Talkback: Seed potatoes and mice - Talkback

01/01/2007 at 00:00

I got mine from R H S wisley.the early potatoes were from thomson & morgan 2kg sacks problem was that you got a few large ones and tiddly ones, not even half a tray, far from happy.

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01/01/2007 at 00:00

I have left mine on a window sill, but there is some kind of grey fur around some of the shoots.as a first time grower i am guessing this isn't right, but could do with some advice.

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01/01/2007 at 00:00

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06/03/2008 at 16:00

I love growing spuds, can you use those berries on the haulms, they look like tomatoes, do you put each seed in the ground.

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06/03/2008 at 22:01

I got all my seed potatoes at our local garden centre (Busy Bees, Ryde, I.O.W.). I got Kestrel, Charlotte, and Desiree, and have been very pleased with them. They more than filled a seed tray and were very healthy. It looks like yet another reason to be happy that I am living here! The price also compared very favourably with what I'd have paid mail order, and there was no heavy postage to pay either.

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07/03/2008 at 22:09

I am planting Arran Pilot's for the first time this year, having planted Remarka (Organic) Potatoes very successfully each year up till now.

I am concerned about when to plant them as they are First Earlies, and the weather is still pretty cold up here (North of Scotland) going into early April.

I chose Arran Pilot's as I was brought up on Arran and remember hearing years ago there were many different Arran varieties, which someone had cultivated and would love to find out more about who this was and the different Arran varieties that exist.

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09/03/2008 at 20:21

Well I've finally ordered my first seed potatoes (Lady Christie). I am aiming to grow them in containers ouside my static caravan. I've never grown my own veg so fingers crossed!

I'm going to grown Tomatoes in my sunny kitchen at home too... Erm, is it wrong to be excited about growing veg?! GW I hold you all responsible! ;D

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10/03/2008 at 12:37

I've got my earlies from Marshall's and my main crop, Kerr pink, from Tucker's. Both mail order & both lots are very healthy!

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13/03/2008 at 12:05

I must be lucky cos my local farm shop sells lots of different types of potato both bagged or if you wish you can buy just 3 or 4 to put in buckets. I invested in 6 Kestrel which have already been chitted and planted 2 to a bucket. I don't have enough space for rows of potatoes unfortunately.

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14/03/2008 at 19:29

I bought my seed Potatoes from Hawkins in Dorset. Unwins 1.5 kg Kidney & Unwins 1.5 kg majestic @ only £1.74 each. I'm Chitting them ready for a break in the weather to plant them up.

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15/03/2008 at 18:58

I'm new to gardening and have planted some potatoes in bags....I cant remember what type of potato they are, but I have just started to see small shoots appearing. I understand this is when I am meant to cover the shoots and carry on like this until I suppose the bag is full. Its all very hit and miss with me at the moment...but I suppose thats how you learn.

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16/03/2008 at 10:30

I am going (hoping) to grow some potatoes in pots or dustbins this year, I cannot grow them in the garden here as the last time I tried every single potato was full of little holes, slug damage! Has anyone got any tips on how to grow them in large pots or bins! While on the subject of potatoes, while in Calais I bought a bag of potatoes advertised for 'chipping' they were called Adora and true to form, they made the best chips ever...must be the spuds the Belgians use for their world famous 'frites'. They also kept amazingly well, I had a few at the bottom of the potato bin and months later they still looked as fresh without all the roots my other potatoes gain after no more than a week! But, there is no sign of Adora potatoes to be found in England well certainly Wiltshire anyway! Does anyone know how to get hold of them

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16/03/2008 at 15:35

Sharpe's Express are chitting up beautifully am delighted thus far, just waiting for suitable weather to plant!!

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19/03/2008 at 17:38

I am a recent convert to raised beds in my veg plot and first earlys I grew last year were the cleanest and slug free I have had in 30 years of veg growing. I usually use Foremost as my first early but this year I was seduced by a bag of Swift at my local garden centre. My experience with pot grown spuds is that you get more but smaller ones. What happens with yours?

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20/03/2008 at 20:02

I've planted out some Arran Pilot's and have the left overs from a 2.5kg bag from B&Q chitting in a box tray in my porch with a similar bag of Maris Peer's. Just hope this weather isn't going to spoil those earlies in the ground. This is my second year of growing veg in my garden in North London, sth east facing. I've just brought in all my seedlings from the very small plastic greenhouses to sit in my conservatory. Got loads of tom's, sweetpea, brussel's, collies and parsnips all getting leggy in the window. Wanted this weekend to be a good one, weather wise, to pot on and harden off before planting out. Now I'm playing nurse made in my kitchen conservatory with no room to do the washing. Good luck all you fellow veggie growers.

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22/03/2008 at 00:53

I'm growing potatoes in potato bags this year. I've had them successfully in the ground for the past two years but as my veg plot is quite small I'm trying bags this year. I found it frustrating having to buy bags with many more potatoes than I needed in the past, this year I've discovered a good selection of small packs at very reasonable prices on e-bay so I'm delighted.

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22/03/2008 at 12:28

Im a beginner with potatoes and need some advice. I'm chitting them ready for planting but not sure how big the shoots should be before they are ready for planting. Help please.

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27/03/2008 at 09:08

I am chitting some earlies- Rocket and Belle de Fontenay on a windowsill. The sprouts are black rather than green. The room is quite cold and I wondered whether too much condensation could have caused this. Does it matter? Thanks, Sheila

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30/03/2008 at 17:35

again i plan to grow potatoes (pentland)in a bin any advice on how thanks

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01/04/2008 at 10:50

I note with interest your comment about diseased seed potatoes from bought seed. This happened to me, but I noticed a considerable amount of damage to the tubers prior to chitting and complained. Yes I did receive a replacement bag of seed, but I had to throw away nearly 20% of the seed. despite the protesting from the seed merchant concerned. I think gardeners should be much faster to complain as I did. I also think this point of seed quality should be taken up; seed potatoes are not cheap.