August planted potatoes???

[artichoke]

I have accidentally won a RHS competition, and they are sending me 30 potatoes and either 3 or 6 (it is not very clear, as some have arrived and more are promised) potato "patio" bags to grow them in.

I certainly won't grow them in the bags, which I will use for something else, but are they worth growing now in the ground? They are to be Carlingford, Maris Peer and Orla.

There are instructions with them, but they are clearly old ones for spring planted potatoes.

My ground is hard and dry at the moment - it is bad enough digging up potato crop without trying to plant some more that might not come to anything...... Any advice?

PS "accidentally" because I had forgotten going in for the competition....I am very surprised to have won this time (15 prizes apparently) because last year I won a magnificent coldframe for answering a very simple question.

[artichoke]

[gavinjconway]

A strange time for potatoes as a prize... maybe left overs.. They cant go in the ground now - far too late. If you have a heated greenhouse bag them and grow in there for a christmas haul of new spuds..

[debbilove]

As far as I know they can go in the ground now and protected at the first frost.  I recently bought some August planting Christmas harvest potatoes from a garden centre.  The online sites such as Dobies and Marshalls are also selling August sown seed potatoes ready for planting now.  Apparently, they are new potato seeds that have been held back specifically for August plantings.

[goodlife]

Yep..if you can plant them 'now'..you can grow them under protection and get yourself new potatoes in christmas. The idea is that you get them produce new growth now..as much as possible before light levels and cool weather sets in and the growth stops.
If you don't fancy using those grow bags..they will grow perfectly well in large containers/tubs or in buckets.

[squeezyjohn]

I grew "christmas" potatoes last year and they were very successful.  Proper new potatoes right through until the snow in January.  Mine were Charlottes - they didn't get as big as the maincrop ones - but quite respectable for new potatoes!

I would advise using the bags though - soooooo much easier to whip them inside a shed or greenhouse at the first frost instead of needing lots of protection with fleece and the such like.  My greenhouse is always empty by then and it's good to use it for something.

[Nigel B]

Can I use some second earlies I harvested recently? Or am I missing something obvious about planting your own potato crops?

[goodlife]

Can I use some second earlies I harvested recently? Or am I missing something obvious about planting your own potato crops?

Code Select Expand

Well..in theory you could. But those that are used to plant now are last years potatoes...same seeds potatoes that you would normally plant in spring but they are just kept in storage for that much longer that they practically 'gagging' to get growing..that's why bought 'Christmas' seed potatoes look bit rough.
This years crop is not ready to send new shoots yet and sprouting them will not work.
Next year don't plant all your earlies but leave few behind. Keep them in light and 'cool-ish' conditions as long as possible..even if they go wrinkly, but as long as there is some sprouts on, once in touch with soil or compost they will start growing.
Other year..in July I found few seed potatoes that I've missed and they had few inches long sprouts on..I carefully peeled them off from the potato and potted each on individually..just to see what happens. And in no time they rooted and made green tops. I planted each new plant into its own bucket and I had small crop of potatoes from each 'sprout'  ;D

[artichoke]

Last October some of my Charlotte crop were sprouting already, so I tried putting 6 in the ground with lots of straw on top. In the spring they did come up before the rest and the potatoes were a reasonable size, but not sure it was worth it. I MIGHT do that with these unexpected seed potatoes, if I feel like it. At the moment I just don't....

[Nigel B]

Next year don't plant all your earlies but leave few behind. Keep them in light and 'cool-ish' conditions as long as possible..even if they go wrinkly, but as long as there is some sprouts on, once in touch with soil or compost they will start growing.
Other year..in July I found few seed potatoes that I've missed and they had few inches long sprouts on..I carefully peeled them off from the potato and potted each on individually..just to see what happens. And in no time they rooted and made green tops. I planted each new plant into its own bucket and I had small crop of potatoes from each 'sprout'  ;D

Thanks Goodlife.  ;)
We were discussing somewhere the viability of the 'sprouts', and I did a small experiment at home which involved taking early-set 'sprouts' and growing them on in order to crop in the same year.
Before the slugs came and ate the flippin' lot they were doing well enough as small plants, even forming their own micro-tubers in the pots..
I'll give it another go in the spring then, I reckon.
Cheers guys...

Artichoke,
Sorry to butt-in on your thread. It hadn't occurred to me how rude that can be.  :-[
I also hope you feel a bit better soon.  :)

[green lily]

Hi Artichoke I've planted some August charlottes and they are in compost bags[+ one bucket] on the patio. I shall wheely them into the poly as soon as the toms are out. At the moment dodging the blight is my biggest concern.

Certainly the bags are a good idea because of the moverability but also my garden is full at the moment. Those special bags stand up better and look a bit smarter than my old compost bags  ;).
If you don't have other protection I guess some bubblewrap and fleece would work for quite a while ie well into November.

If you really don't want to give them a try  perhaps you could sell them on by putting a notice in a local shop or similar.