Author Topic: Anyone planted their spuds yet? (Read 10033 times)

kenkew · « **Reply #40 on:** March 15, 2005, 16:31:17 »

I'm getting envious. Can only get to the plot at weekends. It's about 9miles away, thinking of getting a lottle ponsie bike and fastening the bottome half of a green wheely bin to it so I can take my pal Skeela with me.

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #41 on:** March 15, 2005, 16:37:16 »

Crikey Emma - are you planting for all of Danbury......H.P.

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #42 on:** March 15, 2005, 17:26:06 »

I did get a touch carried away when choosing Muddy, but what the hell. ;D Any odds can go into big old pots and sit quietly in a corner somewhere.

Doris_Pinks · « **Reply #43 on:** March 15, 2005, 18:41:23 »

Mine went in today, and now I am creamy crackered! (Spent all day there, got a bit carried away!)
Looking forward to the first pickings, with lashings of butter and mint, there my back doesn't feel so sore after all!!

Grumpy Git · « **Reply #44 on:** March 16, 2005, 10:19:06 »

What's the best way to plant the spuds? I've got mine in the garage chitting and will probably wait a week or two before putting them in. However I'm not too sure how you experts plant them. Do you just mix some growmore in or do you add anything else? The soil on my lottie holds water so I don't want the spuds rotting.

Merry Tiller · « **Reply #45 on:** March 16, 2005, 23:16:28 »

Dig a drill 6 inches deep, scatter chicken pellets in the bottom followed by a 2 inch layer of compost, set the spuds onto this after rubbing out all but 2 chits on each, pull the soil back over them and away you go, there are many other ways but that's what I do anyhow

TULIP-23 · « **Reply #46 on:** March 17, 2005, 08:35:41 »

Grumpy Git :) Good Morning

A TIP I recieved.....

Make a Mound the Length of your Row/Rows

Place the Chitted Potato into the Top of the Mound

Cover in the Normal Way...then hoe -up as normal

When the Potatoes are Ready no need for all that Digging. JUst break open the Mound!!!

Hope that helps and the Instructions are OK

moonbells · « **Reply #47 on:** March 17, 2005, 09:43:06 »

Quote from: wivvles on March 15, 2005, 09:15:42

Yep - that's me - dead traditional! Once I've been to Church, it'll be off down the allotment.... (though I might put the spuds in on Palm Sunday - like I said above ;))

I've done that the past 2 years - I remember 2003 it was lovely and sunny during the open air service in town but with a very very cold wind. I stupidly wore shorts and nearly froze!
Have the whole of Easter week off for a change, hopefully to remove all the weeds out of my orchard area and see if I can find some nice tree surgeon to donate me a healthy but chipped ex-tree for mulch. The last mulch has lasted 3 years and has composted down very nicely indeed.

But I agree - this weekend looks hopeful for the spuds... I will be so happy to get something off and running. Get itchy fingers at this time of the year!

moonbells

kenkew · « **Reply #48 on:** March 17, 2005, 12:54:45 »

Actually managed to get to the plot yesterday, it's usually only weekends I can get there. Planted about 100 onion sets. Made a start on where my spuds will go, possibly this weekend. Nothing happening with peas under the cloch but now things are warming up a bit I expect to see a shoot or two soon.

alotalot · « **Reply #49 on:** March 17, 2005, 13:12:27 »

After reading all that I think I'll plant my earlies now(or as soon as I get round to it).

I don't think my grass is growing much yet though! Putting grass clippings in the trench creates acidic conditions as it decomposes and scab does'nt like it.

TULIP-23 · « **Reply #50 on:** March 17, 2005, 18:16:24 »

HOI KEN :D

Could'nt Help noticing you said 100 ONION SETS :o

Whats that about 600 Onions maybe more ???

You must love Onions !!

moonbells · « **Reply #51 on:** March 17, 2005, 18:47:37 »

Quote from: TULIP-23 on March 17, 2005, 18:16:24

HOI KEN :D

Could'nt Help noticing you said 100 ONION SETS :o

Whats that about 600 Onions maybe more ???

You must love Onions !!

er, that would work if they were shallots... :)
Onions are 1 per set.

moonbells

TULIP-23 · « **Reply #52 on:** March 17, 2005, 19:00:29 »

Moonbell :D

I might be mistaken but my Onion set contained about 50
small Onions.....I think shallots are a little Bigger!!!

Maybe Im Wrong ???

kitty · « **Reply #53 on:** March 17, 2005, 19:31:14 »

dj!hahaha! ;D
well.....i can beat everyone-not only have i not got my tates in(received my lovely pink firs from djbrenton today-THANK YOU!)but i have STILL not got the ground prepared -it looks like a field.
o,thats cos it isa field.
i think i'll take someones advice to a newbie and take pics...it'll be encouraging when i feel like throwing mself under the merry tiller.

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #54 on:** March 17, 2005, 22:36:51 »

Tulip, your onion sets look like little onions, and your shallots look like little onions! ;D Difference being, shallots usually split into lots of little onions as they swell, where an onion stays solid and just becomes one big onion.

Does that make sense...it has been a long day....the kids have played up....I did a lot of digging in the sun.....

Mothy · « **Reply #55 on:** March 18, 2005, 08:28:43 »

Tulip, I think I understand. An onion "set" is a very small premature onion that has usually been treated to make it less susceptible to bolting than onions grown from seed. What you bought was a bag of onion "sets" with 50 "sets" in it :)

Shallots do indeed usually split into multiple bulbs.

moonbells · « **Reply #56 on:** March 18, 2005, 08:58:28 »

Quote from: TULIP-23 on March 17, 2005, 19:00:29

Moonbell :D

I might be mistaken but my Onion set contained about 50
small Onions.....I think shallots are a little Bigger!!!

Maybe Im Wrong ???

I think everyone else has explained, but yes, a bag of little onions is a bag of sets, where each of the little onions is one set, not that one bag is a set of onions :) Don't you just love English sometimes?

I thought you were talking about one planted set splitting into 6 or so, ie what shallots do. Hence confusion - sorry!

Either way, I have planted 50 shallots so I hope I will indeed get 300 shallots! We like pickles in this house :)
moonbells

Obelixx · « **Reply #57 on:** March 18, 2005, 09:07:16 »

According to my lunar/astrological gardening calendar - given away with a French gardening magazine - the most auspicious days for planting potatoes this year are the 25th and 26th of March - which ties in nicely with the old English tradition of planting them on Good Friday. I'm not planting potatoes this year so can't experiment but the RHS is doing a study of gardening folklore such as this to see if there's anything in it. Apparently Italian seed companies include the favourable lunar cycle for sowing on their packets - usually ascending for fruits, flowers and most leafy crops, descending for roots.

TULIP-23 · « **Reply #58 on:** March 18, 2005, 09:33:28 »

EJ Emma -Jane ;D

First my Apoligies to Ken Sorry mate!! ;)

Secondly my Apoligies to Moonbell!! ;)

Now E.J Thanks that was very kind and you have explained it exceedingly well..very clear. ;D

Mothy: THank you: You have also made it a lot clearer. 8)

Moonbell: I see what you mean ;D

I have eaten my Humble Pie............... :) I now know that a Bag 50 small onions = 1 small onion is 1 set...... Grows as One Big Onion

And One shallot divides into more than one!!

The confusion lies in that I always thought that 1 bag or net of Onions was known as a Set!!! SORRY!!!Folks

Thank you all again....for the help gratefully recieved

kenkew · « **Reply #59 on:** March 18, 2005, 10:29:23 »

....and I planted 30 shallots too. :D

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Author Topic: Anyone planted their spuds yet? (Read 10033 times)