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I know some have already planted their earlies, I've got a few  growing in buckets, Abbot I think
I'm trying to finish off my potato plot ready for planting. If I do, I'll likely plant the lot, both earlies and mains, plus ridge the furrows. But it's cold and grey again today and not very inspiring.

All my potatoes are now planted and I have earthed up my earlies.  When I plant I leave the surface level which gives me plenty to use when I earth up.

As I mentioned in another post I am thinking of planting my potatoes out next week (weather permitting)

Like Laurie I do not earth up at planting time, I wait till the tops have emerged then I do it.

Doing it this way I find my tops do not come through the side of the ridges!

A very good point both and I'd prefer to do it the same as you, helps with getting rid of weed seedlings emerging too. But I find that if I wait a few weeks to earth up, the soil I had got into a nice workable medium has gone back to being a compact lump, usually after the loads of rain we get here. It can make earthing up much more difficult for me and something I'd really struggle with, I just have to get on with wonky potato rows!

Earlies have been earthed up and earthed and even earthed up again. The little sods keep poking through. Second earlies and main are in flat ground as they will not show for another couple of weeks yet. All I need now is some rain.

What is rain?

mine were all in a month ago all up in their buckets 

Did all mine a couple of days ago. Working in raised beds I just add more material to the bed as the plants grow, seems to work fine for me.

Phew ... just finished the last of mine and my back definitely knows about it!

I've never planted so many potatoes as this in one year as I'm using them to help clear ground on the rather derelict new half plot I added to my existing one ... so each and every inch had to be completely dug over and bindweed, marestail etc. roots taken out ... I now am the proud owner of 2 full dustbins of perennial roots!

Sadly no Harlequins available this year (see other thread all about that) - but Ratte, Kestrel, Sarpo Mira and Rocket should keep us going.  I've got Inca Bella which would be lovely if I find space for them too!

I've done Arran Pilot and Lady Christi earlies, they went in about 2 weeks ago.
I had some purple potatoes in a pub,  which they said were Heritage, so I thought I'd try some. I found Albert Bartlett Purple Majesty, they went in this week.

I've already got Spunta and Pentland Javelin in, both can be lifted as earlies or left for maincrop. So that's me sorted :D

Must remember to earth up tomorrow as they are just poking through and the forecast is for a hard frost on Monday and Tuesday nights Oh dear!

Have to say I'm a bit jealous, oddly it's really hard to get seed potatoes in Ireland! Nobody grows their own here. I got three lots of second earlies from irish seed savers and put them to chit in the poly tunnel, next day they had all disappeared and a tunnel dug under the door! Was expensive rat food!

All I have left are some mizen a main crop irish and some roosters that sprouted under the sink! I dejectedly put these in last week.

Quote from: johhnyco15 on April 16, 2017, 13:33:16
mine were all in a month ago all up in their buckets 

I copied you last year and got a nice wee crop....so buckets again :)

 

Quote from: Hector on April 17, 2017, 18:07:19

Quote from: johhnyco15 on April 16, 2017, 13:33:16
mine were all in a month ago all up in their buckets 

I copied you last year and got a nice wee crop....so buckets again :)

im glad it worked for you i wont grow potatoes any other way anymore 

I forgot to chit mine there were left in brown paper bags I bought them in.  This means that they were slightly damp so produced a small shoot and lots and lots of roots.  I planted these out a couple of weeks ago, it look a little time to untangle them.  But they have really taken off and shot up unbelievably fast.  Earthed them all up yesterday in case of the frost last night which did not actually happen.  This left a space between the rows which I filled with manure.  So with earthing up and carting manure yesterday was exhausting.

Bit the bullet and planted out 155 tubers (5 varieties) yesterday so fingers crossed that the worst of the winter has passed, I don't want to be faffing around with fleece so I will earth them when the tops emerge from the soil.

Also put my gladioli in! had to!...the shoots were up to 2" tall.

Today's plan is to put my Shallots and Potato onions as they too have shot up in height.

Then I think that's it for this month apart from putting some stuff in the cold frame.

I agree with Jayb if I dont don't do the ridging when I plant it's almost impossible later due to growing on Essex clay. 64 Kestrel planted and ridged on Monday - at last 

All my potatoes are now in.  I have earthed up Arron Pilot and sharp's express.  Have not yet earthed up Duke of York or Fir Apple

To spread the harvest (but mostly due to being too busy with family and ill) I planted some (a few weeks apart) in March and just planted another five in bags yesterday. I will plant the last ones in a couple more weeks. All mine are second earlies. I hope I'm not too late! The first lot I planted need earthing up now.