Topic: Spuds have arrived...

[sandersj89]

It seems Tuckers must have done a mass mail out over the last few days as I see Emma has had a delivery too. On trip to my greenhouse last night I discovered my seed potatoes have arrived from Tuckers Seeds.

3kg each of:

First Early
Mimi
Home Guard

Main Crop
Arran Victory
Romano
Picasso

Also mincrop onion sets in the bag, Orion.

With luck that will see us through spuds for a whole year. I think we will be able to make the remainder of last years crop last until early new spuds started in the greenhouse are ready in April.

So most of my seeds have arrived for next year. I will start getting itchy feet for spring to come on!

Jerry

[Doris_Pinks]

Mine arrived from Tuckers yesterday too! Did a happy dance and then wondered where on earth I am going to put them all!! (i am sure I shall find a spot!) 
As you say, roll on spring! :D

[aquilegia]

I almost ordered some, but they are so expensive with postage if you only want one bag. But then I realised I'd prefer to get lots of different varieties, but only a few of each (as I don't have much room - I'm limiting myself to 20 tubers). I'm going to a potato day instead. (must go look at when that is...)

[tim]

Picasso have been our star for '04, Jerry. ENORmous & deLISHous! = Tim

[viv]

I want to do some potatoes but can only do them in containers.  Any recommendations? and when should I plant them?

[sandersj89]

Picasso have been our star for '04, Jerry. ENORmous & deLISHous! = Tim

Tim, your pictures last year convinced me to try them. They looked wonderful.

Jerry

[aquilegia]

Tim - do you think they are worth growing if you don't have much garden?

[sandersj89]

I want to do some potatoes but can only do them in containers.  Any recommendations? and when should I plant them?

This is how I grow very early spuds in pots, I don't think maincrop are so well suited to growing in containers:

Get your seed potato's chitting away in egg boxes or similar and then nip to the garden centre and buy the biggest cheapest plastic pots you can find. Mine are are about 18 inches across and the same deep.

(If you don't want to buy these you can use black bin liners just as well.)

Put some crocks or stones in the bottom of the pot and then half fill with any old compost you can lay your hands on. Ad a layer of well rotted manure to give some feed.

When the potato's have produced sprouts about an inch long pop them in the pot and cover with about an inch of compost.

As they grow continue to cover the leaves a couple of times with more compost until the pot is nearly full, this builds up the area where new spuds will grow.

Last year I put two seed spuds in each pot and it worked fine. As the new tubers swell try and make sure they all stay covered with soil or else they go green.

Water well, don't give them a chance to dry out.

Place the pot in a bright and sunny spot. If there is a frost forecast bring them inside or into a green house.

In a few weeks time you will be able to tip out masses of sweet, tasty new spuds about the size of hens eggs. Once you have tasted fresh home grown spuds you will never buy them again in the supermarket.

Each pot will yield about 5 to 7 pounds of spuds if you do well. The only problem is they don't keep for ages once dug.

My best early spuds last year were Mimi, small red skinned and very very tasty. I will grow them again this year along with Home Guard which I like too. Shelly was OK, good yield but not top in the taste stakes. Belle de Fontanay has a very good write up and would be worth looking out for.  I have also heard good reports about Lady Christl. Pentland Javlin is also an old favorite of mine.


Jerry

[Moggle]

I grew Charlottes last year in pots, pretty much how Jerry has described. They were yummy! Can't wait to grow them on the lottie this year.  :)

[viv]

thanks all, will pop down to our local garden centre and see what they have

[Andy H]

Yep getting itchy to get cracking on this years stuff.
Will do spud at allotment but also in tubs at home,did a few in a pot last year to see what happened and very happily surprised.

[Andy H]

You could pop down local tyre place and get a few dead tyres and use as a tub, when full just add another tyre and top up with soil etc etc... Should get tyres for free as they pay to get rid of them, especially if you say they are just for growing spuds in!

[Mrs Ava]

Ahhh Andy, we have had many a discussion about the poisons leaking out of the tyres and into the soil contaminating the spuds........

[Andy H]

Oh! ok, bad idea then...

Thanks for the warning. >:(

[swampig]

I want to do some potatoes but can only do them in containers.  Any recommendations? and when should I plant them?

This is how I grow very early spuds in pots, I don't think maincrop are so well suited to growing in containers:

Get your seed potato's chitting away in egg boxes or similar and then nip to the garden centre and buy the biggest cheapest plastic pots you can find. Mine are are about 18 inches across and the same deep.

(If you don't want to buy these you can use black bin liners just as well.)

Put some crocks or stones in the bottom of the pot and then half fill with any old compost you can lay your hands on. Ad a layer of well rotted manure to give some feed.

When the potato's have produced sprouts about an inch long pop them in the pot and cover with about an inch of compost.

As they grow continue to cover the leaves a couple of times with more compost until the pot is nearly full, this builds up the area where new spuds will grow.

Last year I put two seed spuds in each pot and it worked fine. As the new tubers swell try and make sure they all stay covered with soil or else they go green.

Water well, don't give them a chance to dry out.

Place the pot in a bright and sunny spot. If there is a frost forecast bring them inside or into a green house.

In a few weeks time you will be able to tip out masses of sweet, tasty new spuds about the size of hens eggs. Once you have tasted fresh home grown spuds you will never buy them again in the supermarket.

Each pot will yield about 5 to 7 pounds of spuds if you do well. The only problem is they don't keep for ages once dug.

My best early spuds last year were Mimi, small red skinned and very very tasty. I will grow them again this year along with Home Guard which I like too. Shelly was OK, good yield but not top in the taste stakes. Belle de Fontanay has a very good write up and would be worth looking out for.  I have also heard good reports about Lady Christl. Pentland Javlin is also an old favorite of mine.


Jerry

when can I start to plant in the Greenhouse Im getting impatient :D

[sandersj89]

I have some tubers chitting already, once they are an ich or so long they will go into pots. These early ones I chit inside where it is a bit warmer, the rest chit in an insulated but not heated shed.

I expect to have my first pots planted up in by the end of the month I hope.

Jerry

[Mrs Ava]

Oer, seems I got a little carried away when ordering spuds.  Not only did I receive 4 lots from Tuckers - 2 king edwards and 2 santes, but today I received a further 7 lots from T&M!  Aaron Pilot, Kestrel, Anya, Pink fur apple to name but a few!  Where am I going to put them all to chit, and how am I going to make good labels when I come to plant them so they don't wash away!?!?!?!??!?!!?

[aquilegia]

EJ - label maker thingy - I can't remember what they are called, but you know the thing - turny-wheel, printy tape (sorry - long day, still at work!) And if you do have surplus, I'm sure somebody could find a good home for them ;)

[Doris_Pinks]

Dynamo??!

[Roy Bham UK]

You could pop down local tyre place and get a few dead tyres and use as a tub, when full just add another tyre and top up with soil etc etc... Should get tyres for free as they pay to get rid of them, especially if you say they are just for growing spuds in!

Our local Wilko is selling large black plastic tubs with yellow handles size approx 18" high x 18"diametre for £ 2.35 excellent value. 8) B&Q seed potatoes 2.38 per bag can't remember the size bag tho must be a couple of dozen spuds in there, does that sound a bargain? ???