Talkback: Seed potatoes - Talkback

10/02/2010 at 21:11

Pleased to hear it! We had more snow today in Sheffield and whilst I see the green shoots ... its cold and I'm not thinking of getting going quite yet Pippa. I've got some 'Rocket' in the garage biding their time and I looked for the potatoes Monty recommended recently but they were Sooooo expensive. Is it too early to start sowing parsnips?

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11/02/2010 at 06:38

I bought 40 desiree for £3-00 and they are chitting great. they are a lovely spud. big and good for chips mash the lot.

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11/02/2010 at 14:14

Hi my spuds get eaten every year. I think it may be slugs. They have been inedable for the last 2 seasons. I tried some reds I found growing sprouts in some I bought from Tesco last year and planted them. These were a 90 per cent success hardly any damage. Can anyone tell me why, and do you think its slug damage. I even grew Kestral which are ment to be slug resistant but mine wern't. Ive bought Kestral, golden wonder, sarpo, pentlon javelin and rocket this year have I done right. Please can anyone advise me on what Im doing wrong. I rotate and dig over the area where Im planting them several times in the winter in the hope of destroying whatever eating my spuds. I keep trying to get a decent crop but I will give up if this year it happens again and buy from the supermarket.

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11/02/2010 at 18:54

I'm glad to see that I'm in good company with buying potatoes from the 99p store. I bought 2 varieties this week - King Edward and Home Guard. They look very healthy and will supplement the seed potatoes I bought mail order.

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11/02/2010 at 20:30

Live in the south of ireland ,could anyone recommend a good variety of early potatoes.Thanks

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12/02/2010 at 06:41

I fell in love with Pink Fir Apple from the supermarket last year and have never grown spuds before. So I'm going to try something I love in a bucket as I don't have a large vegetable patch at the moment. I may try another variety but not sure which would be most suitable for bucket growing. Any ideas?

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12/02/2010 at 10:02

I find the best way to avoid slug damage is to plant early and dig up the crop early. this year ,with the frost we have had, should see minimal slug damage as their population should be decimated. I am still singing the praises of "Swift" which not only had superb large tubers but a great yield and flavour for me last year. The secret of growing in a container is in the compost -lots of well-rotted horse manure in it should give a good yield of any variety you fancy.

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12/02/2010 at 14:12

As for happymarion's comment on horse manure in the compost - I find that the best "manure" to use is chicken. The other horse, cow, etc. don't seem to work as well for me.

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12/02/2010 at 19:22

i grow in tubs every year with great success. i grow rocket, charlotte, and am trying nicola and nadine too this year. also i use sheep manure from my brothers farm which has proved excellent results so far.

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14/02/2010 at 06:16

Now I just need a supply of manure! I'm new to this area and finally bought my seed potatoes yesterday. There was 40 in the bag, which I'm sure will be too many. can I take some over to Spain in my hand luggage before they chit?

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14/02/2010 at 14:02

I grow my potatoes in special bags that I bought from Marshals, they have handles so are easy to move around. For the past two years I have grown Swift and Kestrel. I plant the Swift in the bags and put them in the greenhouse in March, and harvest them in May. This year I am going to try Pentland Javelin and Sarpo Mira for a change, has anyone else tried these varieties? In answer to suemitch05's question, I believe you can move any plantlife around Europe, I have taken plants(flowers) by trailer to and from Spain without any problems when I went to live there for 5 years, but not sure about putting them in hand luggage.

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14/02/2010 at 16:45

I have been growing Sarpo Mira for the last 5 years with great success. But I have a plot and grow about 200 seed poatatoes, mainly Sarpo varieties, Bonnie for earlies and Pink Fir Apple for chips and salads. They keep our familiy in potatoes for a whole year!

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15/02/2010 at 18:04

I was wandering if adding Green Manure to my veg patch will enhance the soil. Ive just started growing veg in my back garden and the soil hasnt got much organic matter yet.

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15/02/2010 at 19:21

Pippa, does the garden centre where you bought your pots have an on line site? I have a small back garden and sacks for growing my pots so being able to buy just the amount I need would be great. Thanks.

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17/02/2010 at 16:49

I've just returned from my local garden centre - Wyevale - and they have 6 varieties of seed potatoes to buy loose @ £1.99/bag, if that's any help to you Frances.

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18/02/2010 at 03:46

Are there such things as Nematodes that stop wire worm? I thought I had read about them somwhere but I think I must have imagined it. Every year 70% of my crop is ruined by wire worm. It's very annoying.

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18/02/2010 at 18:03

I tried the nematode that controls chafer grubs last year as it is meant to have some effect on wireworms too. I can't say I noticed any difference. Reading around the subject the problem is meant to get better with regualr cultivation but after 6 years on my plot I can't say it is any better. Perhaps I need to tell the wireworms!

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18/02/2010 at 18:36

Does any one have any knowledge regarding sweet potatoes, I would love to grow some on my allotment

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18/02/2010 at 21:05

I came across some info on a plant called Foil-sis that strongly encourages eel worm larve to hatch. If planted before your potatoes they have nothing to feed on and die. http://www.alanromans.com/p-1646-foil-sisbranstons.aspx

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20/02/2010 at 16:12

how warm must the soil be to plant potatoes