Topic: Potatoes

[pumkinlover]

Just sorted the remaining potatoes out and moved to a cooler shed. Removed spruts and a couple of rotten ones, but got enough to keep us going.
I've got my seed potatoes from JBA via the Transition Chesterfield potato day. I'm just wondering if anyone is thinking of starting to plant earlier due to climate change? I put a huge sheet of black plastic to warm the ground but due to a senior moment I put it on the area I grew potatoes last year 

Any way I wondered about planting a bit early normally I wait till St Patricks day ( just a bit of daft really)

[ACE]

I shall wait for the spring equinox two or three days later than you. Planted early one year and had to replant as they rotted in the ground, but that might have had something to do with heavy clay holding the water. I don't think you will gain any advantage by planting earlier. Just make a note of the date of when the volunteers start showing then you will know how early we can plant next year.

[Tee Gee]

Just make a note of the date of when the volunteers start showing then you will know how early we can plant next year.

I used to do similar, I waited until I saw weeds appearing, then if the weather was OK, I would plant potatoes out knowing that it would be a few weeks after that when the foliage would emerge. Circa weeks 20-22 if frosts were forecast I would earth them up to give another few weeks of protection.

https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/S/Soil-Preparation/02-Close%20up%20of%20weeds.JPG

https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/S/Soil-Preparation/03-Remove%20weeds.JPG

https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/P/Potato/Potato.htm

[JanG]

I think planting just a few earlier makes sense but it’s likely to mean finding some fleece to cover the above-ground growth when a frost threatens. I also plant a small number in the polytunnel around now. Lovely to be able to harvest just a small number of new potatoes ahead of the game.

[BarriedaleNick]

All my spuds are in or going in this week, the earlies are already showing.  Timings here something to get used to as come summer it is literally too hot for some things to grow.
So I have all sorts on the go or already in - toms, peppers, aubergines, cabbage, beans, courgette and the usual suspects..
All I need is rain.  We are in drought with only 7% or annual rainfall so far...

[saddad]

Mine are chitting but are unlikely to go out much before the end of March... had an Op on my wrist last Monday so trenching is off for a while!

[pumkinlover]

Mine are chitting but are unlikely to go out much before the end of March... had an Op on my wrist last Monday so trenching is off for a while!

Hope all goes well for a quick recovery.
I don't trench anymore but use a long handled bulb planter, drop the spud in and cover. Lots of compost on top then.

[Obelixx]

I don't trench either.  Just drop them in a hole and pile on some compost.  That said, I only grow potatoes I've had for the kitchen and that have started sprouting.   Too dry here to grow a full crop and we don't eat many anyway.

I have some chitting in an egg box on a cool, west facing windowsill.  They have gone very green, as you'd expect.  OH had a 5 minute chat with a golfing friend who was a caterer and charcutier before retiring so knows all about vegetable growing.   Came home and told me green potatoes were bad and needed planting now or throwing out.  Yeah right.

[saddad]

If they are really green you really shouldn't even consider eating them, but they will grow well enough!

[Tiny Clanger]

We are in North Warwickshire, and last time we planted on St Pats the whole lot rotted due to unseasonal wet.  We usually wait till very end march or 1st April before we go now.  Hope is a really good season for us all x

[Obelixx]

Precisely Saddad.

They're growing nice short, sturdy shoots and will be planted out when the frosts have gone.  After weeks of dross with rain, mists, howling gales et we finally have bright sun and clear skies but heavy frosts each morning so it'll be another couple of weeks I reckon.

[small]

I planted some really early in buckets in the conservatory, they are well above the bucket rims now, some likewise in the greenhouse which are just showing, but I won't put any in the garden till the weeds are all germinating. If I waited till the last frost here it would be second week in June!

[Plot22]

I am going to hijack this blog with another question. No offence meant . First I have been digging over the patch for my earlies this morning but it was heavy going with all the rain of late but the exercise did me good as a starter and it will give the soil a chance to dry out a bit. After this morning I have decided not to set potatoes until the last week in the month which is normal for me. Now my question I always trench my potatoes well rotted farmyard manure in the bottom on which I set the seed potatoes followed by enough soil to cover them. Then slug pellets and potato fertiliser. My question is Should I set the potatoes in soil followed by farmyard manure followed by soil then slug pellets and fertiliser? I am drifting towards the latter as potatoes grow upwards so the new potatoes would have the benefit of the manure. I have pondered this for the last 5 years or so but have stuck with my old method with reasonable results.

[Tee Gee]

My question is My question is Should I set the potatoes in soil followed by farmyard manure followed by soil then slug pellets and fertiliser? followed by soil then slug pellets and fertiliser?

My Opinion;

1)Should I set the potatoes in soil followed by farmyard manure followed by soil.

FY manure >> Seed Potato >> Soil
 
This is the simplest way, and I am all for simplicity!

2)then slug pellets

Never used them, I think they are a waste of time. Apart from that, the slugs won't come until the new tubers are formed, by which time the pellets will have depleted!

3)and potato fertiliser?

Again I would say this is a waste of time at this stage, I would wait until the foliage surfaces then spread it just prior to earthing up thus giving the developing tubers the full benefit of the fertilser.

As I said, this is only an opinion!

[Plot22]

Thanks Tee Gee
I never thought of using the fertiliser in that way but it makes sense. As regards the slug pellets again  it makes sense . Everyone on our site uses slug pellets in the way I explained. We are also plagued with eelworm so I grow varieties that resistant Swift (earlies), Kestrel (2nd earlies) and Harmony (maincrop) with some success. The plot holders that stick with Cara etc have crops decimated by the eelworm

[Paulh]

Kestrel are pretty well bullet-proof against slugs. You certainly don't need to worry about them.

[Tee Gee]

Forgot to mention that resistant varieties was the best way I found for preventing/deterring most of the potato diseases, in particular Kestrel which was my banker and as an aside it was a good show variety to boot!

I also used Pink fir apple as my maincrop variety as they too were like Paulh describes ---bullet proof!

I tended to use Rocket as an early but like most earlies I found them susceptible to wireworm* if I left them in the ground too long once they had matured. To counter act this  I sometimes grew Foremost as this was a fairly early 2nd early if that makes sense

* I had a theory that wireworm was a result of the new tubers growing in too fresh manure whereas with later varieties these grew in manured ground where the manure had a greater time to rot down.

I hope this helps

[Deb P]

Charlotte are also pretty pest and disease free on my plot, I’ve left some overwinter before by mistake and they were still ok the next year, just bigger than usual!