Planting potatoes too early?

teawithmilk

I have a huge bag of spuds that have started to sprout. It seems such a shame to chuck them and I could plant them, but is it way too early to plant them out in the garden? If I left them a few more weeks they might just wither away and dry out. I tried to chit some potatoes last year and wasnt successful and now they have done it all by themselves when I wasnt even trying!

RAS

Hi

Two options depending on how good the potato remains.

1. The the potato is basically sound (skin decent and the flesh still plump), just twist off the potato and use as normal; that is what those of us who grow their own have to do at this time of year. You need to work through the whole bag.

2. If they have got to the stage where the flesh has started to get soft, get them out of the bag and into the light and somewhere cool. As long as they are in the light this will restrict the length of the sprouts for some time. Traditionally potatoes are planted at the end of March but in practice anyone who grow their own has a number of volunteers have overwintered in the ground without any harm. So if the potatoes start to get really grotty, make a 6" deep hole for each one and drop it in and re-cover. They should sprout above ground when it gets warm enough but watch out for frosts.

teawithmilk

Thanks, they are on the kitchen floor now in the light!

I will see how things go with the weather and experiment with planting them...

Farway

I was listening to radio Solent at weekend, the Good Life, Brain Kidd was on, he was Portsmouth parks superintendent for donkey's years, been gardening all his life

He made the point that he planted early last year, in same cold conditions we have now, wort crop he ever had, they just di not get going

That said, you have little to lose, buy do not expect a big bounty

safestored4

We live in a very mild part of the country on the Lancashire coast. For the last few years I have planted saved first early potatoes in January in tubs in our South facing back porch. This seems to work and we are getting a smallish crop by the end of April.

rum1

With the rain we are getting at the moment i would hold back a bit before planting

ALIBOBSY

I would say you could plant in a pot/pots in a sheltered spot or even better under cover for the chance of an early summer crop.
Worth a shot.

Ali x

Yorkie1

Are these supermarket spuds for eating?

I would never use them as they have not been screened for viruses, which can wreak havoc not just in your crop but in the local area if wind spread.

I would cook them as mash or potato wedges and freeze if you're not going to get through them in time.

And get certified seed tubers in a month or two.