Growing early potatoes twice?

[Storming Norman]

Can I ask for your opinions on this recommendation?

My lottie neighbour grows earlies twice a year - and no main crops. He swears this is a great idea - he prefers earlies to maincrops.

He buys a bag or two of early pots, chits half and plants as you would expect in the spring - puts the rest in the fridge for the summer. Around now he chits and plants the rest for an autumn crop - they are just going in. In fact they are going in where the first crop is coming out............

I have a very small plot so not really enough space for maincrops, and I do like the baby earlies so this does appeal.

What do you think? Does it work? Have you tried this and was it successful?

Thanks,

Ann

[sewer rat]

I have not tried this myself as being so far north, the seasons does not really lend itself well to this method, but I do know of a grower in Devon who grows the variety Swift ( ready in 7 - 8 weeks) and then plants another crop of Swift immediately he lifts the first one. So in theory - and in practice, this can work - I suppose it all depends on the local conditions.

[BFG]

It's my 1st year trying and I know nothing, but I'm trying the same thing with 2nd earlies. I've done 2 batches already and have saved 4 spuds to try a late crop with. I'll plant them this week and see what happens.

[Paulottie]

Have done similar in buckets in the greenhouse for a crop at Xmas. Personally wouldn't bother as there is so much blight around in August...certainly for last couple of years. I don't bother with maincrops much for this reason. However you could try growing a salad maincrop like Pink fir apple or better still Rattes that should give you decent new spuds till well into October. by then I'm about ready for a roasty!

[Maddie106]

I've done this for the last 2 years using a first early, growing in containers. The second crop is smaller, but it IS nice to have home grown new spuds at Christmas.

I don't even bother putting the seed pots on the fridge...I leave them in trays in the garden (watch out for greenfly!) I'll be planting up my containers next month.

As regardes variety, I tried "Swift" and found it didn't have much flavour.

[starloc]

I was wondering about this, i still have some very healthy looking chitted seed potatoes in trays on a windowledge, were they were in february, there just slightly longer sprouts, now at about 2 inch of stem as there in strong light, i was wondering yesterday if they would grow if planted now

[deezyb]

starloc, i've got 4 chitted potatoes sitting on the windowsill still...my mum thinks they are an experiment, they've been there so long I'm going to put mine out today and see what happens....nothing ventured and all that...!

[Dynamo]

My advice would be to give it a go if you want to. If the guy next to you has had success doing it, then you should be able to have similar success seeing as you share the same weather conditions and soils etc.

[Snadger]

I was going to try it once but............

I was told to plant half at the normal time and bury the other half deeply in a biscuit tin to stop them chitting.
I did this, but when i came to dig up the biscuit tin I forgot where i'd buried it!
Biscuit tin is STILL buried in the allotment somewhere, two years later!

[frias]

He He. That reminds me of my OH. He never remembers where he puts anything.

[jenjen]

I notice that with my copy of GYO which arrived today, the Dobies Summer catalogue came out advertising all sorts of spuds to be planted about now....

[Storming Norman]

Thanks all,

I might try this as I am told we rarely get blight on the plots. I have some maincrops in but salads are my favourite.

However I am pretty sure this is because the plots were underused and barriered by weedy patches.

It was less than 25% let last year, now it seems like 125% [all these little half plots all over the place so we are tripping over each other now].

It's a good place for a gossip.......

[chell25]

I have done the same, planted some more first early's where i dug up the last first early's. I love new pots and most of the family do, so i would prefer to have them all summer, so i thought i would try it. Would could happen, they grow really well and i have them all summer, or they dont grow. At least i have tired it.

[Glutton4...]

...As regardes variety, I tried "Swift" and found it didn't have much flavour.

I've grown Swift, Arran Pilot and Pentland Javelin, as they were advertised as versatile (mash+chips+roast) but I found the Swift to be virtually tasteless! They did make fab roasties though!

[Alice]

I usually grow 2 crops of earlies and 2nd earlies in buckets.
I plant the first lot in February in a sunny shelterd position and add a bit of fleece if required. The potatoes are ready in May.
I replant the buckets and get the second crop before any blight arrives.
It could be done in the ground just the same.