Spuds still wilting

With this sweltering weather it’s a never ending problem keeping the spuds sufficiently watered. A week ago I had the hosepipe pouring into each bag for 45 seconds each but I noticed at lunchtime today that they are wilting again so I’ll have to repeat the process. If you don’t keep them well watered you can get some strange looking tubers with thin waists or pointy nose ends rather than the classic kidney or round shape.

My spuds have been in since late April to mid May and you can reckon on 12-16 weeks depending on the variety so I’ll be getting these up in the next few weeks. I shall nip off any flowers as they form so that all energies continue to go into the developing tubers. When the haulms start to go yellow I will cut them off a couple of inches above compost level and then take the bags and pots into the garage where I won’t touch them for a week. If you empty them out straight away the skins are very soft and will peel off easily, rendering them useless for showing. Leaving them for a week allows the skins to harden.

One evening towards the end of July or into early August I’ll then empty out all the bags and pots and sort my spuds into sets but I won’t wash them straight away. Instead I will pack them away in the same compost that they were growing in until the night before the show. They are usually the last thing that I wash so that they look as fresh as possible on the benches. And they will only be good for one show so don’t try keeping them for any later shows….they soon deteriorate.