Help with potatoes

[Plocket]

I want to try growing potatoes next year, in pots. I have found some varieties that are suitable, but don't understand what "first early", "second early" etc. means. Should I choose a "first early" variety - grow them then plant a "second early" variety afterwards, or what?

[Plocket]

[aquilegia]

I think they are planted at the same time but second earlies take slightly longer to produce spuds. Don't ask me how long, though, as I can't remember.

[Plottie]

Hi Plocket
I'm currently choosing potatoes (see my thread on 'fav potatoes') and have the following info re first earlies, second earlies etc....
First Earlies: plant from end Feb to late April. Harvest 10wks from planting
Second Earlies: plant from mid March to late April. Harvest 13 wks from planting
Early maincrop: plant from late March to early May. Harvest 15 wks from planting
Late maincrop: plant from late March to early May. Harvest 20 wks from planting
Not sure about growing in pots - this info refers to planting in the ground
Anyway - hope this helps
Plottie  :)

[Plocket]

Thank you, both of you. That will help me make a decision. T&M have a limited range of tubers suitable for containers so I will start looking there, just to get a few ideas. I'll also check out your thread Plottie.

[derbex]

I came across this site (when I was researching apples) but he has lots about spuds in pot too.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/POT1.HTML

Jeremy

[Plocket]

That was a very helpful site Derbex - thank you. Not that I know what "chitted" tubers are!!! I am sure I will find out. I've been looking at getting a potato barrel to grow them in but I do like the idea suggested on the site. Thanks again!

[Hugh_Jones]

A wonderful site Jeremy, but it doesn`t really answer Plocket`s original question about the descriptions.  Basically, potatoes are divided into 1st earlies, 2nd earlies, early maincrop and maincrop.  The 1st earlies are the fastest growers and consequently mature first.  The 2nd earlies can be planted at the same time as the 1st earlies, but take several weeks longer to grow and mature, so that you get a succession of mature potatoes. Both of these types are what is known  as daylength neutral, i.e. they will form potatoes when the plant is ready whatever the season, so the earlier (within reason) that you can plant, the earlier you will be harvesting them.  Most 2nd early varieties will keep just as well as maincrop potatoes, and as they usually mature before potato blight strikes it is a good idea to grow them instead of the later maturing maincrops where blight is a regular annual problem.

[Mrs Ava]

Plocket, chitted spuds are spuds that have little shoots on them....the eyes of the spuds I guess.  They have already started to grow so will romp away when planted.  ;D

[growmore]

To Chit tatties.
Put sets in dark .
I put mine on a shelf under bench in potting shed,I use egg trays to stand them in.
As EJ says shoots will develop from eyes.
I rub of all  except 4 shoots at one end of tattie then I set the tuber so shoots are facing up .
Others may do it differently...Jim

[Wicker]

HDRA advise:

Chitting potatoes
When 'chitting' seed potatoes, how many shoots should you leave to mature?


You should leave all the sprouts on seed potatoes. The aim is to have a small number of sturdy shoots, not masses of elongated sprouts, which dissipate the energy of the seed potato. If you rub sprouts off, then you’ll get a smaller crop but larger potatoes. Keep seed potatoes in a cool but light situation, rose end upward. This should encourage a small number of eyes to sprout.

Only confident in quoting this as it's the way we've always done it -in egg trays in the unheated greenhosue which doesn't get hot at that time of year.

[growmore]

I find it is ok leaving all spruts on etc if you like peeling marble sized spuds..Reason I take some spruts off is to get  bigger potatoes..As I said in my first answer some  will do it different..Jim

[philcooper]

The original question asked about types.

As you will not get a lot from a pot, choose first earlies as they have most flavour and Jim's worry about small potatoes is not a worry - the smaller they are the tastier. Just keep planting them and they will be ready in succession. If your pots are going to be somewhere warm then 10 weeks should be about right for the time to maturity.

Potatoes grow really well in containers so don't worry about the variety - just pick the one that you think tastes best. You can get good tastey varieties from your local garden centre (if you can't visit a Potato Day) and save on the postage - strangely T&M will tell you that all the varieties taste good (they are trying to sell them)

There's advice on how to go about planting in pots and so on at http://www.nugget.demon.co.uk/MetaFAQ/potato.html

Phil

[growmore]

I put about  a quarter of an acre of tatties in .This is to keep the family in them for most of the year..
If I didn't knock some spruts off..there would be loads of small potatoes..And the family like their bakers and some for chips...
If I took a bag of marble sized home they would throw em at me ..
Or worse still have me peeling them... :-[So it is a matter of choice as to what you want.
Ok maybe it is not as important with first earlies and tatties like fir apples which are used for salads etc,,.
But if you wants em to bag and store as in maincrop..I suggest you take some spruts off...That way you can mash em.bake em.or chip em..Jim

[Plocket]

Hi!

I really liked that website Phil - simple, down to earth and good for a beginner like me!!!

I now realise I have to chit the tubers myself before even planting. I assumed all the preliminaries would be done for me!!! I'm going to stick to 1st Earlies and have a good hunt around. I have a few garden centres nearby so will have a look there.

Not sure I could grow a quarter of an acre!!! A few pots will do to start. From what I have been reading though when potatoes are in pots they are never going to grow to be big, high producing plants - as long as I get some spuds I don't mind how big they are. As long as they taste nice of course!

Thanks to everyone for comments, suggestions, help and websites. I am sure I will be back with more questions!!!

[Wicker]

Jim, please don't think Iam being awkward but as I say we never rub off the eyes and believe me we have great sized tatties for our seconds and maincrop.  Like everything else some varieties/years are different but we do love our chips and bakers so wouldn't want wee ones - after the first earlies I throw away all the small ones as I simply hate peeling them and only like the first earlies unpeeled.

But as you say each to his own and hope you will agree that we can both be right!! ;D

[growmore]

Hi wicker,
            Totally agree with you ,We all have our own way of doing things ...If it works for us we tend to stick to it.
Would be such a boring  hobby (obsession ;))  being a lotty holder if we all did things precisly the same..
Also we wouldn't learn owt new too...Would we??
I have been lottying for over 40 years and I was learned most of my ways by my Grandad..
His addage was listen lad "You treat tatties like upside down crysanthemums" If you dont take some off as in disbudding You gets all little flowers"..
He would only leave chits on tatties at a certain end too..
He called it the flower end ..If I chitted them the wrong way round in egg trays..He would say " tha's put these upside down again" and he would rub spruts off and turn em round to make em sprut from other side .. ;D ..
I still have a book of his and the pest control methods he used to keep stuff off his crops Would make us laugh or cringe..
And what he put under crops to make em grow that was not a topic for an after dinner speech  ;)He used to say "Tha gets nowt for nowt if tha dun't put it in the don't get owt out" ,,,But he always had a load of good veggies for table .cheers .Jim

[Hugh_Jones]

Your Grandad was following the principle dear to the Lancashire growers of the last century (and still true) that the shoots from the top end of the seed potato are stronger, and will produce spuds two weeks earlier, than the shoots from the root end of the seed.  Where the seed were large enough they were cut in halves, the top halves planted for the earliest crop to catch the early market, and the lower halves planted separately for the follow-on crop.