Talkback: Growing early potatoes - Talkback

12/03/2009 at 09:04

hiya i planted out some potatoes that i chitted for 3 weeks on my windowsill about 3 weeks ago i double doug the area and added loads of compost i havent seen any shoots yet though, i buried then about a foot down , they were either sante or nadine cant remember

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12/03/2009 at 14:06

Couldn't agree more about organic supermarket spuds from abroad. Maybe there just aren't enough locally produced ones to go around? It seems strange, as if stored properly (dark, cool, dry) our home grown organic potatoes last well into the spring. We're now down to the last pink fir apple, which are as good as they day they were lifted in October.

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12/03/2009 at 16:56

Hi, I fully agree with about importing pots from other country's - NOT necessary. I prepared the ground in Dec - weeded,double dug,covered with 2 layers of bubble wrap and then covered the area with a poly tunnel - on Jan 19th I planted (at a depth of 6-8")5 Rockets and 5 Pentland Javelin - un-chitted and at the same time started to chit Rocket,Pent Jav,Swift,foremost,Maris Bard,Nadine and Charlotte all of which except the Charlotte's I planted out on Mon 2nd of March.I know it sounds very early but its only my 2nd year of growing all my own veg.(just planted a cherry and plum tree - espalier style - very small garden !

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12/03/2009 at 17:06

Forgot to add - purchased your ' Garden Problem Solver ' book a few months ago and just wanted to say...its fantastic,so informative and its been a real big help to me in understanding so much - thanx.

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12/03/2009 at 19:45

An MSc in ‘Crop Protection’. Well now I've heard it all! ;)

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12/03/2009 at 19:56

I am going to plant my potatoes into my planters from Dobies, They are brilliant for growing spuds, good results last year,I will plant them up tomorrow and keep them in the warm like I did last year

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12/03/2009 at 20:40

I tried the potato planters last year for the first time too - a special offer in GW magazine - and had great success. This year I've got a fourth planter and will plant some in the new raised bed too. We've just got charlotte seed potatoes cos the 3 of us prefer salad types - is it too early to plant them out in central Scotland? Still getting some sharp frosts.

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12/03/2009 at 22:26

We have the ritual in our family of planting our spuds on Good Friday (this year on April 10th). We then go back to the allotment on Easter Sunday for an egg hunt. Fortunately the kids don't find all the chocolate so there is something left for my next visit.

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13/03/2009 at 16:57

Like a good Irishman I will plant my spuds on the 17th March

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13/03/2009 at 19:07

OOOOOHHHH I planted my potatoes a few days ago (well more like... erm... a week or so ago - sorry a few weeks ago) and they are growing like MAD! There are big green shoots popping out of the pots and it's very exciting. Plus, I planted them in much too small pots anyway, but they seem to thrive! And they also appear to grow better when you just leave them to do their own thing rather than doing anything special to them... they will probably grow potatoes about 2 cm long but what the heck. Also, a great way to grow MASSIVE potatoes, is to put them in shallow soil so you can see a little bit of the top of them, and put a bin liner over the top with a few holes in for the shoots. When they are ready there will be flipping enormous potatoes, ready to eat!!!!!! (that's good advice, that is!)

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13/03/2009 at 21:08

angelofthewest. You are right about the bin liners, just as long as the slugs and sails don't find out! ;)

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13/03/2009 at 22:16

I'm about to try growing potatoes and have never tried before! Please would someone tell me what the difference is between earlies, 2nd earlies etc and when it says plant in Spring...which part of Spring?? Sorry to sound so hopeless!

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14/03/2009 at 07:33

Try this link Jo ; http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/planting_potatoes.html I get most of my info from Gardeners World,this site and books (Geoff Hamilton & Pippa's)

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14/03/2009 at 15:26

Like boleybegbarna, I too, plant my potatoes on St. Patricks Day, only because after a day's hard slog, you feel like you need that pint of Guiness just to replace lost nutrients. This year they'll be growing beside the Scallions!! Went to the annual Potato Fair in Crawfordsburn, Co. Down, on 22nd Feb. to buy seed potatoes....hundreds to chose from, inc. heritage varities. POTATO HEAVEN!!! This year I'am planting Epicure: 1st Early, Beauty of Bute; 2nd Early, Sharpes Express; Maincrop, & Red Pontiac; Late Maincrop. Why do I love potatoes sooo much....must be in the genes!

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15/03/2009 at 17:13

planted my spuds today sun,15,march, planted home guard&anabelle

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15/03/2009 at 18:21

First year growing spuds. I am already hooked have planted my first earlies Epicure on the 1st March in my potato planters. Did bring them in to the garage as we had a few ground frosts but even being inside they are already showing just over the soil. Will need to invest in some more planters as my Aphrodte and Desiree will be planted in the next couple of months. My family can't wait to eat the potatos of my labour.

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17/03/2009 at 13:36

Shoots on spuds may be slow to appear this year as after that mild spell we keep getting some very cold nights, and in darkest Hampshire, also a lot of frosts still, so I'd not panic. Karl, glad you liked the book and hope it proves useful. I'm always trying to find easier and better or greener or quicker ways of doing things in the garden (and everywhere else !) I 've now started up an 'Ask Pippa' garden problem solving service on my website www.pippagreenwood.com, for those niggling garden problems that need attention and will beadding regular tips and suggestions on the site too.Take a look and see what you think. As for earlies and first earlies etc, I agree the terminology can be mond boggling, but nothing like as bad as the apple tree rootstock terms and codes ! These different types of potatoes have doffering theoretical planting dates and spacings and harvest from dates.....but like all good gardeners, most of us bend the rules so don't take it toooooo seriously! First earlies and second earlies plant at about 4in depth, 12in between the rows approx for first earlies and 15 between the rows for second earlies . Plant first earlies a week or two earlier than second earlies (theory is late march and early april respectively)...then harvest times usually from early to mid-june until July or so for first earlies and throughout July and Aug for second earlies. All this sounds horrendously confusing but it gives you an idea of the theory but as you can see from all these spud-lovers' blogs, hardly anyone does it 'by the book' !!!

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17/03/2009 at 19:03

Thanks to you all- I shall be out planting this weekend! As for your advice Pippa, good to hear from an expert that it can be mind boggling!!Any tips from you all on the best varieties to plant?

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18/03/2009 at 21:58

Growing pink potatoes in half tone sacks was thinking of putting 24 per sack? would tomato food be best food?

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19/03/2009 at 19:12

As usual my potatoes go in the ground the last week of March, (against what has been posted earlier) I only grow maincrop King Edwards, and they come OK from late March planting, in soil enriched with my own well made garden compost dug in during the autumn, as soon as the ground is clear from the previous years crop, (not potatoes)I use a three year rotation, these hopefully will last us through to next January.