Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Stedic on March 11, 2011, 10:30:07
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I've got some Rocket and Wilja seed potatoes chitting as we speak. I want to drow them using the no-dig method and putting straw over them. I think I'll give the earth underneath an anti-slug nematode treatment, and leave some organtic slug pellets under the straw (not sure which variety, any ideas?).
I live in Leicester- when is it safe to put the spuds out? I was thinking they'll need to wait a little longer because the straw won't protect them from the frosts very well.
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I'd risk it this weekend... (Derby)... although you will still get frosts they won't be very hard and a new layer of straw over the foilage on a cold night should suffice... :)
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I guess they'll be under the straw for a good while anyway, so if the soil is as warm as possible when they go in they should be ok - fingers crossed then - i think i'll set the first lot off this weekend!!
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Yes they'll take up to a fortnight to emerge, then give them a covering of straw to fight through (another week or so) and we are into mid April... then having some more straw or fleece available for odd nights... :)
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already planted some of my first earlies :D I like to pace my spud planting out as there is no need to plant them all at the same time - as a rule of thumb watch for the full moons as the really cold nights/frosts usually come with them
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i dont go for the no dig way, i do it the proper way, dig a trench 6 inc deep, plant spud then earth up, it takes 5 weeks for them to show through
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i dont go for the no dig way, i do it the proper way, dig a trench 6 inc deep, plant spud then earth up, it takes 5 weeks for them to show through
the 'proper way' Jim??
the 'grow for show' peeps wouldn't agree with you, I'm sure.
each to their own, I say.
( I grow spuds by several methods )
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What methods do you use Tony?
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in compost bags, in soil, 'no-dig' and in a builders bag this year, ( have also gr0wn them in a bale of straw)
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The way that works best for me:
Plant each seed potato individually 6" deep with trowel. Then mulch heavily with straw, and earth up with straw as they grow.
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I can never manage to dig deep enough, so plant them down as far as I can get the spade in which is usually about a hand's depth, then lots of earthing up once they show (usually about 3 weeks) and thick mulch. They seem to turn out all right that way for me.
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in compost bags, in soil, 'no-dig' and in a builders bag this year, ( have also gr0wn them in a bale of straw)
I've grown them in builders bags before.... you need to keep on top of the watering in my experience..... handy if they can be on an autowatering system
chrisc
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we use a bulb planter then earth up with whatever we can get hold of as they grow ;D
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To complicate things a little - our plot is a horrible clay pit and two of the beds have dried out and cracked. I tried to dig into the surface and the fork bounced off!
These were the two that we planned to have spuds in. I've read about a method where the seed potatoes are just placed on soil and then straw applied on top -would this work in these horrible beds? I could add an inch or so of garden compost on top of the clay to give them somewhere to root initially.
If not, I'm not quite sure what to do with these beds - they're horrible! But, we want to use no dig methods.
Steve
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we use a bulb planter then earth up with whatever we can get hold of as they grow ;D
Do you use a long or short handled bulb planter Manics?
I thought about buying one but also wondered if the bigger spuds would not fit. To be honest I don't know how a bulb planter works- some seem to just pull out a plug of earth, some appear to put the bulb (or potato) in the hole?
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ours is a normal, short handled one, pumpkinlover, just take out as deep a hole as I can, put the spud in and put the soil back in on top ;D
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Thanks, I'm getting lots of aches and pains these days and trying to find easier ways of doing things. ;) ;) ;)
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I've been looking for a long handled one. The chaps on our daughters site got them in a sale. They looked really easy to use.
Pumpkinlover, think about no dig ;D.
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Where do you all get your straw from please? I only know of a big pet shop chain - costs a lot and uncertain 'heritage'!
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farms somtimes sell some
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We get ours from a local farm. The last one was £3.50.
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We get ours from a local farm. The last one was £3.50.
Some sell Barley staw as well Good for the pond :D
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If you want to eat the potatoes, then you are going to have to dig them out of the ground.
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Gynleg - local farm for straw
Grannyjanny- going no-dig this year
Goodlife- digging up potatoes is not like any other digging- It's just pure unadulterated pleasure!!!! ;D ;D ;D
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Where do you all get your straw from please?You need to look places where they sell stuff for horses and other farm animals..
Equestrian/pet suppliers or something along that line...and farms too..
Have look your local yellow pages and just make some calls...often if farmers are not able sell you a bale or two they know who could and are able to point you to another direction.. ;) Sometimes it's like doing detective work. 'Normal' petshops are not good for bulk supplies and it cost 'arm and leg' doing it that way...much, much cheaper to by straight from 'the horses mouth'.. ::) ;D
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Goodlife- digging up potatoes is not like any other digging- It's just pure unadulterated pleasure!!!! ;D ;D ;D
Particularly if you take a bunch of kids along with you, it's like a treasure hunt! :)
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I'm going to start some this week in my long term carrot bed (12 years) as the fly have finally got in... need to prick out all the self set Winter Savoury first though.. ( there was some of that purple weed ... verbena bonariensis but the frost killed it)... :)
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To complicate things a little - our plot is a horrible clay pit and two of the beds have dried out and cracked. I tried to dig into the surface and the fork bounced off!
These were the two that we planned to have spuds in. I've read about a method where the seed potatoes are just placed on soil and then straw applied on top -would this work in these horrible beds? I could add an inch or so of garden compost on top of the clay to give them somewhere to root initially.
If not, I'm not quite sure what to do with these beds - they're horrible! But, we want to use no dig methods.
Steve
It should work, and you need to add loads of organic matter to soil like that, on an annual basis. I should go for it.
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It should work, and you need to add loads of organic matter to soil like that, on an annual basis. I should go for it.
Unfortunately we got the plot a little late for manure this year, but we're adding as much county compost as we can transport and slowly clearly our way through the compost heaps to find more. In the autumn we'll add some good manure, or if we end up with an empty bed at some point we'll add a covering.
Thanks for all your advice
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Any old thing will do as long as it's organic. Autumn leaves, for instance, don't contain much nutrient, but they do add humus, which is what you need.
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I've been looking for a long handled one. The chaps on our daughters site got them in a sale. They looked really easy to use.
Pumpkinlover, think about no dig ;D.
I invested in a long handled bulb planter and used it today- brilliant! :D :D
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If you want to eat the potatoes, then you are going to have to dig them out of the ground.
erm, this thread is about no-dig spuds! ;)
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If you want to eat the potatoes, then you are going to have to dig them out of the ground.
erm, this thread is about no-dig spuds! ;)
So how else do you get them out? or do you mean if they are in straw you just firkle about to find them.
You-tube demonstration please? ;D ;D ;D
Trained tunneling rabbits? ;)
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just firckle the spuds out.
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No specially trained rodents then? ???
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There's nothing to beat a good old firkle ;) ;D.
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There's nothing to beat a good old firkle ;) ;D.
oh there is, two firckles!!
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Ha ha ;D ;D ;D