VEG questions

mardatha

What's a nice second early potato for boiling?
Are swedes easy to grow?
How do I know what kind of soil I have - can it be different in parts of the garden?

Linda32

That might only be 4 questions but there are lots of answers :rotfl: 57 views and no replys!

The easiest answer is to the last question, which is yes, you can have different soil in various parts of your garden. Ours is pocket hankerchief size. Clay soil which dries and cracks in the summer with damp shade in another part.

I will start with one question, at the moment if you pick up a handfull of soil and squeeze it between your fingers, does it stick together or fall through your fingers? This is assuming the ground isn't frozen and you can pick up an handfull.

sobie

Linda's soil test is the easiest. Sticks in balls its clay, runs through your fingers its sand or silt, sticks but crumbly then its peat or loam. If you have hard water (limescale) then your soil is likely to be alkaline (and not suitable for acid loving plants). Do you hit rocks/ flint/ chalk when digging?

I grow Charlottes, they are a lovely oval, yellow fleshed salad potato.

Yes, Swede is a very easy to grow crop, especially in cooler, moist areas.

mardatha

It's too sodden right now to try that but in summer my soil is like brown talcum powder - I would say it just runs through your fingers at the front but is a wee bit more sticky round the back. I'm on the side of a hill.
Stoney as hell!
No limescale here ever.
Great help, thanks

the_worm

Try Charlotte as your potatoes..store well. We have just finished ours.
I don't find Swede very easy at all.probably our best year ever this year..about 3 decent sized ones.

Tiglath

We never had any luck with swedes either at home or on the old allotment; not good with brassicas in general. I got a soil pH test kit from Homebase to test our soil.

mardatha

Ok will try Homebase and will probly try swedes anyway. You never know I suppose. TY all.