Author Topic: Frosted spuds (Read 7457 times)

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #20 on:** May 13, 2005, 12:53:09 »

ooooooooo Eric, I am so jealous! They look fab.

Here are some pics of mine, all earthed up - I plant back to front really, I plant in trenches, then earth them up so the ground is level, then make little mountains as they grew. Don't know why...just do....

aquilegia · « **Reply #21 on:** May 13, 2005, 12:55:21 »

EJ - so does each spud have it's own mountain rather than the long rows that are normally done?

My in-ground spuds are just coming through. Very exciting.

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #22 on:** May 13, 2005, 13:01:59 »

No, they all get earthed up in long tobelarone ridges, it is just, I dig my trench, bung my spuds in, cover them, and then they are in a dip. Once they are way through, I rake the spoil into the dip so the ground is level - which is what you can currently see in the pic. Then, over the next few months, I will earth up, using soil from beside the rows, plus well rotted horsey poo, grass cuttings, shredded paper and straw, so come digging time, there will be the traditional looking mounds, just not as high as some peoples.......

aquilegia · « **Reply #23 on:** May 13, 2005, 13:13:12 »

oh i see.

I reckon I'm going to have to just fill in the raised bed mine are in (there's about 9in of room at the top). I'm not sure if I left enough room for earthing. Oh well - I have plenty of spare soil!

philcooper · « **Reply #24 on:** May 13, 2005, 13:48:54 »

Quote from: EJ - Emma Jane on May 13, 2005, 13:01:59

.....they all get earthed up in long tobelarone ridges.......

Now there's an interesting technique, I've only every put FYM and fish, blood and bone on mine!

Phil

aquilegia · « **Reply #25 on:** May 13, 2005, 14:10:16 »

Phil - you are on form today!

waste of chocolate! tee hee

tim · « **Reply #26 on:** May 14, 2005, 11:20:54 »

It does NOT pay to say 'I'll do it later'. I saw that the fleece had blown off in the 25mph wind (gusting to??) yesterday. Did I go straight out & fix it??

Not serious, but annoying.

moonbells · « **Reply #27 on:** May 14, 2005, 11:25:59 »

Quote from: wardy on May 13, 2005, 09:59:23

Moonbells how could you be so selfish as to go off to Florida and leave your charges to freeze to death ;D

Believe me if I could have stayed here I would have... first tried to wriggle out of going in December but boss overruled. Blasted conference is mid-May each year - bleh.

(no Phil not holiday - work :( . Half the people there volunteered to go in my place until I mentioned they'd have to give a paper... then they miraculously vanished again! )

Back now as of 6.45am THANK GOODNESS I LOATHE HOT PLACES

moonbells (blissfully cold)

ps I have a geoff hamilton fleece cloche over the earlies and two layers of flat fleece on the maincrops. Not exactly leaving them to freeze... except the GH cloche tends to blow off.

pps hubbie hasn't killed any of the seedlings off this year or my Acer! Hurrah!

moonbells · « **Reply #28 on:** May 14, 2005, 18:39:23 »

postscript :'(

Badly shrivelled earlies as it seems we have had a lot of wind and bang went the fleece. The half that stayed draped over the patch has at least protected some of the plants, but a lot are toast.

Having said that, there's plenty of subterranean growth so they should recover OK.

And the maincrops were fine under their double layer. Phew. Cabbages are also fine despite losing their fleece cover too, but that was for flea beetle. No damage, which sort of makes up for the spuds.

Enviromeshed the carrots and sowed another row (maincrop) and netted the alarmingly advanced redcurrants. Now exhausted but hopefully it'll help beat the jetlag. ::)

moonbells

PREMTAL · « **Reply #29 on:** May 15, 2005, 04:11:33 »

Hi Sarah-B,
Living in Scotland we are well acquainted with frost at this time of year. Your crop is not in danger, the fact that they were already earthed up gave extra protection.

All the potato crops at our Association suffered leaf damage but at the end of the day it only sets the harvest back about two weeks.

This frost according to our old worthies was nothing they would worry about.

PREMTAL

wardy · « **Reply #30 on:** May 15, 2005, 09:18:27 »

I left my tatties uncovered night before last as no frost forecast in my neck of the woods. We then had a frost and all my spuds now have blackened foliage :(

quinny · « **Reply #31 on:** May 15, 2005, 10:56:23 »

My spuds have the charcoal foliage also - they got singed by the frost last week however they seem to be recovering this week... ;D

I'm not sure how much more frost we get up here in Falkirk compared to south of the border. I'm sure my old neighbour said he witnessed frost and snow one June - not sure if he was pulling my inexperienced leg though!

ellkebe · « **Reply #32 on:** May 15, 2005, 17:04:49 »

What I wouldn't give for some potato plants to *get* frosted!! Only started two weekends ago, and got round to asking others about whether it was too late for main crop last weekend (assuming it was) as I finally had a bed dug over that would be suitable. People who'd been there a while (and have healthy looking crops going) said a maximum of three weeks, and then - no. Since then I've looked everywhere accessible while still working - and was out and about looking today - but no-one has any seed potatoes left :( Guess I'll have to leave it as something to try next year. Am thinking off putting in purple broccolli and leeks.

Ellkebe

tim · « **Reply #33 on:** May 15, 2005, 17:36:19 »

Get some 2nd croppers for planting in July.

ellkebe · « **Reply #34 on:** May 15, 2005, 18:31:55 »

Thanks Tim - I find the whole potato thing a bit confusing!

Can I order second croppers (second *main* croppers?) through catalogues? All the outlets around here seem to be out of pots. full stop.

And when would 2nd croppers crop exactly?! Sorry to be so helpless about all this - it must seem like second nature when you've done it a few times.

Ellkebe

Palustris · « **Reply #35 on:** May 15, 2005, 19:38:45 »

Now i am really going to upset you. We have 3 sacks of seconds left over from last season, which are sprouting away and going too soft to eat. Next stop.....the council compost heap. What else is there?

tim · « **Reply #36 on:** May 15, 2005, 20:09:48 »

Can't you shred them for composting or trench lining, Eric?

ellkebe - depends upon why you want main crop?

We have only used Marshalls' seed. Carlingford, Franceline & Maris Peer - all '2nd Earlies/ Early Main'. Planted in July,they crop from mid-September.

ellkebe · « **Reply #37 on:** May 15, 2005, 20:50:35 »

Probably me not knowing what the terms mean Tim! I was told it was too late for earlies and to go straight to main crop, which I thought just meant cropped later!

I'll try Marshalls. Thanks for the help :)

And Palustris, 'upset' is an understatement!!

wardy · « **Reply #38 on:** May 15, 2005, 21:47:22 »

Elkebe The seed catalogues are very good as they describe everything perfectly and give detailed planting instructions. You can also probably get them from your allotment society shed later in the year.

philcooper · « **Reply #39 on:** May 16, 2005, 10:23:37 »

Elkebe,

Before you dash off to buy some second croppers - be aware that they do not grow in the open (unless you live in the Scilly isles) but need protection and do best in containers in a conservatrory/greenhouse.

They are also expensive.

Where do you live - I still have few tubers that I couldn't quite fit in

Phil

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Author Topic: Frosted spuds (Read 7457 times)