November planted potatoes

Need to know the best time to plant?

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oldherbaceous
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Dear Plumpudding, glad to read there are signs of life showing.
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PLUMPUDDING
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They are all coming through now so I've been earthing them up. I've got fleece over most of them and was surprised how warm the soil was despite it snowing last night.
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Pawty
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So, I had planned on putting in potatoes today. Charlottes and pink fir.

Just read the instructions (don't usually bother) and it says not to plant them until the risk of last frost has gone. We woke up to quite a hard frost thismorning and there is still a risk in May. However, if I don't plant them out we won't get any potatoes!

So, to plant or not to plant out - that is the question.

I have had the tops of potatoes caught by frost before - they got a bit of frost bite but the plant recovered and produced. Is frost a real problem to potatoes? I know the key is to keep covering with soil as soon as greenery arrives, but because of work I can't get to the allotment every day, so this tast often doesn't get the attention it should.

Thanks

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peter
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Fleece, or, lawn mowings can provide some protection.
Lawn mowings sprinkled along the ridge rise up on the shoots and eventually fall off as they get taller & bigger.
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Pa Snip
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My early spuds went in on 4th and 5th April.
from left : Two rows Jazzy, One row Lady Christl, One row Winston.

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At this time of year I try to keep ahead of growth and earth up a little bit more than is perhaps needed.

Most of Man crop went in on Thursday this week, slightly earlier than normal.

Normal schedules of planting and sowing slightly out the window here. Do things as and when I feel up to it so I could be doing lots of things that according to the books would be at the 'wrong time' this year.

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
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Geoff
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Ground frost is no problem until they peep above the surface which I would say takes at least a month if they are not covered with anything. Then for a couple of weeks or more earthing up when frost is forecast protects them. That gives you at least six weeks (29th May). If frost is forecast after that you will have to be a bit more creative in your covering up, I have some cloche hoops and a big sheet of polythene that covers the whole bed which works as late frost usually means no wind and the hoops stop the plastic touching the leaves. So go for it! Lovely day for planting here but mine are all in.
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I agree with Geoff, they should be fine by the time they come through especially in the balmy south :)

Last night it was -4° here and the ones I sprinkled soil on were fine, the ones under double fleece look ok, and those under single fleece are a bit black on the edges but otherwise ok. Considering we had a snow storm last night then the frost things look pretty good. The rhubarb looked a bit unhappy with a topping of snow but has stood up again in the sunshine.
PLUMPUDDING
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Well I got a good crop of potatoes again and have today planted the seed potatoes I saved from them for next year's crop. One or two had put a new shoot out, so I removed those as they don't survive the winter and hopefully the cold temperature outside will keep them dormant now until next spring. My cellar isn't cold enough to stop them sprouting so they are better planted nice and deep outside.
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oldherbaceous
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Dear Plumpudding, is it really a year since you were last doing that.....isn't that a little scary!!!!
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Timely reminder PP!

But I've had no luck saving my own spuds, this years a wipe out with slug damage & last year they rotted & those not smelly gunk were soft.

Like OH - I can't believe it's another year gone by! Time flies as they say!

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PLUMPUDDING
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Yes, scary that a year has passed so quickly, I must try to do more in the next year.
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Dear John,
charlotte do make superb roasters but not straight from the ground. I have been roasting them for years and they do get better as they age and dry after digging.
Regards Sally Wright
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KG Tony
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I had a bad attack of blight last year on both Toms and Tates - did my mental state no good at all I can tell you! However, 'Mountain Magic' toms survived well - quite tasty too! For 2017 I'm going to go for the blight resistant Sarpo varieties for maincrop potatoes.(tony, editiorial, aka Peter Radish)
PLUMPUDDING
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I must be very lucky as I've never seen blight on the potatoes although I've had it a few years ago when I grew outdoor tomatoes.

My garden is in a small valley with no vegetable gardeners nearby. I wouldn't save any if they were diseased in any way, and if they lose vigour after growing them from the same strain for quite a few years I buy new stock. There are a few varieties I have which I bought from Alan Romans as micro propogated tiny plants ages ago and I'm still getting reasonable crops. I kept the ones that I like best for flavour, colour or cooking qualities as they aren't easy to find any more.
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Hi Peter!

Found them in one of the seed catalogues from a recommendation from someone else. Ordering Mountain Magic toms & Wisley Magic runner beans. Both disappointing crops for me this year. :(

Westi
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