Help with terminology please,main crop?earlies?

cooking-mama

Ive mentioned before im a total learner here,can someone please tell me what is meant by Main crop,?1st earlies?,2nds?..Chitting.etc,I think in relation to potatoes?.....Im planning on buying and growing in tubs..enough to keep me going for a while,what should i be buying,do I have to buy different types depending on when i plant them?thanks again(sorry if my questions are silly:o)

PS/I thought i simply had to buy some mini potato things for planting,then when they sprout cover with more compost,then when they sprout cover again with more compost until at the top of the container,I thought i could use the same supply but plant 2 weeks apart,but do i actualy need to buy different types?
PPS/What is Mulch?..can i make this from Teabags and veggie peelings ?

Wookey

Chitting is allowing the spud seeds to start to grow with no soil, the idea being it encourages stronger growth. Just about all spuds can be main crop if left in the ground long enough, early type are kinda the first to mature to a point where they are large enough to pick for eating. Mulch is a covering placed around plants which can serve several purposes, preventing weed growth, retaining mositure and adding nutrients are its main benefits.

boultdj

First earlies can be ready to lift 7-12 weeks after planting and can be planted from march till june, the longer you can leave the bigger the spuds. don't forget to water them if it's dry,if you have a greenhouse or a cold have a go with a couple in a pot and see if you can get a boiling. the names earlies, main and late just tell you that it take's so many weeks/month's to get the best amount from the plants but main and late's store better,earlie's are best to use as and when dug up. hope it help's and enjoy what ever you end growing

cooking-mama

Thanks guys,appreciate you both taking the time to answer my questions.
cheers.

Zazen999

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/new-shoots/26499-potatoes-made-easy-revived-2010-a.html

Have a look at this informative thread on a popular gardening forum...

rosie383

:rotfl::rotfl:I had a non-gardening friend over to visit yesterday. She was looking at me a bit strangely and asking vague questions about my mental health. Then she mentioned all of my potatoes in the entrance porch, all sitting up nicely in their seed trays and egg boxes. She couldn't understand why I just didn't keep my potatoes in the bag they were bought in, or my veg rack. She thought I was becoming obsessive-compulsive!:rotfl::rotfl:

cooking-mama

Thanks for the link Zazen999,ive added that site to favourites,