Potatoes: Buying, Chitting, Planting, Earthing Up; Harvesting.

Sally_A

Strange, earlies take less time before planting and harvesting than maincrop. Perhaps they just aren't very "early" as your soil may take longer to warm up.

Prove him wrong!

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

My old neighbour told me when I moved here that we cannot grow earlies, the season here is too short. Does that make sense to anybody ? I didnt like to ask him "why not"? - cos he looked at me like he thought I was an eejit and I didnt want to prove it LOL

Mardatha, could he mean that the frosts linger late in your part of the world, shortening the growing season at the spring end? Can't think of any other explanation as they should be up by approx midsummer. If so, horti fleece (poundland has it now) is the way ahead. Or maybe he was winding you up?

mardatha

No, we are 1000ft up and the garden is a month behind Edinburgh where my son lives. I just didnt make the connection between "earlies" and not being able to grow them.. So he meant yes I can plant and grow them but no they wont be very early ? LOL !

RAS

Yep

by the time you get earlies, they will be in the shops already.

On the other hand you can be lifting earlies with that special taste long after everyone else's crop is over.

I quite like Rocket because it bulks up OK if not dug up as earlies.

mardatha

ok I see - ty

tangojulie

Useful tip for those trying lots of varieties: as soon as you buy them, write the variety on each one with a permanent marker. Saves lots of confusion about which ones are chitting in which boxes.

Steveswift

HI all,

I am thinking about having a go at the old spud farming But as this is MSE, does growing our own save money, initial outlay ect against crop?

Regards

Steve

mardatha

If you just shove some old potatoes in the ground - not proper seed tatties - then you get them for free. They say not to do it, but I have done for 3 years now.

Sally_A

Steveswift wrote: »

HI all,

I am thinking about having a go at the old spud farming But as this is MSE, does growing our own save money, initial outlay ect against crop?

Regards

Steve

I reckon an average price per seed spud is 15 - 20p, depending on the size of pack you buy/where you buy etc. Compared to shop costs I'd say a seed spud was approx 1/10th of the price. Potatoes do take up a lot of room though, so if space is limited, grow some waxy first earlies for home made potato salad, and use the rest of your valuable space for things like green beans as these are pricey in shops even when gardeners have a glut, and can be frozen.

fannyadams

Sally A -
I'm a bit confused about the length of time between chitting and planting. Am I right that the potatoes chit for around 6 weeks (from late Jan until Paddy's Day), wont the growth off the eyes be long and spindly by then and the potatoes be wizend little prunes?
interested to read what you say as am hoping to get Charlottes & Kestrels very soon.
cheers
FA
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