Allotments 4 All

The local shop where I usually get my spuds and onion sets from isnt stocking them this year. My only option except for buying online and paying loads of P&P or from an expensive garden centre is getting them from focus or wilkos (12 miles away) does anyone know when (if) they start appearing in these shops

from memory I think I got mine in March

Got some seed potatoes from B&Q in early March - they do stock them before this, but they reduce the price drastically during March, although the product range is very limited. I paid 25p a bag for mine. Woolworths was the place where I got onion sets - they were selling packs of 100 for £2.99 but there was a Buy one get one free offer on in early March, so i got 200 for £2.99.

thanks all anyone know about Focus - one just opened last autumn here

I got three bags of seed potatoes from B&Q in March. Like jenny said, all bags were very cheap, I got them for 50p each. They were sprouting and leggy but grew fine and gave me decent crop. The varieties they had were Foremost, Pentland Javelin, Charlotte and Maris Peer.

My local wilko never have seed potatoes but have onion and garlic around early spring, not sure exactly when although I remember they had them for ages.

I got shallots from Wilkinson's in about March last year. I was really pleased with the crop even though I planted them late. however do not buy their Globe artichoke I think they are cardoons.

we have an allotment shop on another site, they get their shallots in about february, then onions and potatoes early march, 60p per pound for the pots, about 8 different varieties  :)

how many potatoes do you get for a lb or a kg?

I drive them mad, I ask for 16 potatoes or whatever I need, they don't quite know how to take me but I know how many we need for a bed, last year we got 3 lbs and got about 18 egg size  :)

i have always ordered from T&M and they sell by quantity so this lb and kg is a mystery to me.

Quotei have always ordered from T&M

Don't you find them expensive?

I find T+M hideously expensive but I source many from Potato day at Ryton where you buy by the Tuber...
;D

Yes I visited the potato day earlier this year, very impressed. The bulk of my order comes from Tuckers and A Romans. I'll be trying a friend's allotment shop next year to test the quallity

Quote from: saddad on November 15, 2006, 22:20:26
I find T+M hideously expensive but I source many from Potato day at Ryton where you buy by the Tuber...
;D

cool looks like i know what i am doing in January :-)

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/events/show_event.php?id=257

And there doing a seed swap!

Wear a coat, it was freezin'

And take some carrier bags

I always have a couple of cotton bags on me :-)

But your right i should bring maybe some sandwich bags so i can remember what i bought :-)

i think after this holiday i might be used to the cold  :-)

I might see you there!

You'll need a marker pen too

Not sure if I'm  going yet, depends on shift pattern :'(

I got my onion sets from Focus at the end of March, not suree hom many in a bag but enough to share as I only had a little bit of garden.  They cost me 50p.  Thinking about it there were prolly 100 sets in there.

Got my seed potatoes from a little independant diy / garden shop, cost me £4.99 for a kilo of Aran Pilot.  Not very prolific but very tasty and very satisfying.

Helen

And VERY expensive  :o

The company which supplies a large proportion of the garden centres, national DIY chains and allotment societies is WCF-Phoenix.

An email to info@wcf-phoenix.co.uk will get you details of your nearest stockist and when stocks are expected to be available.

You're only 45 miles from Todmorden when, on 11 Feb, you'll have choice of 77 vatireties at 12p each (no worries about lbs, oz or kg!!!). See http://thewhitchurchweb.org/potatoday/potatodays.htm

Regards

Phil