Wow it seems everyone has gone potato mad ! Can anyone explain why?
I wouldnt have said they would be the first thing off the blocks as it were. Dont make the mistake of putting them in too early - the ground will be too cold and you risk having them frosted off - ive done it myself.
By all means take some of your seed and do the earlies in pots in the greenhouse.
Ill be getting stuck into planting out broad beans, onions and shallots, and sowing crops in modules inside before i even consider looking at potatoes.
What are your first crops
Much the same Ricado, wouldn't dream of putting spuds in the ground until Easter.
;D
I don't think folks are planning to plant right now; it's just that if you leave it too late to buy your seed spuds you may not have the choice of varieties. :)
Plus, there's lots of potato days coming up!
I think we're all suffering from rain overload, we've not got our spuds yet, possibly get the very first earlies for the ploy this week, planting broad beans, onions and some spring onions this week, just got itchy planting fingers :D
Purchased mine today.
1st Accent
2nd Kestrel
Main Pink Fir Apple
Saddad Easter sounds a bit late ?
I'm in Derby and a long way from the sea... well by UK standards so we can get late frosts... it works for me. I was brought up at 800' up in the pennines and thus take any Plant in March with a large pinch of salt!
;D
So do I. The only thing I put in that early is broadies. Last year, I found that April plantings were pretty dodgy. I'm going to be fleecing and cloching like mad this spring.
Down here is sunny Dorset I have been putting my spuds in in mid to late Feb, I then mound then up and they are in the ground for about a month before the shoots start to show,
End of feb for me, if the frosts have finished,but I think it was later last year. :) :)
I remember snow fell every day for the first week of May '79.... it had gone by dinner time but came back each night...
:o
i know ive gone potato mad this year. After having my first attempt at growing them last year and it being succesful, I wanted to grow more varieties this year. I ordered mine way back in October. But after hearing so many good things about all different varierties, I now have to wait until next year to try other ones because i have not got room for any more, otherwise i would grow about 8 different potatoes. There no better feeling then harvesting the first potatoes it's like hidden tresure and no better taste either.
One potato that i would reccomend is the golden wonder. I know its a crisp potato, which is why i chose it because i knew it would roast well. And it did, excellent !
It seemed a shame to peel the skin off, it resembles that of a russet apple, so i tried roasting some with the skin on, they were good too ! Roll on spring and planting time !
I use vegetable oil, and make sure you part boil them first, then shake them after draining to roughen the sides and you cant go wrong.
I've tried it a couple of times but it doesn't like my heavy soil. Now Arran Victory thereis a great potato (on my soil anyway!)
;D
First year on my allotment, so no idea what is going to do well or potential problems yet. I'm going to grow a row of several different varieties and see what happens! ;D
I'm afraid I still get excited about getting my seeds and plants ready for the spring. It doesn't mean that you have to put them in. It's just nice to have something to go mad about. (even if it is bloomin taters)lol
I will hang on till the end of March before planting mine. I keep thinking back to last year and the frosts we had until May. Also the cold spell at the end of May did not do my sweetcorn any good.
I am reading your posts about planting this and that,and I am nearly jumping up and down trying to hold back a bit longer :'(. I don't think it will do any harm to wait a bit.
Rosemary
In Halifax... you know where I'm coming from then! I was brought up in Rossendale (just beyond Todmorden if you don't travel that way!)
;D
Hope this amuses you all
saddad - I am just on my way to Gordon Riggs to see if their potatoes are in yet, so I will be going through Tod.
I used to do a lot of walking around the Tod an Hebden Bridge area. That was before I discovered allotmenteering. Oh happy times!!
Rosemary
I have just come home for lunch having spent some time at the plot. I have a problem if someone can help..... left two rows of different spuds in not for any particular reason, but didn't think that there would be problem, however just dug up expecting one or two would have rotted even tho' it hasn't been very wet down here in the south, some are, some have obviously had some sort of worm, some are crisp on the outside but eaten away on the inside and the majority have started to sprout. Question: can i eat them?
If there is enough to salvage of course you can... the slugs will have hollowed out the empty ones and most of the wormlike thingies are just using the holes for shelter..
;D
;D
Quote from: Ricado on January 11, 2007, 20:06:55
I wouldnt have said they would be the first thing off the blocks as it were. Dont make the mistake of putting them in too early - the ground will be too cold and you risk having them frosted off - ive done it myself.
Several volunteer potatoes have emerged on our allotment, all looking offensively healthy.
It occurred to me that perhaps I should I follow mother nature’s example, and plant my potatoes now. Am I being silly?
If they're not in the way, why not? I'd be tempted to cloche, fleece or mulch against the frost - but you might get some super earlies! ;D
Very silly, no seriously I take it its very wet and you get frosts in forest hill wait until Feb/Mar after the frosts have gone. Old spuds will appear I have found a few myself they are OK to eat but don't forget they started of when the ground was warmer gone through the whole growing process then been forgotten, plant them and they will be wasted. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Whoops, I wasn't clear in the last post :-[ - I meant why not leave the volunteers in and get super earlies, not plant new ones - wait for Good Friday! Thank you for bringing this matter to my urgent attention kev ;) :P ;D
The mulching gone to your brain. :-[ ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
:-[ :-[ :-[
mulch mad!
;D ;D
Straw coming out of your ears.
Just went for a squelch round the lottie and found myself looking at one of my spud beds (they've not been much in mind since they were cleared, and this one was last so didn't get planted with anything else.
But it still looked odd down one edge.
Guess what? Hadn't harvested the last row. Got my fork out, cursing myself for feeding lovely Pink Fir Apples to the slugs and preparing to dig out nasty slimy lumps.
Couldn't believe it. They are perfectly fine.
So it's fresh-dug spuds for supper now!
;D
Great find Triffid thats why I got PFA because lotties on this site say they keep well (slugs and December cropping ) bloke in the shop commented they last until gone February.
Quote from: supersprout on January 13, 2007, 18:07:22
...... I meant why not leave the volunteers in and get super earlies, ........kev ;) :P ;D
Because no matter how healthy they look they could be harvourig blight or eelworm (amongst other diseases).
Most blight outbreaks are traced back to volunteers so please dig 'em up and plant new certified seed - for the sake of a few pence it's not worth it (for you and the other gardeners/farmers who suffer from the blight outbreak)
If you want them early grow some first earlies in containers in a warm sheltered place
Phil
ooer, better ignore that post then daninlondon!
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/smilies/10_5_134v1.gif)
Love your rake thingy Sprout how do you get it on.