Wild, free-range potatoes

[Growem]

I took over my plot May 2007. It was pretty overgrown with weeds, but apparently had been cultivated the year or two before. I've only managed to work slightly over half of my 5 pole plot, but whenever I get some energy and actually attack the grass that is growing on the other bits, the next week I find a couple of potato plants cropping up! Obviously the cut lets the potato get a bit of a fighting chance to get bigger over the grass, but I'm amazed that what must be now years later, there are potatoes growing on that part of the allotment. None of these free-range potatoes are ones that I've had anything to do with, other than digging them up and taking credit for the harvest!

Anyone else have random wild veg growing on their allotment?

[Shortie]

Hi Growem

I've got free range spuds on my shared lottie this year and have a feeling they'll be a bit of a (tasty) pain in the bum in the patch they are planted in this year/

On my own lottie, (still a work in progress that's for sure - I took it over this March) I have dahlias, sweet william, scallions (is that what those spring onion types things are called?) and spinach seems to be a bit of a weed on there...

I have a feeling I'll have free range peas on my own lottie next year... I went to pull the drying seed heads today to find most had already split and there were no signs of the bloomin' peas anywhere!!

[rogesse]

I have free range potatoes - the last occupant some five years ago was Irish, and forgive the stereotyping, only grew potatoes then stored them in clamps. They're everywhere!

We also have odd marrow/pumpkin??? plants appearing and are more than self efficient in Sorrel and Wild Rocket. It was the hundreds of tomato seedlings that really confused me until a wise grape mentioned birds!

[marigold007]

Yesterday I found a large clump of what looks like ancient rhubarb. I also have Lords and Ladies by a large comfrey patch. Apparently, peasants used to use the roots as a hot drink before coffee and tea arrived on the scene.

[di]

We also have loads of spinach.Tatties~some of which i take the blame for!!(not to brill at making sure i get them all up!!~The "moomin" spud in funniest veg is actually one i managed to miss & andi found it after!!)Our Jerusalem Artichokes were are all from when we took over the plot and also we have lots of horseradish & raspberries.And can i include the bindweed/couch grass & thistles!!?

[JennieAtkinson]

Well I found some potatoes growing in the weedy/anything that can't be composted compost heap, dug them up and peeled and cooked them for tea.

Absolutely rubbish. Hard as nails and not potatoes as we know it!

[Flummery]

I get them all over my home veg plot. I'm evidently rubbish at clearing the potato patch each year so I get volunteers in some strange places. If they aren't interfering with a crop I leave them to mature. If they are I lift them small, before they form roots.

[geoff]

Not exactly a crop, and not even a weed, though it might just as well be

Apparently the previous tennant used a lot of carpets. I cleared a lot of them when I got the plot about three years ago, all rotten with weeds growing through them, but I'm still finding bits of rotten old foam underlay, hessian and so on, all over the place and half buried

[Winged one]

I found 2 dinner's worth of red spuds in the nettle patch at the back. We have a lot of raspberry bushes sprouting from nothing (we've moved a lot of them to form a line).

And last year, I had a lot (like about 25 plants!!) of volunteer tomatoes in the back garden where we had previously emptied the compost bin contents. (Unfortunately builders arrived before most of them ripened, so I have pots and pots of Earthbabe's special green tom chutney as a result!).

[Growem]

All your posts have reminded me of more that I have found growing wild in the allotment. I had a few onions the first year, plus the entire set of allotments seems to be covered by wild onions or chives in the spring. I have small bits of plastic that keep turning up everytime I turn over a new row (not nearly as tasty as spuds). And I had a couple of self planted raspberry canes until my husband was whacking at the weeds with my grass whip and commented how well it worked, even hacking through the woody growth stuff! Bless him, he is helpful, but not exactly green-fingered by nature.

[bubblewrap]

Just a thought!
Wild potatoes/onions etc.
If plants are allowed to go to seed, the seeds can remain dormant for a number of years until the conditions are right.
One good example is poppies you may not have seen a poppy but..........dig over your plot and they will just appear.
You only have to miss a potato when harvesting and next year..............
I have a wild spot on my allotment where no crops have been grown for at least 5 years & I still get potatoes growing there.
As for JAs try getting rid of them(I actually grow them)& don't talk about raspberry's!

[Flummery]

I have feral strawberries and a few free range autumn raspberry canes in the half plot I took over in March - all just where you don't want them!

[nick the grief]

......I have a wild spot on my allotment ....

That is my allotment this year!!! The cheeky sods sent me a letter as a joke .... it had better be a joke otherwise they'll need to find a new secretary & webmaster

Last year I nearly gave up with one thing and another and I wasn't sure this year whether to carry one or not( works a real pain at the moment) and so the tatties never got lifted this year I have the best crop ever !!

[cacran]

Well I must have left a few potatoes in last year too. Last year the crop was rubbish. this year, although not where I expected, I have had a great crop, wierd but nice with a bit of buttter on!!!!!

[Eyren]

Same here - potatoes seem to get everywhere! There are also odd patches of garlicky-flavoured things from the previous tenant's plantings, and the nasturtiums that I sowed alongside last year's broad beans have finally put up some leaves amongst this autumn's cabbages!