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

radiohelen

Right - I've done it. They are all in. I had a mad spud planting morning and all three varieties are in with lovely humps of soil over the top. My spud bed looks like one of those high ridge and furrow fields. Red Duke of York, International wotsits and the Ulster thingamys, all been chitting for about six weeks, although the international wotsits had hardly any chits on 'em at all.
I thought I'd bought loads but I've only had enough to do one prepared bed. Note to self - next year buy more! Not sure if I can be bothered to get any more now. I might just plant lots of peas instead.;)

sparrer

So excited, my first ever attempt at potatoes looks like it might work...there are tiny green shoots poking through 8 of the 11 tubs :j. I keep going out to look at them but I have to cover them with more soil and hide them again, silly me

Sally_A

I feel like a bit of a fraud being the OP and all that- due to weekend weather mine are still on the windowsill, but as it's northfacing they are good solid chits as opposed to leggy ones.

Glad so many people are trying them for the first time - believe me, when you get your first taste of home dug earlies you will never look back.

oligeo

Today I put in my Rocket seed potatoes.
I've got some Maris Piper and Pentland Javelin chiting away. Are they main crop or earlies? I can't remember what the box said!

Am I right in thinking the main crops you chop the plant tops off and leave potatoes in the ground for two weeks before you lift them? This is to firm the skins up so they keep better? How do I store the potatoes once they're dug up? And how long can I expect to keep them for?

Thanks
Sarah

Sally_A

Pentland Javelin is an early, and Maris Piper a maincrop. No need to chop the tops off unless they get blight (you are trying to stop the spores from the leaves dropping down onto the tubers). Most spuds' foliage will die back naturally, dig maincrop end September ish, use any potatoes that have been speared by the fork or are damaged first, whole potatoes can be stored in breathable sacks or similar in a dark cool frost free place, but will need regular checking over, as one that's gone off will affect it's neighbours quite quickly.

mrbadexample

Sally_A wrote: »

Spuds grown on newly converted grass to soil can be susceptible to wireworm.

Having just planted spuds in newly converted grass-to-soil, is there anything I can do to reduce the risk?

Fay

my first earlies are in too-my first year of growing any fruit or veg and I'mn very excited by it. I've put some in the veg patch and have 2 potatoe bags with 3 seed potatoes in each. The one's in the bag had shoots coming through last week so I covered them up, but nothing in the bed yet-which is lucky as I followed Monty Don and put some lettuce and radish on the top of the heaps! I know I'm planning ahead, but what can go into the ground after the potatoes come out? Also, I'm getting very confused about what grows together and what won't etc-could I grow peas next to potatoes (i.e. in the same plot?).I'm really getting into this and am considering making my veg patch into 2 raised beds and adding a third for next year, woo hoo!

splodger_seedswapper

mrbadexample wrote: »

Having just planted spuds in newly converted grass-to-soil, is there anything I can do to reduce the risk?

not really - but you can look out for chaffer grubs (big fat and white/grey) whilst you are digging or earthing up - just remove them from the soil and stick them on the bird table - robin will have them for breakfast

mrbadexample

splodger_seedswapper wrote: »

not really - but you can look out for chaffer grubs (big fat and white/grey) whilst you are digging or earthing up - just remove them from the soil and stick them on the bird table - robin will have them for breakfast

Thanks. All I need now is a bird table. And a robin.

sparrer

Planted my rockets a couple of weeks ago and they're certainly living up to their name - having covered them three times the soil is now level with the top of the buckets and they're breaking through again. My neighbours young DD, who likes to join me in my garden as often as she can, is as fascinated as I am at the speed of them, it's my first growing attempt and looks like there'll be a good crop from the 11 buckets in a couple of months. . Only one didn't take off at all, it has lots of little roots but the original shoot seems to have completely disappeared! Oddly enough it's the one I didn't have enough garden soil (from another small project) to mix in with the shop bought compost. However I'm pretty pleased with 11 out of 12 as a first effort.



eta - went out this morning to inspect my 'estate' - all 20 feet square of it - and found the 12th spudling has sprouted! Admittedly I gave it a little attention with a change of some of the compost, and a bit of a talking to, but for it to show a tiny bit of greenery in only 15 hours is amazing! Fingers crossed it'll be 12/12 :j