BBC Gardeners' World

Comments

• MICK

  06 March 2008, 04.00PM

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

• lilymarlene

  06 March 2008, 10.01PM

  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.

• Gordon McLeod

  07 March 2008, 10.09PM

  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.

• Hugh simpson

  01 January 2007, 12.00AM

  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.

• sam,essex

  01 January 2007, 12.00AM

  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.

• Isla

  09 March 2008, 08.21PM

  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

• Jilly

  10 March 2008, 12.37PM

  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!

• 01 January 2007, 12.00AM

• 91ron

  13 March 2008, 12.05PM

  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.

• David Harrington

  14 March 2008, 07.29PM

  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.

• sheila53

  15 March 2008, 06.58PM

  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.

• GiGi

  16 March 2008, 03.35PM

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

• Fingerscrossed

  16 March 2008, 10.30AM

  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

• big bob

  19 March 2008, 05.38PM

  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?

• Percy Plumb

  22 March 2008, 12.28PM

  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.

• Frances M

  22 March 2008, 12.53AM

  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.

• Emma

  20 March 2008, 08.02PM

  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.

• sheilagaunt

  27 March 2008, 09.08AM

  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

• MICK LYNCH

  30 March 2008, 05.35PM

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

• steve southwick

  01 April 2008, 10.50AM

  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.

• Katrina

  03 April 2008, 11.10AM

  I am a primary teacher getting ready to explore growing potatoes with my class of 4-5 year olds. Every time I research potato growing websites refer to 'seed potatoes'. What are these and why can't I use potatoes they bring into school from home? This project is going to be part of an eco week and I am keen to inform them that potatoes can be recycled to make new potatoes. Please advise. Any other information would be gratefully received.

• Rebecca

  09 April 2008, 10.17PM

  I have grown potatoes in old dustbins and pots for the last three years and have found it very simple and have had very good crops. Just fill the bin/pot up about 2/3rds full, push in the seed potatoes, shoot upwards, to about two inches in depth and cover by another inch or so. I earth them up (add more compost) when the plants are a reasonable size. I usually put 5 - 6 seed potatoes in a dustbin and 3 in a pot. Keep them well watered and the resulting crop is plentiful and extremely tasty. I like small pots as I dont have to harvest them all at once but dustbins are great.

  I have never chitted my potatoes and have had no problems. I also get annoyed with the size of bags of seed potatoes I have to buy just to get the ones I want ( and I do like a selection), however, I found a garden centre in Thorpe Arch, near Wetherby, which sells them by weight so I've got a few pink fir to try as well this year.

• Dave Gibson

  17 April 2008, 04.59PM

  I always go to the same garden centre for my seed potatoes, Tyne Dale garden, Mickley near Gateshead. They sell them by weight so I can choose the number I require as they are loose in a box. This year I am trying a first early named Rocket.

• AndyBill

  28 April 2008, 12.32PM

  Hi All , my first post! Is it too late to plant potatoes? I'm just preparing a plot in my back garden and wondering if i can put some spuds in? Many thanks for any good advice

• petes plot

  28 April 2008, 08.00PM

  Potatoes will grow anywhere only the soil condition determines your yield as for late planting try planting tubers three inches down and cover with straw and mulch saves time earthing up

• Jill b

  10 May 2008, 09.52AM

  I'm growing potatoes in bags this year, arran pilots and some others I forget the name, I've earthed them up once already but I'm unsure as to how much if at all I need to water them, any ideas?