Which potaoes can I sow now?

zoescrims

Can I sow any potatoes now for the winter?? also I had some earlies/second

leftover would it be okay to sow them? I think they were vales/emeralds?

Thanks!

serena

You can try putting them in. They'll certainly grow.

The problem however is that late planted potatoes are likely to get blight - a fungal disease that is very easily spread in hot, humid weather that is common in August. The potatoes show brown patches on the leaves, and die back, and the tubers rot - as in the Irish Famine.

I cannot remember if there is any spray that amateur gardeners can still use - but even then, you need to spot the conditions in which blight may occur and spray then as a preventive. Farmers get a special blight warning forecast!

I have to say I no longer grow late planted potatoes, and I've pretty much given up on outdoor tomatoes for the same reason.

Lotus-eater

Anyone can use the blight watch warnings, you just have to sign up online.

I haven't grown late potatoes, but I suspect if you could keep them out of the rain, that would help greatly, you could still get blight though.

Rosebud24

I have used a spray on my potatoes that I got from the garden centre. I think it's bordeaux solution. The solution and the packaging are both blue, if that helps! You can use it for tomatoes, potatoes, clematis (to protect against clematis wilt) and others, as it is an anti-fungal spray.

olly300

Rosebud24 wrote: »

I have used a spray on my potatoes that I got from the garden centre. I think it's bordeaux solution. The solution and the packaging are both blue, if that helps! You can use it for tomatoes, potatoes, clematis (to protect against clematis wilt) and others, as it is an anti-fungal spray.

You can also get some powder stuff in a red box that you can use on tomatoes and potatoes. I had to use it last year to save the massive crop of tomatoes I grew.

It worked. My SIL and I were giving them away to everyone we could find.

Yorkie1

If you want to grow for Christmas, better to leave planting until early-mid August. Make sure you protect from frost though.

katskorner

Bordeaux Mixture is for blight protection but you do need to do it before the blight appears or you won't save the plants. With potatoes I grow no later than scond earlies so I lift them before the main blight comes. They last me for months so I don't need maincrop.

I will be planting in September for Christmas new pots this year. Probably kestrel as it has great slug restistance. hths.

zoescrims

Thank you all ,advice appreciated .I've got a few months to think about it at least.