Hello
I have various potatoe types and i am not sure when to put them in the ground. I am chitting them at present but they are some earlies and lates , usual but when do you plant them out and how do you do this so you get max crop
potatoes
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Compo
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This is a big question reallybear, one things for sure it is too early to plant any spuds at the moment, you need to set them out in a cool light place so they can 'chit' grow small shoots on the skin of the potatoe, you can then plant first earlies as early as the end of March depending on your locatlity ground and the weather at the time. Different people plant second earlies and maincrop at different times, but for me each variety is planted about two to three weeks apart. Hope this helps
Compo
Compo
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Reallybear
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Thank you for that reply compo its a simple question but as I get more into gardening I find that the books just assume knowledge. So I am left on some topics in a stumped position (pardon the pun!). That is very help full I will try that. I will plan my various types within a week of each other.
I cant get my head arround earthing up as I would assume the potato would run out of energy in the seed potato at a point - what are you thoughts ?
Thank you once again just the little answers seem to fill in so many gaps to a new gardener.
I cant get my head arround earthing up as I would assume the potato would run out of energy in the seed potato at a point - what are you thoughts ?
Thank you once again just the little answers seem to fill in so many gaps to a new gardener.
That's a good point Reallybear, most books (and even the wonderful KG mag) assume prior knowledge. I wonder if theres a book for complete duffers like me, anyone know? (Sorry if this highjacks your spud thread RB).
"My pink half of the drainpipe seperates me from you"
I am not so sure that it is too early to put in the first potatoes! I am going to plant half a dozen on so in EARLY FEBRUARY, because this is when I have seen volunteers emerge in recent years! They will need frost protecting -I shall be using fleece- but I bet I get a crop some time in May...
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Reallybear
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"My pink half of the drainpipe seperates me from you"
Was written by Rooster what does that mean it makes no sense!!!!
Was written by Rooster what does that mean it makes no sense!!!!
Hi Reallybear,
Your Quote:
cant get my head around earthing up as I would assume the potato would run out of energy in the seed potato at a point - what are you thoughts ?
Once the Mother Potato has produced its roots and a further crop is assured the Mother dies .
Because Potatoes are held above the planting depth of the Mother and in order for them to be edible the ground above, the earthing-up, is where your crop will form. In the wild Potatoes grow on the surface and are mainly inedible. Man, by earthing-up, has overcome that problem. Not exactly rocket science but does this answer your point?
JB.
Your Quote:
cant get my head around earthing up as I would assume the potato would run out of energy in the seed potato at a point - what are you thoughts ?
Once the Mother Potato has produced its roots and a further crop is assured the Mother dies .
Because Potatoes are held above the planting depth of the Mother and in order for them to be edible the ground above, the earthing-up, is where your crop will form. In the wild Potatoes grow on the surface and are mainly inedible. Man, by earthing-up, has overcome that problem. Not exactly rocket science but does this answer your point?
JB.
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Compo
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Well Barry Early Feb is not late Jan!! I have volunteers too, not sure if they will crop as they don't do all that well usually, I will plant in warm somerset a few volunteers in my large (30 inch high) cold frame at the end of Feb.
PS for reallybear's benefit 'volunteers' are potatoes that get left in the ground by accident during harvest time, they then form plants the following year.
Compo
PS for reallybear's benefit 'volunteers' are potatoes that get left in the ground by accident during harvest time, they then form plants the following year.
Compo
The planting of Potatoes is a very regional thing.
New Potatoes are in the shops before the main crop are planted here. I live approximately 100 miles north of Compo but I also live at an elevation of 500ft which makes a very great difference.
Because we do not know where Reallybear lives it is not possible to give an accurate answer. What suits Compo would spell disaster here.
A second early is sometime planted as the main crop hereabouts because it is planted late but matures quicker. We get quite stiff frost up to at least the end of the first week in June.
Maincrop Potatoes are sometimes planted at a depth of 11 inches and this is to protect them from late frosts. They are planted earlier but do not break the surface until after the last frosts. (they hope)
Somehow they seem to get exceedingly good crops and if planted in the last week of May they are harvested around the first week in October and by that time the frosts are back with us.
JB.
New Potatoes are in the shops before the main crop are planted here. I live approximately 100 miles north of Compo but I also live at an elevation of 500ft which makes a very great difference.
Because we do not know where Reallybear lives it is not possible to give an accurate answer. What suits Compo would spell disaster here.
A second early is sometime planted as the main crop hereabouts because it is planted late but matures quicker. We get quite stiff frost up to at least the end of the first week in June.
Maincrop Potatoes are sometimes planted at a depth of 11 inches and this is to protect them from late frosts. They are planted earlier but do not break the surface until after the last frosts. (they hope)
Somehow they seem to get exceedingly good crops and if planted in the last week of May they are harvested around the first week in October and by that time the frosts are back with us.
JB.
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Geoff
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I prepare the ground and sheet it over with polythene about now - might even be today if the rain holds off. I plant well chitted First Earlies (I use the often maligned Rocket for its earliness) the first week in March and put a tunnel cloche over them. They stay well wrapped up usually until early May when I ventilate by pulling up the sides of the cloche but keep the polythene there to cover again against frost. When I first ventilate I also weed and earth up. I harvest right at the end of May or first week of June when they are still very expensive to buy. I am at 600' in the frozen North but have lightish soil on a slight Westerly slope that probably helps.
We are about the same latitude as Geoff and plant a few earlies in large pots (three to a pot) in the very slightly heated greenhouse, put them outside when the top growth emerges but still keep a fleece handy in case of frost.
The outside potatoes (early, main and late) don't go in until late April. Even then we occasionally have to cover them hurriedly with fleece, polythene and anything else that's on hand if night frosts threaten which can happen here in early June.
Reallybear, we tend to plant all the different types of potatoes almost at the same time and simply harvest them at different times.
The outside potatoes (early, main and late) don't go in until late April. Even then we occasionally have to cover them hurriedly with fleece, polythene and anything else that's on hand if night frosts threaten which can happen here in early June.
Reallybear, we tend to plant all the different types of potatoes almost at the same time and simply harvest them at different times.
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Cider Boys
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Hello Compo
We are fortunate in the West Country due to the South West Peninsula being surrounded on all three sides by the sea. These waters are much warmer compared to all other seas surrounding other parts of the British Isles. The Bristol Channel also helps protect areas such as Gloucester and Worcester from frosts due to the prevailing south west winds that are funnelled between Exmoor in Somerset and the Welsh Hills. We therefore can plant potatoes at an earlier time than other parts of the country. I hope to plant earlies in late February and keep covered under black polythene and take a chance on no late frosts.
All the best
Barney
We are fortunate in the West Country due to the South West Peninsula being surrounded on all three sides by the sea. These waters are much warmer compared to all other seas surrounding other parts of the British Isles. The Bristol Channel also helps protect areas such as Gloucester and Worcester from frosts due to the prevailing south west winds that are funnelled between Exmoor in Somerset and the Welsh Hills. We therefore can plant potatoes at an earlier time than other parts of the country. I hope to plant earlies in late February and keep covered under black polythene and take a chance on no late frosts.
All the best
Barney
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Lurganspade
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Reallybear wrote:Hello
I have various potatoe types and i am not sure when to put them in the ground. I am chitting them at present but they are some earlies and lates , usual but when do you plant them out and how do you do this so you get max crop
I plant my earlies towards the end of February under a "Jeff Hamilton" type cloche.
Which is white poly plumbing tubing covered by a very polythene sheet, to form a tunnel.
It works a treat every year.
This was one very good tip I picked up from watching the late Jeff Hamilton on his gardening programme!
Johnboy,
Your post is very interesting!
If all of this year's crop of potatoes are formed above the mother spud, then surely if you plant that deep enough there is no need to earth up, is there?
I suppose there must be a trade off: if you plant too deep (to avoid earthing up) then it takes longer for the plant to emerge and so a crop takes that much longer to get. However, if you want to get a fast, first early, it is better to plant at a shallower depth and then keep earthing up to encourage the plant to go skywards, producing more side branches and hence a good crop.
Ergo sum, all those suggested planting depths you see in gardening books take all this into account, do they?
Your post is very interesting!
If all of this year's crop of potatoes are formed above the mother spud, then surely if you plant that deep enough there is no need to earth up, is there?
I suppose there must be a trade off: if you plant too deep (to avoid earthing up) then it takes longer for the plant to emerge and so a crop takes that much longer to get. However, if you want to get a fast, first early, it is better to plant at a shallower depth and then keep earthing up to encourage the plant to go skywards, producing more side branches and hence a good crop.
Ergo sum, all those suggested planting depths you see in gardening books take all this into account, do they?