The Great Spud Challenge 2010

[cornykev]

Lottie or garden it doesn't matter which you plant in, any variety will do, I'm using rocket, using a hairdryer may be stretching the rules a tad.   
Jeannine planting in warmer conditions may give you an unfair advantage but I suppose if you feed with ice cold water it may be a bit fairer, but it will be interesting to see how yours are growing against ours.

[plot51A]

Whats the planting date to be then?

[Trevor_D]

I've already got Lady Chrystl, Red Duke of York & Arran Pilot chitting in the spare bedroom. I think I'd rather go for the later planting date, Kev. And whatever you northerners say about us living in the tropics down here in the south, I've got heavy damp London clay to deal with! (I might get a tub in the greenhouse in mid-February.)

But I've always had a picking for my birthday. In fact, most years I'm eating them by the last week in May.

Let the challenge commence!!

[cornykev]

Right so the weekend of 20/21 of Feb it is then.   

[Trevor_D]

Just put it in my diary.

And the first lifting date 12 weeks later, which makes it some time in the middle of May.

[tonybloke]

I'm obviously up for it ( I goaded Kev into starting this thread) Spuds already chitting along nicely beside the bed!!

[Hosta]

Wasnt going to grow spuds again this year, but will give them another go, so count me in too - - -  - better get myself to the shops and see what they have available !!

[Flighty]

You're on! As last year I'm planning on planting my Swift earlies early/mid March to lift the first ones on the Spring Bank Holiday Monday 31st May. 

[Digeroo]

Is it cheating to plant in Canada, it is warmer here!!

  Perhaps you could pursuade a polar bear to lie on the soil and warm it up a bit.

[manicscousers]

covered the bit of bed for the spud challenge with thick cardboard to warm up, spuds are chitting 

[brownowl23]

OK count me in please, my spuds are nicely chitting, got sharpes express, and dunluce as my first and second earlies.

[Stopp]

I'm in too if I can use my Dunluce?

Sharon T

[Digeroo]

I am going for Volumia which I am told is very early.   I  have kept courgettes happy for a few weeks and in frost down to -4, but potatoes for 12 weeks is a challenge indeed. 

Not much about it on the web even in Dutch!

I have put a gadget of the temperature in Brize Norton up on my screen so I can monitor if it is getting colder.  Any frost will roll in from that direction.

I thought that the lifting date was supposed to be 5th/7th june.  I am on hols in mid May.  Please could we confirm the lifting date.  We seem to have three dates mentioned.

[Flighty]

Digeroo it seems that planting is on, or after, 20/21 Feb and lifting on 5/6 June, which is 15 weeks.

I mentioned the day last of May as that's a challenge I have with a plot neighbour! 

[emmy1978]

Right so the weekend of 20/21 of Feb it is then.   

Oh I've got some digging to do!!!! Here's me buying seed pots and typing away...erm...maybe they'll need a patch of earth to grow in? Doh!

[gwynnethmary]

Can I just plant 1 in a pot and see what happens?

[emmy1978]

Can I just plant 1 in a pot and see what happens?

 

[Mortality]

Can I just plant 1 in a pot and see what happens?

Can I do that too? 

[cornykev]

Right there seems to be a tad of confusion
Planting out the weekend of the 20th/21st Feb
Lifting on the weekend of the 5th/7th of June
= 15 weeks that gives everyone up and down the country a chance to join in
Some may lift theirs after 12 weeks for their own benefit
If the grounds too wet plant in a tub or the likes
One single spud if you like, its only a bit of FUN
Any type of early you like
No heat
And once again do not put all your earlies in at this time, I'm only using 6 and if they rot It won't be a a loss
Once again its a bit of FUN
Don't take it too seriously
But if anyone has better spuds than me, they'll be barred from entering next year
   

[gwynnethmary]

Got it!  I've never done this sort of thing before- in fact I've never grown a potato, apart from accidentally in the dalek bin!