Strange Potato question

[tina]

My poor allotment has been sadly neglected  :(, since a family bereavement earlier this year meant I had rather less enthusiasm than usual for anything, including gardening.

However, I am determined that all will not be lost, and so  DH and I went down over the weekend to attack the jungle. The plot isn't in too bad a state, just requires a lot of hard work over the next weeks and months. I noticed that all the spuds on our site had been quite badly frosted over the last week, and some had even been in flower.

I had at least got around to buying my seed potatoes, which have sat around in the hall ever since.

The Maincrop ones are fine, just look like I have been diligently chitting them  ;D, but the first earlies have turned into little potato plants, reminiscent of large spiders :o.   So:

Is it worth planting them at this late stage in the game?

If so, should I plant them deeper than usual?


Any input, thoughts or ideas would be gratefully received.

Thanks

Tina.

[tina]

[Moggle]

I'd love to see photos  :D I rekon go for it, just be careful not to break the shoots!

[Nigella]

I think you should be fine ... worth a go anyway?

I planted some main crops only a week ago  ;D

[aquilegia]

Of course it's worth a try! They only take about three months to produce spuds, so they'll be finished way before the autumn frosts start. So you'll still be eating new potatoes when all of ours have finished!

[Moggle]

I planted some main crops only a week ago  ;D

I haven't even planted my maincrops yet  :-\ Left them to chit in my mini-greenhouse. They couldn't cope with the 30 odd degrees in there.  :-[ Now looking decidedly mushy  :'(

[philcooper]

Tina,

The earlies can be planted at the normal depth, sideways, ie with the shoots running along the trench.

Be careful, as they are quite brittle, as you cover them.

The HDRA did a trial on long shooted potatoes some years ago and got good yeilds.

The maincrops are just right to go in now

Phil

[tina]

Thanks all, I feel so much better knowing I haven't left it too late!

Will get out there and plant them, if this rain ever stops ::)