Tattie Teasers!

uncommonadvice

Could you help a first time Tattie grower?

I have 2 bags on the go at the moment. I know that I keep covering up the leaves until I get near the top of the bag, and then wait for the leaves to wilt to tell me that the tatties are ready.

What I was wondering was:

• How should I store my potatoes?
• How long can I keep them?
• Should I be putting some aside to use as Seed potatoes for next year?
• How early can I get planting again?

Thanks

Lotus-eater

You should store them in a paper bag, or cardboard box in a cool place.
I wouldn't worry about keeping them, you only have 2 bags! Enough for a few meals at best.
Buy new seed potatoes next year. You can keep some hen egg sized ones if you really want.
Plant next year as normal. Although some people plant some in August apparently to get new spuds for Christmas, I can't see how it works, but there you go.

djohn2002uk

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Although some people plant some in August apparently to get new spuds for Christmas, I can't see how it works, but there you go.

The seed that you use has been treated to hold them back. I tried it last year for the first time and got potatoes that were no different than those I got in July and tasted just the same. The down side is, the advice was to keep the bags in the greenhouse where it would be slightly warmer but it was worth it for the taste and I shall do it again this year but only a couple of bags. I planted mine inSeptember and they were ready at the end of November and with no patience we ate them instead of leaving them in the bag 'till Christmas. I bought mine (Charlottes) from Trioscape garden center in Gloucestershire for either£1.99 or £2.99.

Lotus-eater

djohn2002uk wrote: »

The seed that you use has been treated to hold them back. I tried it last year for the first time and got potatoes that were no different than those I got in July and tasted just the same. The down side is, the advice was to keep the bags in the greenhouse where it would be slightly warmer but it was worth it for the taste and I shall do it again this year but only a couple of bags. I planted mine inSeptember and they were ready at the end of November and with no patience we ate them instead of leaving them in the bag 'till Christmas. I bought mine (Charlottes) from Trioscape garden center in Gloucestershire for either£1.99 or £2.99.

I know how it works, I just don't understand how you would do it. If I planted potatoes here in Sept, you would get almost no growth before the first frosts.
And then you've got blight. Seems like a waste of time to me. But as I say, that's just me.

STOCKWIRE

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I know how it works, I just don't understand how you would do it. If I planted potatoes here in Sept, you would get almost no growth before the first frosts.
And then you've got blight. Seems like a waste of time to me. But as I say, that's just me.

I fully agree. Christmas potatoes are just first earlies kept in cold storage and will not produce any sort of crop worth talking about unless in a heated environment. Its just another marketing ploy to get [STRIKE]fools[/STRIKE] gardeners part with more money !

djohn2002uk

STOCKWIRE wrote: »

I fully agree. Christmas potatoes are just first earlies kept in cold storage and will not produce any sort of crop worth talking about unless in a heated environment. Its just another marketing ploy to get [STRIKE]fools[/STRIKE] gardeners part with more money !

There are fools and there are people who talk rubbish. Not much to choose between them. I tried it last year for the first time and as the tomatoes came to an end I moved them into the greenhouse with NO HEATING and got the same amount of spuds as I did in the summer.You obviously haven't tried it or you didn't get it right but either way I resent you referring to people like me as fools because we tried something and succeded where you failed, or, you haven't tried so know nothing about it.

Oliver14

djohn2002uk wrote: »

There are fools and there are people who talk rubbish. Not much to choose between them. I tried it last year for the first time and as the tomatoes came to an end I moved them into the greenhouse with NO HEATING and got the same amount of spuds as I did in the summer.You obviously haven't tried it or you didn't get it right but either way I resent you referring to people like me as fools because we tried something and succeded where you failed, or, you haven't tried so know nothing about it.

I'm planning on giving this a go this year for the first time. I've spoken to a few people locally who managed to get really good crops in November/December

STOCKWIRE

djohn2002uk wrote: »

There are fools and there are people who talk rubbish. Not much to choose between them. I tried it last year for the first time and as the tomatoes came to an end I moved them into the greenhouse with NO HEATING and got the same amount of spuds as I did in the summer.You obviously haven't tried it or you didn't get it right but either way I resent you referring to people like me as fools because we tried something and succeded where you failed, or, you haven't tried so know nothing about it.

I have grown them and quiet successfully, but not with shop bought seed. Average yield of first earlies grown in the ground is 5.5kg per 3mtr row = .5kg per crown. Expect a yield of 25% of this in pot/bag grown potatoes. And that's with a full growing season. Even volunteer potatoes growing in ideal conditions very rarely produce anything worth harvesting late in the season. In my mind for such a small crop that is a waste of time. When you see British grown Christmas new potatoes in the supermarket you will know then that there is a variety worth growing. As for you getting the same yield as you do from your summer grown potatoes, you must be getting a very small crop as late earlies/ main crop potatoes should be double that of first earlies.

rhosynbach

i grow potatoes for xmas planting in august from my own early potatoes so no cost i put them in the greenhouse with no heating and always get a good crop not as good as main crop but one that is very welcome over xmas no real hard work and no cost so if you have room give it a go.. we have not brought potatoes at all for 2 years now as i have my xmas potatoes then very early in the poly tunnel, early outside then maincrop which we store for the rest of the winter there are 6 of us that eat them and i share with friends and family, to get tasty organic potatoes it is worth a little effort