Potato advice please??

[Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.]

We have had our plot now for a few months and got the front half of it all tidied up and have now started planting. A few weeks ago we bought some potatoes to put in over the easter weekend (after we had been on holiday), but while we were on holiday our shed got broken into and the potatoes were turned to "mash" on the shed floor.

Now I thought it was too late to put any in but while at my grandma's the other day she said that my grandad used to cut a potato in half and plant that. I dont want to sound thick but is this true?? Is it too late now??

[zazen999]

I'm still collecting the bits from sprouted potatoes, putting them into root trainers and they will be later spuds grown in pots.

I think you've still got time to chuck some in the ground anyway...the main problem will be blight coming to be honest....and yes - you can cut a potato in half as long as each half has an eye....in fact in the US they wouldn't waste a whole potato they cut them all up - one eye per piece.

[Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.]

Er... whats an eye?? lol

[Nicos]

The bud and the scar are the eye...

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wsherb/edpa...es/potato2.jpg

...and that's the best way to plant them ..with the 'eyebrow' underneath!

[Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.]

Oh good lord that looks so funny!! lol

Thank you for you help... I shall go home and inspect my potatoes, if they work they work if not I havent really lost anything have I??

[Nicos]

Good idea!!

The 'oldies' on our site always cut their spuds into 3 and are horrified at the waste of putting in a whole one when 1/3 would do! Their crops always seemed the same as ours too...maybe next year I'll try cutting a few...I just wonder if they would then be more susceptible to rotting etc with the inner flesh exposed....but I've never seen any evidence of that!

I think I'll see how many peeps actually cut their spuds in a new thread- that'd be interesting to find out!

[Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.]

Oh good idea Nicos. So do all their spuds have 3 eyes then or do they just cut them up anyway and hope for the best?? Hmm... and do I cut them just before putting them in??

[Mchanen]

Hi, i planted some seed potatoes on bank holiday Monday- it said on the pack to plant them April-May ready for harvesting in September, so i don't think it's too late now probably depends on the kind you want to grow? I just looked around in the garden center and picked the variety i wanted that were OK to be planted now.

[Nicos]

Oh good idea Nicos. So do all their spuds have 3 eyes then or do they just cut them up anyway and hope for the best?? Hmm... and do I cut them just before putting them in??

Most spuds have loads of eyes- some easier to see than others..take a close look.
According to my other thread, it's best to cut them as you are about to plant them!