Potatoes - where to start? (Merged Thread)

socks_uk · 1 June 2007 at 6:14PM

penniesforme wrote: »

also, is it too late to plant potatoes now? i have just got rid of some nettles in the garden, any suggestion on what to plant?

I too still have some main crop seed potatoes that I haven't yet planted (planted quite a few earlies in 'triple box' recycling boxes that were spares left in the garage of my house when we moved in). Earlies are quite tall now but I should have planted the main crop. Is it too late? Also have some red onion sets that I never got round to planting too.

Strepsy · 1 June 2007 at 7:01PM

I read somewhere that as soon as the flowers are properly open you can dig up earlies, so you didn't have to tell me twice. lol. We had our first meal with them lastnight, yummy. Didn't really get many though, we needed about 3 plants to feed the 5 of us.

Socks, I think I'd leave the onion sets till autumn now, then they'll overwinter and you'll have big ones next year. I think?

Spooky_Pooky · 2 June 2007 at 12:06AM

this is what I dug up earlier!

The skin isn't quite set, so is easy to wipe away, but I can't wait to see what they taste like :drool:[/QUOTE]

Well now you've made me want to go and dig up ours.... but I've just bought 2.5kgs of tesco value potatoes so maybe they'll just have to wait.... is it worrying that your beautiful pictures of raw muddy potatoes made my mouth water!!!:rotfl: :rotfl:

socks_uk · 2 June 2007 at 7:07AM

madhouseof4 wrote: »

These are my earlies that I planted about mid march

Are your potatoes in containers? The plant on the left looks like it's in a carrier bag??

madhouseof4 · 2 June 2007 at 10:02PM

socks_uk wrote: »

Are your potatoes in containers? The plant on the left looks like it's in a carrier bag??

The plant on the left is in a rubble sack (as are many others that aren't in the picture). These were the last to be planted and are main crop, so aren't ready yet and need earthing up)

The potatoes that we had for dinner last night came from the plant in the corner, which isn't a container, but some old tyres stacked up. I have 3 tyre towers on the go, each with 2nd earlies in. They really aren't supposed to be ready yet, but I think that our really wacky weather this year has confused the plants.

Spooky, I tried really hard to resist digging, but my resove was broken by another thread that I saw asking how to tell if the potatoes were done. I have plenty of other plants as well, so thought I really didn't have anything to lose by having a rummage in the dirt. I have decided to leave the rest until after we come back off our holiday, so will be left another 2 weeks and then they will definately be done! And don't feel bad about the pic of raw, dirty potatoes making your mouth water, I was the same!

I did wonder if green rubble sacks would be dark enough to stop the potatoes from going green, or if I should put something darker around the bag? Thoughts appreciated.

Spooky_Pooky · 3 June 2007 at 3:53PM

Does the tyre thing work? We have a Kwik Fit a stones' throw away who were happy to give us tyres when someone suggested this method of keeping potatoes but then someone else suggested it was a bad idea because of chemicals in the tyres etc... in the end we just put them in our beds and have left the tyres in a corner...will recommission them though if you've done the same and not died! Also - I'm a huge fan of sweet potatoes - do you grow them in the same way - do you know where to get seed sweet potatoes Or can i use ones from tesco?! and when's best to chit / plant them?

thanks for all your help - really appreciated

Tracey04 · 3 June 2007 at 4:13PM

just found a bag in my garage that I didn't plant, they have all spouted in the string bag. Can I plant them - when will they be ready or do I bin them. Thanks

louise_1981 · 3 June 2007 at 9:10PM

I have just found a bag of earlies that I did not plant, I have just dropped them into a rubble sacks and see what happens, I do not expect much as some had already produced tiny little potatoes!

csnann · 3 June 2007 at 9:11PM

If you have the space its certainly worth putting them in. The time they take varies from 12 weeks for earlies to 20 weeks for maincrop so it depends what type you have.

MrsB2100 · 7 June 2007 at 6:59PM

This is a great thread! Thanks to Gav for posting! I have a few pointers now as I'm new to this one too! I have 3 potato barrels I got from Suttons - I have Red Duke of York, Charlotte and Maris Peer. None have flowered yet! I do have some dark speckles on the leaves of the Charlotte though. From searching the internet, it dosent look like blight ... but does anyone have an idea what it could be? Thanks!