early potatoes

[miker2d2]

Hi everyone, this is my first year wth spuds, I've got some rocket earlies to give a go, I have dug some manure into the ground and I'm itching to get them in.

is it too early? (down south)

Regards

Mike

[Hazel at the Hill]

My first earlies are going in today, Mike, so I would think that they would be ok in your neck of the woods.

Two things, though - I'd plant them quite deep (8"-10"), and make sure that you have some fleece in so that when the shoots come up and there's a frost forecast, you can cover them over.

[miker2d2]

thanks hazel, thats all the encouragement I needed and they're in! will keep an eye on the weather

plot is my garden so easy to nip out and cover if req

[Kristen]

I won't plant mine for a couple of weeks. I could put them in now (and have planted about now in previous years) but it then became a fight to keep the frost off them, and I decided that was too much like hard work.

I now grow a few bags to get real early new potatoes (the ones planted in mid Feb are through the compost already) and then I am not in such a hurry to get the going outside.

[Two_Sheds]

I decided that was too much like hard work.

me too .. mine are perfectly happy on the windowsills for a couple of weeks yet

[Jono]

You could always put a handful in a bag as an experiment, and leave the rest for a couple of weeks? If it works, you'll get some nice early potatoes.

[Cloud]

I grow Epicure as they recover from frost damage quickly so can go in earlier than most.
Mine will be going in as soon as the soil is dry enough!

[broadway]

I will do mine next week around paddy's day