Pathetic spud harvest

[Cazza]

Is it just me? Dug up my spuds today and was rewarded by the poorest harvest in 30 years.
I know how to grow taters but this year has defeated me. We will even have to -shock, horror- buy some in next year.
Cazza

 

[Luminos]

I'm rubbish at growing spuds, and they get Colorado beetle here, which I don't like squashing (they're quite big). I don't use sprays.
So I've given up growing spuds

Maybe it's just a bad year for spuds, Cazza?

 

[alanf]

Is it just me? Dug up my spuds today and was rewarded by the poorest harvest in 30 years.
I know how to grow taters but this year has defeated me. We will even have to -shock, horror- buy some in next year.
Cazza

Yep, very poor. They didn't like being flooded at that end. Neither did the sweet corn.

 

[roche]

Bit weird really - seem to have done better this year than last - just about the only thing that's gone that way though...

 

[nosmoking]

Winter spuds are growing nicely. Summer spuds nice but few and far between for the effort.

 

[madasafish]

The poor harvest is due to neonicotinoids.

 

[jdee]

Over here in West Ireland the amount of rain we have had has killed my spuds. Everything has been waterlogged and then on top of that blight is bad this year - hadnt even been able to spray for blight because of all the rain. Resorted to growing spuds in the poly tunnel in the hope I get some for Christmas

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The poor harvest is due to neonicotinoids.

yeah whatever!

what potatoes I have have been good but few and far between -e don't eat much spuds at Brynmair but this year one row equals two good feeds - usually lasts most of the summer for us two plus some gifts to neighbours!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Onions and sweetcorn have been wonderful

 

[Teemore]

The yield from our garden spuds has been OK - the earlies gave a lesser crop than we would have liked but otherwise we are happy enough. I am waiting for my cousin to start lifting his spuds - he grows 2-3 acres every year - that will give me a better indication of yield. Grain yield is way down this year so I expect the spuds will be similarly affected.

 

[dclewis]

Had half the crop of last year, and had to get them out quick or the blight would have got the lot.

 

[notagain]

toms have been terrible, all outside have had blight, and a few in the greenhouse as well

 

[Cazza]

toms have been terrible, all outside have had blight, and a few in the greenhouse as well

Had to manage my greenhouse toms carefully to contain their blight. They have been ok but not great. My peppers and chillies have been good which was a suprise.
Cazza

 

[nosmoking]

Since planting my winter spuds they have thrived but I now have a question for you more experienced growers. They flowered and have now died off. Yesterday I had a look and the growth was yellowish and very soggy/slimy. I took/cut the tops off and bagged it and binned it. According to the info cards that was with the spuds they should be ready to lift in a couple of weeks to a month. With what I have just said do you/anyone think the spuds will be ok? I really hope so because the cost of growing these few has been a little expensive. All replies welcome, thanks.

 

[pargyle]

My potato crop at the allotment was pathetic - we got hit by potato blight very early in the season and they really hadn't time to develop decent tubers before I had to cut the tops off ...I had three potato bags on the patio at home in the shelter of the house and we had a really good crop out of them and no blight. If I do potatoes next year at the allotment they are going to be in bags and if it looks as though it's going to be as wet as this year I'm going to construct a polythene cover over them to try and keep them a bit drier and blight free. Don't like using chemicals but might have to resort to some Bordeaux mixture if there are signs of blight.

I lost my entire outdoor tomato crop to blight as well (there would have been about 15Kg of Roma Plum tomatoes if they had matured) which was destined for bottling as a tomato and basil sauce - so getting a polytunnel for next year ... no spuds, no toms = going to be a lean winter in the home grown kitchen - mind you - anyone got a good recipe for raspberries and runner beans ? - freezer full of them !

Phil

 

[Hivemaker.]

anyone got a good recipe for raspberries and runner beans ? - freezer full of them !
Phil

Raspberries, thaw them out and eat them,or make jam.
Runner beans,prepare them,then boil in water and eat them,or make chutney.

 

[Tom Bick]

Raspberry wine now there’s a thought, jam will be good also some sort of pudding.

 

[Alan and Anthea]

We only plant early spuds; this year Sharps Express planted by 17th March and harvested August September. The crop wasnt huge but was OK however the spuds were brilliant eating; "balls of flour".
Local commercial main crop potatoes seem to be down on yield except in dry sandy ground.
Alan

 

[BeeJayBee]

anyone got a good recipe for raspberries and runner beans ?

Couldn't think of any recipes that included them both!

But - use raspberries with cooking apples, in pies etc; put equal weight of raspberries and sugar about 1/3 of a litre bottle and top up with vodka, shake them every so often, and drink on 25th Dec - it's amazing.

Frozen runner beans seem to shrink when they're cooked, you'll get through them quickly enough, but yuo could add them to piccalilli or something similar?

 

[blackcavebees]

First earlies (planted 17th March) were good, but less than last year. Main crop, I planted 50 % more than last year yet got less yield than last year, explain that. Blight and more blight. Eat last of crop last week and had to buy a bag - last year I was eating them to Christmas.

So not just a bad year for the bees ...