this one from about 3" down, it was about 50mm long when I picked it, look at it now, coin is £1.


----------



## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

That picture Kev shows something depressingly similar to which I alluded my earlier post!

Except there should be two of them!


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

pippin said:


> That picture Kev shows something depressingly similar to which I alluded my earlier post!
> 
> Except there should be two of them!


Scrotum shrinkum.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Scrotum shrinkum.


Are! a new potatoe species :grin2:


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Did you have too many in the tub kev. they should be well spaced out by about 8 inches.well when on the farm planting and picking,(now that is back breaking work) back in the late 1950's


cabby


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Most have only 3 per tub, the biggest tub has 4 or 5.


----------



## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Scrotum shrinkum - a new potatoe (sic) species.

That's the answer to your problem, it was the cold that did it!


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well unfortunately I'm soft and squidgy as well

Unfortunately not shrinking 

Surely I should've shrunk by now 

Pippin you are certainly not on your own my lovely 

We just have to find another way
Sandra


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

The tubs I used were for small trees, we bought a job lot when we moved here, so about 15-20 inch in size, the pic below is the yield from 5 of the 6 tubs I did, we've eaten the contents of the other tub over the last week or so, Yum Yum, can't beat your own veg, Liz has a 10' x 4' plot full of spuds to go at too, tub in pic is 12x12 inches so not a bad crop from some spuds left in the ground from last years crop, next year I'll have a go with some nice shop bought ones.


----------

