Topic: potatoes

[chris-deb]

Hi is it to late to plant early potatoes ?

[Unwashed]

By no means.  The deal with earlies is that they don't take long to mature, so you can plant them right through to the summer really and you'll still get a nice crop.

[Spookyville]

we planted the first of our earlies last weekend and still ahve quite a few to plant over the next month :)

[allaboutliverpool]

The old tradition was that potatoes were planted on Good Friday as that was the working man's day off.
As Easter can occur all through April, it gives you a lot of leeway.
The problem with later plantings is that they become more susceptible to blight which tends to occur later in the season.

See my website and Video :-

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_potatoes.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL8ZknMQclM

[Geoff H]

I have got a bag of earliers that i am keeping cool so that i can plant it late. That is so I can extend the season for early potatoes, hopefully into August. When i first had an allotment there was an old guy opposite me who always used to plant early potatoes late. That was so they were looking at their most luxuriant in early august when the judges came round for the best allotment competition. He won the prize for best in the borough every year. It looked neat and tidy but there was no attempt at succession. Those of us who grew for food rather than competition had by that time crops that were finishing or had finished with patches waiting for replanting etc.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've planted maincrops in May and got a crop.

[OberonUK]

I sowed Foremost three weeks ago and already they are showing through. Actually I'm really pleased with myself as this is the first time I've ever done anything more than a few carrots in a tub. Already have direct-sown lettuce, peas, radish, beetroot, carrot and spring onions up and thriving as well as healthy looking garlic and onion sets. This is my first year gardening really. Been recovering from cancer and associated problems and needed something active but not too much so, to help build back some strength and this has helped so much. So if a half-dead, disabled complete novice like me can do it, anyone can! But I will say now, that I'd be in a right mess if it wasn't for all the advice on A4A which has just been so practical and far better than any text book!

[bridgehouse]

I agree I love this site, everyone will come forward to help with a problem
The problem I have is my potatoes are showing through, and I have covered them as best I can, will it hurt if I now leave them to show through, I have not got enough soil to earth up any more. ::)
   June.

[Unwashed]

What are you growing June?  Some tatties need more earthing up than others.  As a rule earlies don't need too much and Rocket and Swift hardly any earthing up.

[bridgehouse]

Earlies, thanks for the advice... puts my mind at rest. ;D
   June.