Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: norfolklass on February 20, 2007, 13:56:16
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all the books say not to plant potatoes unless they're certified disease-free, proper seed potatoes, but I was wondering if anyone has planted shop bought spuds that were bought to eat?
I bought some Exquisa to eat from Morrisons, forgot about them and now they've started to grow. they're such a nice tasting spud (and I haven't seen any Exquisa seed potatoes to buy) that I thought I might pop a few in the ground and see how they do.
am I likely to end up with disease ridden spuds and/or soil?!? ???
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hi
one of the guys on our site last yeat got his plot in late April he popped some Morrisons spuds that had sprouted ( dont take long ) and he got a good crop i am told.
I think its not recomended but you may get a good crop then again you might not...
Cambourne 7 being no real help at all 8)
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I have done it and I am eating ones my mate put in but you do take a risk, they are not that big but edible. ;D ;D ;D
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The big danger in growing shop potatoes is that they are not grown in a virus free zone so you could really give yourself serious problems in the future. Certified seed potatoes are grown at an altitude where there is very little if any aphids which are the main carries of virus. They are also inspected on as regular time to ensure they are clean. You can save seed from certified stock provided you are careful in your selection. When they stopped us having catriona a good many years ago many did save their own seed until it came back on the market.
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Yes - as I would say, you can do it with success. BUT, as our Phil would say, you are risking your neighbours' future.
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I have also bought some Equisa from a Supermarket and have them chitting on the windowsill. They were clean and undamaged so I will take the risk of getting a crop from them.
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You will no doubt get a crop from them but it is the future where the problem is. Once you get a virus you are lucky to clear it as it is very difficult to remove for sure every potatoe when you dig so the virus remains in the ground.
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I once part owned a cafe and we had a box of those small italian new potatoes available usually Nov/Dec. which had been overlooked and had grown roots so long they looked more like spghetti. I gave them to a friend who had just built a bungalo and they were planted in what was a poor excuse for a garden, almost solid clay. They produced the best crop of potatoes I have ever seen of a hude vaerage size. I have no idea what kind they were but now I have just got my first allotment I will be looking for some next November,
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Yes - as I would say, you can do it with success. BUT, as our Phil would say, you are risking your neighbours' future.
Thanks Tim ;)
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Seed potato,s are no different to what you buy in the shops. The reason they are selected for seed potato,s is because of there size. I dint see the worry about disease in super market potato,s they probably are a lot healthier than the seed potato,s and as all potato,s have been have now been so cultured they are virtually disease resistant. The only disease they may get is from the soil thats already infected in your plot, if you have rotated your crops on a three year rotation and sterilised your soil this should not happen
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If what you say is true Davy, I wonder why committee members of our allotment complex (many of whom are retired produce farmers from the area) go through the trouble of spot checking labels of seed potatoes. If you can't show the label, you have to dig them up and take them off the complex.
Where did you get your facts from or is this your opinion?
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I have to agree with Laurieuk, seed potatoes are grown in Scotland where the aphid cannot cope with the weather conditions. Which is why lottie peeps have to prove what they've planted.
I cant remember what virus they leave in the soil, but I guess its like clubroot....once you've got it youre doomed (or at least your brassicas are)
I will hold my hands up and confess to having planted shop bought spuds, before I knew the hazzards. They did produce a crop but not a good one.
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Davy,
I have to object to your posting complete (and dangerous) rubbish
I have reported the posting to the admin
Phil
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Phil Thats your pro-ogitive my friend and no offence taken.
I did not state my previous post was true, it is my opinion. What i based it on is, planting seed potato,s does not guarantee freedom from disease or disease causing agents or bacteria that is present or lying latent and can not be detected such as black leg or ring rot. Seed potatoes are examined for any outward signs of disease and a small persentage cut open for inward signs.
So the way i see it if i choose to buy some potatoes from a super market and check them for outward signs of decease i have much the same chance of getting a good crop as i would if i planted seed potato,s
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ONe way round the dilema would be to grow your supermarket spuds in containers/bags and not on the lotty! I did that once, in buckets.
Given that pots take up a lot of room I wouldnt risk planting supermarket spuds on the lotty.
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hmm, I think I'll give it a miss – I'd hate to put something nasty in the soil that causes problems for me and my neighbours.
and I did buy lots of certified seed potatoes from Notcutts a couple of weeks ago, so I probably don't need to grow any more!
if I did try a couple in pots at home, presumably I'd have to sterilise the used compost afterwards in case of any viruses?
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What about airborne diseases?
The only real way around the dilema is to only plant certified seed potatoes to minimize the risks as much as possible. It's the social thing to do even if you personally don't believe in the risks.
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Hey, hey - that got her out of hibernation!!
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Hahahahahaha!
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I hesitate to try growing heritage varieties due to the possibilities of disease, but I don't know what the risk actually is. At the moment I'm getting annual outbreaks of blight from somewhere, but there's no need to let that get into the tubers, at least.
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When I was talking about disease I was talking of virus disease. Of course you can blight etc. on certified potatoes as they are fungal problems mainly airborne. If you cut every potato open you would not SEE a virus it effects the resulting crops.We are not here to disagree but to exchange ideas but your idea could be dangerous to others.
Phil Thats your pro-ogitive my friend and no offence taken.
I did not state my previous post was true, it is my opinion. What i based it on is, planting seed potato,s does not guarantee freedom from disease or disease causing agents or bacteria that is present or lying latent and can not be detected such as black leg or ring rot. Seed potatoes are examined for any outward signs of disease and a small persentage cut open for inward signs.
So the way i see it if i choose to buy some potatoes from a super market and check them for outward signs of decease i have much the same chance of getting a good crop as i would if i planted seed potato,s
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Conclusion to any that are unshore its better safe than SORRY. :'( ;D ;D ;D
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I do wonder, though, how much of the worry about viruses is put out there by the seed companies, as they must make tens if not hundreds times more profit on seed potatoes than on eating spuds.
How did we get on before certified spuds were available? (hopefully someone out there is old enough to know this) ;)
And I get blighted every season, seemingly. Do certified spuds help to stop this? Or is it just viruses that they help to avoid?
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And I get blighted every season, seemingly. Do certified spuds help to stop this? Or is it just viruses that they help to avoid?
Some varieties are sold as blight resistant, eelworm resistant and scab resistant but Ive yet to come across one that has all three! Its a case of googling and reading the labels .... oh and picking one that tastes nice
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Blimey! Until I joined this forum I never knew the humble potato could be so complicated :)
Useful info though. I will tell my Father-In-Law NOT to plant potatoes off Kwiksave 'cheap-shelf' for 10p this year. Had a good crop though ... feel guilty now :-\
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And I get blighted every season, seemingly. Do certified spuds help to stop this? Or is it just viruses that they help to avoid?
Some varieties are sold as blight resistant, eelworm resistant and scab resistant but Ive yet to come across one that has all three! Its a case of googling and reading the labels .... oh and picking one that tastes nice
Yes, but apart from them being a different variety, does it help? eg would a certified Arran Pilot be significantly less risky than an uncertified Arran Pilot?
Or is it all a bit of a con? Would certified spuds have helped the Irish potato blight?
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No, because it was a new disease, introduced in the 1830's, and the Irish had becoe dependent on a single variety, Lumpers, which is extremely heavy cropping, but also extremely susceptible to blight.
Viruses are a longstanding problem with potatoes; they're passed from generation to generation via seed potatoes, which look perfectly OK. Historically, when a variety degenerated due to this problem, they'd save seed from the berries, which didn't carry the virus, and develop a new variety. The only way to be sure of producing seed potatoes without it is to grow them in an environment like that of Scotland, which is marginal for the aphids whicvh spread them.
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So presumably supermarket spuds (UK ones) are second generation ie grown from certified potatoes?
Therefore using these would result in third generation potatoes for harvest....?
How long would it take for viruses to build up? And would this be resolved by using a 'fresh' batch of supermarket spuds the next year?
Just playing Devil's advocate.....
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Now I'm even MORE confused ???
Don't think I'll plant any this year ... just get packets of 'Smash' from Tescos ;D
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There are virus troubles with most plants and there is no control other than to obtain virus free stock and burn anything that is suspect. Some of my daffodil bulbs cost many pounds each but if I thought I had stripe virus I would burn them.It is not a way for the trade to make money, in a bad year a virus could infect a complete crop. When I give or sell bulbs I cannot guarantee that they are virus free because if aphid from another garden where there is stripe go on the foliage of my bulbs when the foliage dies the virus goes into the bulb and shows next year when the bulb grows again.
I do wonder, though, how much of the worry about viruses is put out there by the seed companies, as they must make tens if not hundreds times more profit on seed potatoes than on eating spuds.
How did we get on before certified spuds were available? (hopefully someone out there is old enough to know this) ;)
And I get blighted every season, seemingly. Do certified spuds help to stop this? Or is it just viruses that they help to avoid?
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When I was talking about disease I was talking of virus disease. Of course you can blight etc. on certified potatoes as they are fungal problems mainly airborne. If you cut every potato open you would not SEE a virus it effects the resulting crops.We are not here to disagree but to exchange ideas but your idea could be dangerous to others.
Phil Thats your pro-ogitive my friend and no offence taken.
I did not state my previous post was true, it is my opinion. What i based it on is, planting seed potato,s does not guarantee freedom from disease or disease causing agents or bacteria that is present or lying latent and can not be detected such as black leg or ring rot. Seed potatoes are examined for any outward signs of disease and a small persentage cut open for inward signs.
So the way i see it if i choose to buy some potatoes from a super market and check them for outward signs of decease i have much the same chance of getting a good crop as i would if i planted seed potato,s
First off let me state i did not bring it up as an idea, i was posting an opinion in reply to the first thread. If any one is under the impression that i an suggesting that any one plants super market potato,s then i apologise i am not..
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Well, that is set straight then and I'm glad to hear it.
Novice potato growers could have gotten the wrong impression from what you wrote earlier, I hope they read this thread down to your most recent post.
Sometimes the written word can come across awkward.
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Dan assured me that Davy's letter would promote discussion.
I can't argue with that, the good news (IMHO) is that most posters recognise the dangers of planting non-certified seed, not just to themselves - that would be a personal matter - but to others including those who rely on growing potatoes for a living. And thanks to Davy for stating that his original post was only an opinion.
The business of certification and the various levels of certification is complex and, in all countries of the EU, governed by law (see http://www.hmso.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2000/20000201.htm (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2000/20000201.htm) for the Scottish version). Certification is at the grower's expense.
The DEFRA checks include multiple visits to the fields where the crops are growing and laboratory examinations of tissue samples of the seed. What the inspectors do is ensure that the law is being complied with, the crops are growing healthily, the grower's paperwork is in order and finally that the levels of the diseases do not exceed those in the lists see http://www.hmso.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2000/20000201.htm#sch2pI (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2000/20000201.htm#sch2pI). The checks include multiple visits to the fields where the crops are growing and laboratory examinations of tissue samples of the seed - at the growers expense. - Just a little bit more than "examined for any outward signs of disease and a small persentage cut open for inward signs"
For imported seed, not only does the producing country do the equivalent checks, but DEFRA then takes samples (at the importer's expense) and runs its own laboratory checks for the diseases.
And should anyone like to meet some farmers who "make tens if not hundreds times more profit on seed potatoes than on eating spuds", I can arrange it. BTW current ware (eating) prices ~£200/tonne, seed ~£500/tonne
Note,
the cost of seed to produce seed potatoes is very much higher than the seed we buy - see the grades in the sites listed above
the yields are lower
there are certification charges plus
the cost of maintenance of the extensive paperwork required by DEFRA
Phil
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No, because it was a new disease, introduced in the 1830's, and the Irish had becoe dependent on a single variety, Lumpers, which is extremely heavy cropping, but also extremely susceptible to blight.
Viruses are a longstanding problem with potatoes; they're passed from generation to generation via seed potatoes, which look perfectly OK. Historically, when a variety degenerated due to this problem, they'd save seed from the berries, which didn't carry the virus, and develop a new variety. The only way to be sure of producing seed potatoes without it is to grow them in an environment like that of Scotland, which is marginal for the aphids whicvh spread them.
Seeing as everyone is being so cautious, its probably worth pointing out that you should not grow spuds from the berries yourself... Correct me if i'm wrong - but you'll basically be growing a new variety which is could be a cross of the variety's you've grown the year before, and can result in a poisinous crop.
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How do we stand with supermarket sweet potatoes then. ??? ??? :-\ :-\ ;D ;D ;D
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Well there not related to spuds, actually related to bindweed. But never grown them myself so would'nt like to say - i'd guess they would be OK, but not sure we have the climate ???
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..... you should not grow spuds from the berries yourself... Correct me if I'm wrong - but you'll basically be growing a new variety which is could be a cross of the variety's you've grown the year before, and can result in a poisinous crop.
The true potato seeds are those found in the potato "apples" and will be a cross between the potato on which they are growing and the potato from which the pollen came (which may be the same plant).
Because of the complex gene mix in potatoes, even if the seeds are produced as a result of fertilisation by the plant itself, each individual seed will be a new variety. There is no problem in growing these on to see what the result is. You may discover a new super variety and make your fortune, but as professionals do this with the thousands of seeds they create each year from the controlled crossing of 2 varieties (and may find a good variety every few years), don't give up your day job.
As the raiser of Smile and some other varieties grown around the world told me - Trying to find a new variety is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but when you find one it is like finding the farmer's daughter instead! :D
The tubers are not poisonous from any cross - the seeds are
Phil
Potatoes being grown in the Netherlands to produce new crosses
(http://www.thewhitchurchweb.org/pict0015s.jpg)
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Phil is right, no way will you produce a poisinus potato, the potato apple (seed pod) is dangerous to eat. Any new plant produced from seed from a hybrid (cultivar) is different from the parent and each seed in the pod produces a different variety. To breed Ann's Blush, Ann's White and Ann's Cream my three daffodils took many crosses and meant growing many many bulbs. The same would apply to new potatoes.
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How do we stand with supermarket sweet potatoes then. ??? ??? :-\ :-\ ;D ;D ;D
Would that be first generation or second OK..OK i will shut up HeHeHeHe.
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:)
crikey, I grew Romano (seed pots from morrisons reduced range) they grew very well, (under sunflowers ;D) and were very tasty, I would do it again, sorry/ shades x
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My partner was adamant that he grew potatotes from his parents leftover supermarket spuds as a boy, and that was what we should do.
I was a good girl though, I bought Catriona seed potatoes, which are chitting(at last, they've taken an age), on top of my wardrobe. ;D
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I was a good girl though, I bought Catriona seed potatoes, which are chitting(at last, they've taken an age), on top of my wardrobe. ;D
Maybe we should ask Dan to award stars to list members who are especially good - I'll nominate you for the first one ;)
Phil
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A couple of years ago I got Aaron pilot 10 seed pots and 5 grew into plants the pots were nothing to write home about. I only have half a lottie.
Last year a lottie neighbrough gave me his leftovers to plant again they grew better but size wise and taste were nothing special.
But my self sets ( thats what we call them the kitchen waste bits of potato half rotted that I trench in lottie) they grow into beautiful spuds ok all over lottie so I plant around them but they are early and taste so good.
Yep supermarket spuds Lidl ones.
Can someone tell me why they are better than bought or given sets?
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Potatoes being grown in the Netherlands to produce new crosses
(http://www.thewhitchurchweb.org/pict0015s.jpg)
Wow if that was my greenhouse Id narrow the paths and get another row in ;D
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What a good thread this has been with loads of good advice dished out and yet it appears some will still grow non seed potato,s in their plot, every one to their own i suppose. I have to confess that i do, BUT They are grown in boxes which are never placed on my garden soil. When i empty a box its in my burning off area And all gets burnt using the soil to kiln. When i have my next fire the outside soil goes to the inside and so it continues
I also keep some of my potato,s back to use as sets the following year, i store them in plastic boxes which have been washed out with a solution of domestos. These spuds are checked regularly and any i think are not up to scratch are removed and burnt.
So while i try and take every precaution it does not mean that i will be virus free.
This is not a recommendation its juist my way of doing it.
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Phil what happens if you have been a naughty boy. ;) ;D ;D ;D
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You'll get your comeuppance I'll wager!!
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With all this discussion can someone perhaps please tell me why my lottie neighbour about 6 plots from me says he cannot grow a decent spud and I seem to be OK,he says his are all diisease riddled when he digs them up and it's a waste of space, Should I be nervous that he has something on his plot that I don't?
Second, is it OK to save your own spuds and plant again the next year, I have never done this and I have always bought seed spuds but this year I have ordered heritage plants to get some types that I cannot buy seed spuds of. Am I running a risk with that too.
I don't want to contaminate anything and am getting a bit nervous now. I have grown spuds for years but never got into a discussion about the tubers as I have never so far had a problem and never thought to enquire so ot not a veggie that I feel I know very well.
Thank you Jeannine
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He could have wireworm, and you vcould be free of it. It depends on the history of the plots. Have you seen these spuds? Saving seed carries some risk, but I don't know how much. People obviously did it back in the old days, and then bred a new variety now and then when the old became too virus-ridden. People with heritage varieties still do it.
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Can I ask a possibly stupid question - I've been thinking about this all day!
If commercially grown potatoes (sold in supermarkets) have the potential to carry disease, why do the commercial growers continue to grow them?
Surely the next year's crop and the land they were grown on (if diseased) wouldn't be commercially viable anyway as they would yield a poor crop?
Or am I being thick?
Genuine question by the way: I just need to get it straight in my wonky head ;D
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they spray everything with stuff !! :)
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What ... the ground?
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everything, I have it on good authority they have chemicals we can't get hold of :o :(
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What SORT of chemicals? Stuff you can make BOMBS out of :o
That brings a whole new meaning to the concept of the 'spud-gun'.
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one of the blokes on our plot was offered some weed killer, from a farmer..he was told to wear protective gear, including a mask, and gloves and goggles..it was called burn, i think, we persuaded him not to bother as it might spread on to our plots..weird isn't it, they can use stuff like that and we're restricted, even with jeyes fluid ???
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What a horrible story Manics :( Actually, I now remember a story my Father in Law told me about when he was working on a farm spraying potatoes etc. Apparently, the lads were sent out to spray the crops and one of the drivers of the tractors was poisoned in the cab of the tractor and FIL had to run after the tractor and stop it :(
Scary stuff.
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:)
here in Lincolnshire, notice's are put through your door (if you live near a spud field) to say keep windows and doors closed and don't go outside the day they spray spuds to kill the foilage :o :o
best reason I know to grow your own/ shades x
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What SORT of chemicals? Stuff you can make BOMBS out of :o
PIRA used to make bombs out of ammonium nitrate fertiliser; when I was at school, one of my colleagues blew up someone's briefcase with sodium chlorate weedkiller. There are all sorts of things you can make them with, so it wouldn't surprise me at all!
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The reason we can not get what commercial growers get is because you need a licence
The EU dont make it any easier by the amount of stuff they have banned like you can no longer use Jays Fluid on the soil its for disinfecting only. They will be wanting straight cucumbers next.
TRIXIE Seed potato,s are grown from seed it takes two year they are a first generation potato which is subject to strict inspection during their growth to the time they are sent to the farmer and us and should be disease free as they have never been grown or stored out of a controlled environment.
Supermarket potato,s are from the above but they are bagged and sold on, the plot holders potato,s the same. Providing your soil is disease free you should not have a diseased potato. Its from this point on when the problem starts if you keep sets back or use supermarket spuds as spores are airborne and can be carried on the wind or if not stored properly disease can be transmitted ETC
So if you plant these second generation potato,s you could could be putting disease into your own soil
I think thats about right
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Well as an ex Market Gardener, who's family used to grow potatoes, are meathod was to buy 20 tonne of scotch certified seed potatoes each year and to plant about 10 tonne of own saved seed each year. Both produced good crops and you could not tell which came from the certified potato. Potatoes from the certified seed were stored in a different shed to the others and seed potatoes were selected from these when they were put over the riddle to use as seed for the next year. Potatoes were not saved for seed from the ones which were not grown from certified seed that year.With not knowing if farmers still use this meathod I would not advise anyone to grow seed from Supermarkets etc as you would not know if it was certified seed they were grown from, But on the other side of the coin if there was no certified seed what would happen ? :-\ :-\
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Most of the supermarket potatoes are varieties grown for big cropping characteristics, rather than taste. As many of the supermarket potatoes on sale at this time of year, have been treated with anti-sprouting chemicals, it can lead to a complete crop failure, as some of my fellow plotters can testify!! You have been warned!!
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for an extra few quid I'd rather have the peace of mind of seed tatties any day.
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In those days when pigs were fed with swill and not with today's luxury foods potatoes were part of their diet. When the moment came and potatoes were chemically treated (and before pigs were artificially inseminated) it was discovered that the chemical used to prevent potatoes sprouting in store were also effecting the ability of the pigs to reproduce.
Potatoes today from the supermarket are virtually dead - as are many vegetables grown with artificial fertilizers. You can find all this info under Google.
By the way I don't chit my pots. In fact if I buy them too early I put them in the 'fridge until needed - and I've never had a duff crop.
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Seed potato,s are grown from seed ........So if you plant these second generation potato,s you could could be putting disease into your own soil
I think thats about right
If only life were so simple.
As I said earlier there is a whole heirachy of seed classifications, fully explained at http://www.potato.org.uk/media_files/Seed/gb_seed_classification.pdf (http://www.potato.org.uk/media_files/Seed/gb_seed_classification.pdf)
The table below gives the grades
Category National Class EC Grade Label Colour
Pre-basic Pre-Basic TC Not applicable White with purple stripe
Pre-basic Pre-basic 1-4 Not applicable White with purple stripe
Basic Super Elite 1-3 EC 2 White
Basic Elite 1-3 EC 2 White
Basic A EC 3 White
Certified CC None Blue
Each grade is grown from the previous one so there are not 2 but 7 stages used in seed production (in the basic grades - the pre-basics cover micropropagation and early stages of seed crop production).
All are grown under controlled conditions where it is not conducive to disease (plus there are the inspections I mentioned in my previous posting). Commercial and amateur growers do not row under these conditions so there is the possibility of a forms of disease being picked up during the first year's growth. This could well be carried in the tubers and mean that you start with a diseased plant. There are not just the soil borne diseases but also blight to consider, and as I say every year at this time, the majority of outbreaks of blight are traced back to regrown (intentionally or not) plants.
Trixiebelle,
All potatoes are susceptible to virus and other disease. The commercial growers use certified seed and fortnightly doses of fungicide and other chemicals whilst the spuds are growing, then acid to kill off the tops prior to harvesting and then, for stored potates, growth inhibitors to prevent sprouting - but apart from that they are great to eat!!
Phil
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do you think that potato peelings from supermarket spuds in compost are ok - or could they spread any virus?
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I don't know of problems coming from composting potato peelings - the composting process breaks down a lot of things
Phil
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oh??? i've been told NOT to put potato peel on the compost because they will grow? is that aload of rubbish, i've been throwing them away in the black bin as i cant put them in the brown bin or feed them to the rabbits to compost for me! :)
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we throw all our potato peelings in the compost, have done for years ;D
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oh??? i've been told NOT to put potato peel on the compost because they will grow? is that aload of rubbish, .... :)
They will only grow if your heap is cold, if it heats up (as it should) then the heat will kill anything that wants to grow.
Phil
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The heat will kill anything that wants to grow.
Phil
I have today received my new "dalek" from www.recyclenow.org, and the literature they sent with it advises not to put perennial weeds in to the compost, especially when seed bearing. Apparently the heat might not be enough to kill all of the seeds, and maybe not the roots either(white roots like couch and bindweed?)
That said we also have for years thrown spud peelings onto the heap and never had any grow.
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I think they are right on things like bindweed and couch grass but I have never had any problems with other weeds - seed bearing or not.
I use a couple of dahleks, an open heap and New Zealand boxes
Phil
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Couch always does over a season. A really strong dock or bindweed root may survive, but it can be picked out easily as you empty the bin, and even if it does end up on the garden, it always seems to be too weak to re-establish itself over a growing season, and is easily got rid of when you clear the bed.
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They will only grow if your heap is cold, if it heats up (as it should) then the heat will kill anything that wants to grow.
Phil
Apologies, delete "will" insert "should"
Couch and bindweed break into small pieces so easily and mine (as grown in Hampshire and Yorkshire) appear to have the ability to regenerate from the smallest and most bedraggled piece - obviously the ones that grow in the Edgbaston area are fairly wimpish ;)
Drowning them in a bucket of water for a month usually works!
Phil
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Wimpish they aren't; I had roots like mooring ropes when I first got the plot! I'm still digging them out, but I'm on top of it, and I've never done anything with them apart from putting them in the compost.
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Wimpish they aren't; I had roots like mooring ropes when I first got the plot!
Dont know why that really made me laugh sitting here giggling to myself now!! ;D
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Hi ALL, ;D I use nothing but bought potatoes from a supermarket,as my family and friends give them to me if they show any sign of growth to go into my container system,I can have new or old potato crops all the year round this way.
If Mother nature says my potatoes are ready to sow and grow then in they go,and if I'm lucky I will end up eating the main potato as well I started off with,the way I do it. ;D
May you and yours and what you grow live long and happy. John. J.R.P.
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Without sounding rude JRP it may be this level of ignorance RE:potatoes and viruses that are stopping people being interested in your other ideas.
On a lot of allotments you would be asked to stop planting non certified spuds or asked to leave on the grounds that you are putting the whole area at risk to save a couple of quid. Kind of goes against your environmental ideas somewhat doesnt it?
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Why don,t we start a thread on how wimpish or how macho our weeds are.
someone can take offence and rant in defence of their weeds and rest of us can have a giggle
margaret ;D
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Without sounding rude JRP it may be this level of ignorance RE:potatoes and viruses that are stopping people being interested in your other ideas.
On a lot of allotments you would be asked to stop planting non certified spuds or asked to leave on the grounds that you are putting the whole area at risk to save a couple of quid. Kind of goes against your environmental ideas somewhat doesn't it?
Glow777 have you ever tried growing potatoes in plastic containers or you would not be saying that. For example I have found you don't need a flower head to grow potatoes,why do I say that ignorant or not,I have found if there's a frost it will kill all the top green growth,yet you will still get potatoes. So that cuts the air Born viruses out for a start,then comes the soil side of growing potatoes,99% of normal gardeners add this and that and what ever to their plots,I don't,like I said I just use cheap multi purpose compost,and I've had no problems growing my potatoes,where others have,for example they have holes in theirs,I don't,they can't grow potatoes all the year round,I can,maybe it's because my system works so well you don't like what I'm telling you,as for my other ideas no one is telling you to use them,and there are people on here who have said that their crop of potatoes where OK too,plus the fact I'm using potatoes which would have been thrown away anyway. I'm not saying don't use proper seed potatoes. I'm just sharing with you and others one mans way of growing things on a allotment website,not a farmers website nor a business website. Maybe one day you will see me at the Chelsea flower Show,under new ways to grow things only time will tell.
May you and yours and what you grow live long and happy. John. J.R.P.
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As Phil is A4all's resident spud expert, I follow his lead. I only ever grow seed spuds brought firstly from one of the mail order firms, and then I top up with a few here and there for the nursery or spud days. I have enough pests and diseases on my allotment (white rot, club root, eel worm, wire worms, aphids, hares and deers(!)) to risk adding anything else to the melee. Like lots of others, the purse is always empty, but I would rather spend a couple of quid extra on good seed than spend a whole season loving a crop, only to have a rubbish harvest and fill my ground up with viruses.
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Why would anyone need a flower head to grow potatoes? I think most of us know that frost only cuts back the top growth, and usually not all of that.
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Hi JRP I've never spoke to you on this site but I've followed some of your threads, you seem to be a bit of a joker with your pallets and bottles then digging only a small hole to plant, now the Chelsea flower show you do make me giggle keep em coming. ;) :D :D ;D ;D ;D
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Hi JRP I've never spoke to you on this site but I've followed some of your threads, you seem to be a bit of a joker with your pallets and bottles then digging only a small hole to plant, now the Chelsea flower show you do make me giggle keep em coming. ;) :D :D ;D ;D ;D
Hi Cornykev,yes you have got to a seance of humour on here, ;D most people talk to the walls they say if no ones is listening,on here most people they say talk to their plants or crops,maybe I should do both if no one is listening to me,but if I do that I will become one of them people who every one thinks is mad, ::) and I can't have that I've got my reputation to think about. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D.
May you and yours and what you grow live long and happy. John.J.R.P.