Topic: Seed Potato buying has gone bonkers!

[George the Pigman]

Bit of a rant really!
I used to regularly visit my local garden centres for seed potatoes towards the end of February and usually had no problem getting them. This year the situation has got a bit ridiculous. I phoned a regular garden centre I use today to see if they had them in yet and they said they came in just after Xmas and were nearly all gone. Looked at the Kings Seeds website today and there is not a single seed potato available for sale. There are some from the other big seed companies but many are out of stock.
I know the garden centres have a quiet period after New Year and get stuff to fill the gap and push goods until the real growing season starts in March. However since in my area you would never think of planting spuds until April at the earliest and then probably not until mid-April (we often get frosts in May here!) and chitting the earlies only take a few weeks then usually there is no practical reason to buy spuds until late February.
It seems to have ended up with a situation of panic buying because of the way the marketing is going. People realise now they will be gone or have limited choice by now so everyone is buying early - which suits the garden centres and seed potato companies.
I remember in the old days I ordered some from a small seed potato supplier in Scotland and when they hadn't arrived in early March rang them and they said the ground was still frozen so they couldn't dig them out! So the stuff we are getting is probably not newly dug!

[Tulipa]

George there has been a problem as certainly our local potato day didn't happen this year which has led to difficulties with supply in some places. As it usually happens in January it will have meant people had to find new sources which won't have helped supplies, I hope you manage to find what you want.

[pumkinlover]

Our potato day went ahead as normal. Usually I am involved as a volunteer but as far as I know everything was available. They purchase from JBA.

Have you looked at Wilko? The people who forget it's potato day often go there, though I have not used them so can't comment on quality.

[George the Pigman]

Just checked and according to past news there was a seed potato shortage last year for a number of reasons so I suppose this is a knock on effect.
I will try Wilko pumpkinlover .The folks on our allotment often buy seed potatoes and onion sets from them and although the range is limited they are very  happy with them (and with the price!). There is one very local to me so will pop up there tomorrow.

[Tee Gee]

My guess is the shortage was due to the very dry summer we had, and the crops were much smaller, meaning there are not enough to go around. The seed growers will be holding on to what hey have to ensure they have stock for years to come!

[Obelixx]

Failing all other sources, try some from the shops as a last resort.

Now that potatoes here are no longer sprayed to prevent sprouting i often end up with a few in a packet that chit themselves and have planted them out successfully - things like Charlotte, Grenaille, Pink Fir Apple.   They are, in fact, the only potatoes I plant these days as recent summers of extreme heat and drought poor crops.   

[Plot22]

There is probably been a shortage of particular varieties. Lady Christi springs to mind as a few seasons ago the growers had poor crops and they were then not available the following 2 years. This year they have made a bit of a comeback in that my local garden centre had some but the allotment association's supply was not delivered. I have saved some of my own seed over the last couple of years but have bought some new seed to set and to keep some of the new seeds produce for the following years seed. Harmony is my late variety but again is not available either locally or from my association. The larger seed suppliers have this recently been trying to sell their stock off at 2 for whatever but the prices are obnoxious. As previously mentioned Wilko's have plenty of stock and the choice is reasonable

[Tiny Clanger]

Hi George, We're not a million miles from you in North Warks.  We get seed spuds from Hawgrip in Enderby (just over the Warks/Leics Border. Good choice in First/Second and Main Crop.  Don't know what they have left.  There is also a small vendor in Stratford St Nuneaton - prices reasonable. Dobbies have shedloads - prepacked and PYO from sacks.  Sapcote Garden Centre (Near Hinckley) has Prepacked. I order a particular variety from a grower in Scotland which are already put to chit - theyare sold out of that particular sort (Vitabella) All ours are out and chitting. And of course there is Wilko - always got something. Hope you get sorted soon.  We will be looking to plant beginning of April xx

[Harry]

Local Wilkinsons have some in in larger bags at, I think it was £2.50

"The Range" has bags of 10 seeds for £1.99 in a 3 bags for £5 deal 10 seeds to a bag

B&M have a 3 bags for 5 deal but each bag only has 6 or 7 seeds.

Onion Sets were a similar story. Wilkinsons, especially bigger bags. The Range onion sets had 50 in.

So. What's a potato day? Is that an allotment shop thing?

[George the Pigman]

Just been to Wilko and they've got loads of seed potatoes available. 2kg bags for £3 but many have been reduced to 75p and they look perfectly OK!! Worth looking at your local Wilko as I suspect they will also be doing the same offers in other shops. Got some first earlies, second earlies and a couple of maincrops. Plus onion and shallot sets.
Will need some more though.

[Tulipa]

George I am glad you have found some :)

Harry if you google Potato Day I am sure you will find photos, it has a facebook page too. You can buy almost any variety at one, usually pick your own and also seeds, some different from the normal seeds, and at ours there was also a seed swap too.  They are still happening, just not the Hampshire one at the moment which was held at a local secondary school.  If you are up north there is one in Cumbria in Caldbeck on Sunday 26th and one in Kelso Sunday 5th March

https://bordersorganicgardeners.org/potatoday/#:~:text=Potato%20Day%202023%20%E2%80%93%20we're%20back!&text=Borders%20Organic%20Gardeners%20are%20very,on%20Sunday%205th%20March%202023.

The above link has photos so you can see how popular it is.  It looks like they move up the country which makes sense with the earlier ones in the south to correspond with making sure we have them in time for respective planting times.  Worth doing next year if you can, I don't know where you are.

[chrisjadonohue@gmail.com]

Still £3 at Wilko Leamington Spa - probably your manager in a panic.  They really have no understanding of when potatoes should be planted and may be worried about potatoes attracting flies if left out too long in a warm shop.

[George the Pigman]

Just went to a local garden centre today (Bournville Garden Centre) and they had loads of seed potatoes (Taylors brand). Now have all I need.
Seems that some shops are good at acquiring them others struggle.
Used to sometimes go to the potato days at Ryton Organic Gardens in Warwickshire. That went ahead this year. Don't know what it was like though.

[saddad]

Didn't know Ryton was on again, used to go regularly... then they stopped it....