If you're on the home decor side of TikTok, chances are, you're always familiar with the latest and greatest decorating trend on the rise. And if you missed it, there's one product that made us stop our scrolls: the fandelier.
12.06.2023 - 10:05 / growlikegrandad.co.uk
Over the years I’ve heard a number of allotment folk say that they remove the flowers from their potato plants because it increases the number of potatoes. The theory is that by preventing a potato plant from putting its energies into flowering and fruiting, it goes on to produce larger tubers below ground instead. But is there truth in this crop yield boost idea or is it yet another gardening myth?
To find out the truth I began by running my own trial this year sowing four rows of Charlotte potatoes at my allotment. They were sown side by side, at the same time, with similar manuring, fertilising and watering quantities. In essence I did my very best to ensure that they all experienced the same environmental factors. Having so far harvested four plants that went to flower and four others that were prevented from doing so, I can give you the following results:
So that’s it right? Removing flowers is a load of old baloney? Leave them on for more potatoes? Well I was certainly keen to draw that conclusion (I love to shoot down a myth) but a bit of research tells me that it may not be that straight-forward. I grew Charlotte potatoes (second-earlies). They grow quickly and are harvested early. Whilst I left flowers on two rows I noticed that only one flower produced a little green fruit across fourteen plants (see right). So what? Well if the flowers didn’t produce their tiny green toxic tomato-like fruits we can assume that the plants didn’t expend any energy to do so in any case. ‘Flowers on’ therefore didn’t have any real impact on yield (if it was going to) and a 7.5% weight variance is pretty insignificant. So in the case of first and second earlies at least, it probably doesn’t matter too much whether you remove flowers.
If you're on the home decor side of TikTok, chances are, you're always familiar with the latest and greatest decorating trend on the rise. And if you missed it, there's one product that made us stop our scrolls: the fandelier.
Harry's Chelsea garden, The School Food Matters Garden
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. What could be more satisfying than the f
The Homestead Act first came into effect in 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill to promote homesteading where a homesteader would be provided with a land to build a home, farm the land for a minimum of 5 years and make some improvements. This Act provided 160 acres of land to the people willing to homestead in exchange for a small filing fee and the amendments that followed increased the allotments further promoting homesteading in the US. This is now no longer in effect and ended in 1976 with the introduction of Federal Land Policy and Management Act. However, homesteading was allowed until 1986 only in Alaska.
If you do not know about Maryland’s State Flower, we are happy to help you! Keep reading to find out How to grow It!
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