November planted potatoes

Need to know the best time to plant?

Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter

PLUMPUDDING
KG Regular
Posts: 3269
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:14 pm
Location: Stocksbridge, S. Yorks

I've mentioned this before, I know, but was pleased to hear that Bob Flowerdew does exactly the same. The subject came up on last weekend's Gardeners' Question Time and he has been planting his own saved seed potatoes in November and described planting them quite deeply. You don't get as early a crop as ones pre chitted but they do fine. Just don't plant them in a place that gets waterlogged.

I've been doing this for years now with my favourite varieties, some of which are difficult to obtain. I do replace some occasionally if the crop seems to have lost its vigour, but most of them are still going strong after at least ten years. My pet varieties are Highland Burgundy Red, Salad Blue, Forty fold, Orion Kestrel and Sarpo Axona. I just need to buy some new Charlotte for next year. I did notice that Thompson & Morgan had obtained some of the coloured ones a couple of years ago. I got mine originally as micro propagated little plants from Alan Romans so they were well worth the investment.
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5910
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 674 times
Been thanked: 238 times

Interesting PP.

Do they get any slug problems & do you line the planting hole with anything? Is the crop bigger seeing as they are more deeply planted? Last question (well maybe depending on the other answers), when are they harvested - how much later than the chatted ones?

Very interested as chitting potatoes takes up quite a bit of space, however I do find I get a better crop if I do chit but they be co-incidental & weather dependent year to year.

Westi
Westi
PLUMPUDDING
KG Regular
Posts: 3269
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:14 pm
Location: Stocksbridge, S. Yorks

I dig a spade depth trench, fill the bottom withhome made compost, mix in a sprinkle of blood fish and bone or grow more and a helping of slug pellets. Then sit the potatoes on this. I then fill it in making a good mound on top like when you earth them up and firm the sides a bit. If it's very cold I sometimes put straw on top, but I dont think it is essential.

The crop is perhaps a bit less than chitted ones and a bit later as they stay dormant until the weather warms up. But if you save your own seed every year it is much better than trying to keep them in good condition until spring when they've started to sprout and shrivel, and if you plant them in November when there is less to do you've saved yourself a job in spring when everything needs doing at once.
User avatar
Tony Hague
KG Regular
Posts: 691
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:26 pm
Location: Bedfordshire
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 13 times
Contact:

Do you ever have blight problems ?

Blight is said to need living host matter to survive, so leaving potatoes in the ground overwinter - either deliberately or volunteers, is a risk. Presumably seed potatoes are grown where the environment doesn't favour blight ?

I was quite annoyed a few years ago to hear commercial potato growers trying to imply that blight was bad in part due to amateur gardeners doing the organic bit and not spraying for blight (Quite what we could spray with is another issue). Seeing the quantity of overwintered tubers missed by commercial lifting, which grow as volunteers in following years, there is little doubt to me where their problem lies.
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5910
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 674 times
Been thanked: 238 times

Thank you PP!

Weather permitting I am going to try that out this weekend. Was thinking if I covered the rows in black membrane that I used for some temporary paths this year it would keep the soil beneath looser than if left exposed & it would insulate & keep it slighter warmer which would be a win/win when they started growing. Would also help with weeds in early spring.

Will keep you posted! Thanks again!

Westi
Westi
PLUMPUDDING
KG Regular
Posts: 3269
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:14 pm
Location: Stocksbridge, S. Yorks

We must be very lucky as we rarely get blight and I've never sprayed for it. I think some outdoor tomatoes got it one year but I can't remember the last time it affected the potatoes. I do make sure that the potatoes I save are in good condition and completely disease free.

Good luck with that Westi, it will keep the cats and blackbirds off too. Don't forget to check and remove it when they start coming through.
User avatar
Pawty
KG Regular
Posts: 604
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2015 6:12 pm
Location: Hampshire

Does 'November planting' count if I still have a couple of rows I've not got around to digging up ..... :lol:
User avatar
peter
KG Regular
Posts: 5842
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:54 pm
Location: Near Stansted airport
Has thanked: 18 times
Been thanked: 33 times
Contact:

Pawty wrote:Does 'November planting' count if I still have a couple of rows I've not got around to digging up ..... :lol:



Huh, only a couple? :oops:
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.

I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
User avatar
Tony Hague
KG Regular
Posts: 691
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:26 pm
Location: Bedfordshire
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 13 times
Contact:

PLUMPUDDING wrote:We must be very lucky as we rarely get blight and I've never sprayed for it. I think some outdoor tomatoes got it one year but I can't remember the last time it affected the potatoes. I do make sure that the potatoes I save are in good condition and completely disease free.


That's lucky - I have pretty much given up on growing tomatoes outdoors, they always get blight. The potatoes often get early blight, which isn't too bad. This year was the first I had late blight, but I rescued my crop in time.

Just noticed where you are PP - I am originally from Chapeltown not far from you, and my old Dad still gardens there. He doesn't seem to have much blight trouble either, but he's always complaining about the rain.
PLUMPUDDING
KG Regular
Posts: 3269
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:14 pm
Location: Stocksbridge, S. Yorks

You were almost a local then Tony. I think it's a bit colder here than Chapeltown, but glad your dad doesn't have blight problems in his garden either. Pouring with rain at the moment but it's been a nice sunny day.

Got my potatoes planted yesterday - a bit later than usual.
User avatar
dan3008
KG Regular
Posts: 535
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 4:39 pm
Location: Sheffield, UK

Sheffieldites for the win :D although I'm not going to start on blades vs owls ;-)
Or the ice hockey, since I'm originally from Nottingham and with the current steelers vs panthers game
Once the game is over the king and the pawn go back in the same box. Anonymous

Exploring is like walking, where the walking decides where we're going. Bob the dinosaur from dinopaws
User avatar
Tony Hague
KG Regular
Posts: 691
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:26 pm
Location: Bedfordshire
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 13 times
Contact:

Hah - watched MK Lightening, our local team play Sheffield Steeldogs last weekend. Quietly supported Steeldogs - they won on sudden death penalties.

Sorry. I digress...
User avatar
Pawty
KG Regular
Posts: 604
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2015 6:12 pm
Location: Hampshire

Hi, I've just dug up a few of the left over charlottes - they looked amazing (not even slug damage). However, my husband roasted them and they were really watery? Not had that before. Any thoughts?

Can you do anything with watery potatoes?

Many thanks

Paula
User avatar
Primrose
KG Regular
Posts: 8054
Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:50 pm
Location: Bucks.
Has thanked: 37 times
Been thanked: 281 times

I think the best thing to do with these types of watery potatoes is to let them cook down as a thickener in soup - ie leek and potatoes on its own or perhaps grated i to other mixed veg soups . They're never very palatable served boiled. I don't know whether it's worth trying bake them in the oven as jacket potatoes. That might drive some of the excess moisture out of them.
User avatar
John
KG Regular
Posts: 1608
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 10:52 am
Location: West Glos

Hello Pawty
Charlotte is really a salad potato and won't roast very well.
Potatoes for roasting need to be dug and then bagged for at least several months before roasting. As you have found out their water content is too high for successful roasting if freshly dug.
Try mashing them.
John
The Gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s lives, the hours spent fishing Assyrian tablet
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic