Help with which spuds to get??

Chimera

I'm a novice anyway, and first time doing spuds - Just got ones from farm shop - but they are looking good.

I believe I can start now to get more for xmas time, had a look at T&M http://www.thompson-morgan.com/potatoes1/group/potato+%3A+christmas.html

but I'm at a loss.. Which ones to get,. I don't understand the earlies etc, when will they be ready in thicko terms please, and which would people recommend

Penelope_Penguin

Chimera wrote: »

I'm a novice anyway, and first time doing spuds - Just got ones from farm shop - but they are looking good.

I believe I can start now to get more for xmas time, had a look at T&M http://www.thompson-morgan.com/potatoes1/group/potato+%3A+christmas.html

but I'm at a loss.. Which ones to get,. I don't understand the earlies etc, when will they be ready in thicko terms please, and which would people recommend

Earlies are quick maturing potatoes, and are what cooks call "new potatoes" I've never done potatoes for the C-word, but AFAIK, you uee an early variety.

rosie383

From what I've read,seed potatoes should be available to put in around the end of August ready for picking in winter.

kandyfloss

Don't bother with buying any seed potatoes to harvest at Xmas time as the chap on the next plot to us bought some,put them in earthed them up and then lost the whole lot when the heavy frosts came.

The best time to get all your seed potato's is in the spring March time and then you place them in seed trays or boxes,somewhere in the light until they shoot and then they go in the ground either as earlies,second earlies,maincrop etc at different intervals until the last ones {lates}are put in by May time.

You can put any you have bought now into the ground but I doubt if you will get much off of them as we are already harvesting ours and the lates will be harvested by next month and into September.Unless of course you live down in Cornwall and the Scilly Isles then you might get away with a late crop but you might be better off just waiting until next spring and starting then...

Yorkie1

As previously stated, you can plant first earlies in August for new potatoes at Christmas. Best to put them in pots / potato planters which you can move under cover and protect from the frost or you will lose them, as another poster has pointed out.

Sazbo

Nice to see this thread - I'm going to have a go at this too Haven't grown spuds before. I've just ordered a couple of cheap potato planters, but I baulked at the price of the seed tubers being specially marketed as Christmas new spuds. So I took a note of the recommended early varieties and next thing was I spied a bag of British maris peers in Sainsburys today lol! Fraction of the cost of maris peer seed tubers. I'll probably get shot to pieces for not buying proper tubers, but oh well It'll be fun trying!

Most people seem to say that it's not necessary to chit them at this time of year, so once my planters arrive I'll plant the spuds, in a week or so's time. Then I'll move them into the patio greenhouse once the frosts come. Then once foliage dies down around end of October, leave them in the compost until Christmas morning and dig them up for lunch! :j

Keeping everything crossed and good luck to anyone esle giving it a go!

Saz x

A._Badger

Yorkie1 wrote: »

As previously stated, you can plant first earlies in August for new potatoes at Christmas. Best to put them in pots / potato planters which you can move under cover and protect from the frost or you will lose them, as another poster has pointed out.

I did this last year, using Charlotte seed potatoes, bought through the post. This year (in part to save the postage charges!) I was delighted to find a selection of T&M's offerings in my local Wyevale, last Sunday.

As to how well it works, I've read various interweb pundits snorting and sniffing at it, but I got a good crop last winter - though it has to be said that I'm in the warm South East.

For the record, any of the varieties offered specially for this purpose should do. This year, I'm trying Nicola.

Chimera

ended up ordering this http://www.thompson-morgan.com/potatoes1/product/p91566/1.html and these http://www.thompson-morgan.com/potatoes1/product/aww5216/1.html

I had vouchers to use so thought I might as well

mongmoney

I tried Charlotte last year and lost the lot to heavy frost. I'm only going to plant spuds at the end of march into mid april, hoping to crop from end of July until end of October. I've also tried different varieties, you will find that some grow for you and some don't. I see this as a bit of trial and error. My Dad lives the other side of town and some of his have failed where mine have flourished. Good luck finding out.

Chimera

Gonna do these ones in bags, so I can move it needed.
I really wasn't going to do spuds at all, but thinking I may as well have a go - ones I planted earlier in the year were just lush!!

Love just giving things a go, best way of learning me thinks