Hello. I have some nicely chitted Charlotte salad potatoes but have been unable to get them into my allotment due to arm being in splint. However, said arm is now out of splint and I'm planning to dig over and plant them out early next week. Is this too late? What happens if they go in too late, do they not do very well? Will they produce poor yield or be more prone to disease or should they be fine?
Thanks!
Too late to plant 2nd earlies?
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Hi Sweetpea,
No it's not too late. Hereabouts they grow 2nd earlies as main crop and they are planting for at least another couple of weeks.
These are commercial sowings and they are harvested from mid September onwards.
No it's not too late. Hereabouts they grow 2nd earlies as main crop and they are planting for at least another couple of weeks.
These are commercial sowings and they are harvested from mid September onwards.
JB.
- oldherbaceous
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Hello Sweetpea, glad your said arm is on the mend.
Years ago a dear friend of mine planted some seed potatoes in the middle of june, we all thought they would not mature in time, but he ended up with what i can only describe as, new potatoes in the beginning of october. I can't remember what variety they were though.
So yes you have plenty of time to sow your second earlies.
But please be careful we don't want you having anymore accidents.
Kind regards Old Herbaceous.
It will either rain or get dark.
Years ago a dear friend of mine planted some seed potatoes in the middle of june, we all thought they would not mature in time, but he ended up with what i can only describe as, new potatoes in the beginning of october. I can't remember what variety they were though.
So yes you have plenty of time to sow your second earlies.
But please be careful we don't want you having anymore accidents.
Kind regards Old Herbaceous.
It will either rain or get dark.
pour scorn apon me if i'm wrong, but I'm sure the term 2nd earlies just refers to how long they take to crop, I think its 10 weeks first earlies, 13 weeks 2nd, 15 wks early maincrop and 20 weeks for lates, so as long as you are planting them within a period where they will have the right conditions they are ok. They will probably do really well as the soil conditions should be perfect now.
Mandy
Mandy
Hi Mandylew'
I am sure that you are correct in what you say and the reason why 2nd earlies are treated as main crop hereabouts is because we have frosts into June and again anything from late August on. As all commercial potatoes they are earthed up when planted and they do not peep above ground until the frosts are past. A frost at the late end doesn't really matter but a frost when they have just broken surface is disasterous as many people find out each year.
I am sure that you are correct in what you say and the reason why 2nd earlies are treated as main crop hereabouts is because we have frosts into June and again anything from late August on. As all commercial potatoes they are earthed up when planted and they do not peep above ground until the frosts are past. A frost at the late end doesn't really matter but a frost when they have just broken surface is disasterous as many people find out each year.
JB.
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Yes, earlies do not imply plant early although it is best if you can because you then get them early. In fact it pays to get maincrop potatoes in early to give them a longer growing period since they mature more slowly. This year we have got early potatoes in our allotments (planted late February) sprouting and ridged up, but we only put in our field potatoes, early and maincrop, last Saturday due to the heavy wet ground. We use an old ferguson potato planter but have lost the wheel and bell to sound the spacings, does anyone know of one for sale? I had to resort to shouting the spacings and lost concentration and was dropping the potatoes back into the hopper instead of down the shoot, still I will blame the gaps on the badgers (again).
Barnie.
Barnie.