Topic: When to plant spuds

[steveg1966]

I was reading an article today that suggested it was lucky to plant spuds on St Patrick’s Day has anybody herd this before and when will you be planting spuds

[RenishawPhil]

Not to the first week of April this Year

[gavinjconway]

17 March - Still a tad early... best to plant end of March into April.. The frost can kill them stone dead in May when they are showing through the ground and no fleece covering them..

[Robert_Brenchley]

Frost will kill the tops, but it doesn't affect the roots so they soon grow back. It might be better to wait till after the cold spell they're promising us, but I've known people to plant earlies in February and get a good, early, crop.

[RenishawPhil]

Its going to be a cold march so you are best of biding your time.  I for one am not rushing this year.

But I have planted my onion setts and shallots!

[Flighty]

Towards the end of this month and into April depending on ground conditions and the weather.

[claybasket]

We had 3sunny days last week and OH was chomping at the bit to put in the early potatoes, but the weather changed to freezing, and the planting was cancelled, think we will wait until April better safe than sorry

[cornykev]

It depends on your area and the weather, I've planted a few for the Corny challenge and will be putting in a line this morning, others on our site have planted quite a few rows but as said you have to watch for the last frosts. I will mound them up and fleece and keep them eathed up when frosts are due. They won't be stone dead if frosted but will burn the tops and will set them back a few weeks.   

[lottie lou]

Good Friday.

[manicscousers]

We'll start once this cold snap has gone, one bed a week, covered with fleece. Our undercover ones are already in 

[artichoke]

Every year volunteers come up whatever the weather. Underground they are safe from frosts (maybe not the permafrost of the tundra, but I am in East Sussex) and eventually pop up. Even if frosted when they emerge, the thrust to grow renews their efforts......Mine are going in as soon as the ground is soft enough, as usual.

[KittyKatt]

I always put a few in the middle of February, so I'm usually eating new potatoes by the end of April / beginning of May. Its a gamble, but so far I've always won! They are planted deeply and covered with a thick layer of fleece. When they do show, they are earthed up well. The rest I usually plant March /April depending on the weather. I do live in the relatively mild south west though, and also live only a few minutes away from my allotment, so I can run up there to take the fleece off if we get a really warm day, and put it back on again if it gets cold, and at night.
KittyKatt

[carroteater]

Earlies and 2nd earlies will be planted over Easter weather permitting and maincrop 1 or 2 weeks later.

[Digeroo]

I am not rushing, my later planted ones did better last year.

Soil still very cold and soggy.

There is a tradition of planting them over Easter, but Easter is very early this year.