Cut Off Potato Blooms

[YumYum]

Anyone ever cut off the flower stem of the potatoes to increase tuber production? I never have. I am thinking about doing that since my Kennebecs are just now tring to form the flower buds.

 

[headfullofbees]

As far as I know, the maximum benefit fron this is 5%, bearing in mind that the foliage may try, multiple times, to flower.
If I'm passing, I may pick out a few, but otherwise I leave them.

 

[Meadowlark]

To me the utility of the blooms is as an indicator that I can start robbing that plant for new potatoes. I pretty much leave them alone as I haven't observed a significant difference in productivity in removing them.