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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Mothy on August 07, 2005, 09:57:29

Title: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: Mothy on August 07, 2005, 09:57:29
This may have been asked before...apologies if so.

I have just taken delivery of a 25kg sack of Carlingford seed potatoes from Tuckers for Late new spuds!!

Having shared them with a mate I am left with 28 lbs of seed. Due to the cost I am extremely keen to make sure they show some return.

I understand that they need to go in ASAP, are there any other specific rules I need to follow regarding earthing up and protecting against frost etc?

Thanks in advance for any tips!
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: tim on August 07, 2005, 10:10:37
We last grew Carlingford in '97. Went in 11/7 & we lifted from 15/12 -10/3. By which time they were quite cold (!) but good.
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: Mothy on August 07, 2005, 10:38:16
Thanks Tim, what sort of yield can I expect?

Do they need any frost protection other than normal earthing up?
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: tim on August 07, 2005, 11:41:27
We didn't do more than the normal earthing up & the yield was 'a boiling'.
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: Derekthefox on August 07, 2005, 12:58:32
I too am thinking of Christmas Spuds, returning some of the International Kidney into buckets, to be kept in the greenhouse from about mid October.
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: Palustris on August 07, 2005, 13:30:01
We grew them in the tunnel one year and found that they got blight almost straight away. We then read somewhere that you really need to spray against it as soon as the first leaves appear. We normally use copper sulphate and this seems to work ok.
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: Nigella on August 08, 2005, 08:34:55
Do you need to protect them from the frost ? Or is it ok just to leave them in the ground ?

So far I have only found one greedy slug munching my tatties - but hoping that slugs won't be too much of problem for late ground potatoes ?
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: tim on August 08, 2005, 09:09:51
I left them in the ground & was lucky not to get too much slug damage.
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: Mothy on August 08, 2005, 09:27:58
Well. they are in....all 6 x 30' rows of them!!

Thanks for the advice Tim & Eric.

(much crossing of fingers etc!)
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: Joolieeee on August 08, 2005, 12:23:11
we tried some a couple of years ago, and the frost did see them off - didn't go and check, and the fleece and cloches we'd put on had come away.

They did recover however the following spring and we did get a crop - just 6 months late!

Joolieeee
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: beejay on August 08, 2005, 12:41:54
We've grown these several times & have never done anything special to them. The main problem we have found is ensuring they get enough water when they've just been planted out. Just got some in this year having not grown them for a couple of years when we've relied on Pink Fir Apples left in the ground for a while.
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: daisymay on August 08, 2005, 13:20:45
what a lovely idea - picking spuds for christmas dinner! would it be too late to get seed potatoes now?
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: westsussexlottie on August 08, 2005, 13:25:28
not sure - we have just planted ours out but we ordered them months ago. Try T&M.
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: Derekthefox on August 08, 2005, 13:57:27
Daisymay, I am just replanting some of my new potatoes, after leaving them in the light for a while . . .

Joolieeee, nice to see you posting again. I must pop up and say hello. I am on holiday from next monday for two weeks, but just let me know (via pm) when you will be around . . .  :D
Title: Re: Christmas "new" potatoes??
Post by: Mothy on August 08, 2005, 14:02:02
Daisymay,

We just bought ours from Edwin Tuckers...but several companies seem to sell them. Order quickly or you will be too late!