Surprise Potatoes

[MrC]

About October time we gathered up all the soil/compost from our finished veg and flower pots, mixed it with a good amount from our compost bin and put it into our 'greenhouse' for storage over winter.

In December I found a bag of seed potatoes (don't remember variety) that were extremely chitted (that the right word?). The actual 'seed' had almost completely shrivelled up.

I decided, out of curiosity, to 'plant' them in the stored compost/soil heap.

Recently they made an appearence!

Problem is we need the soil/compost moving and using...

So... given when they were planted and their condition at the time is the likely to be an edible crop... and... if so, how soon do you think I could eat them!

Photo below - they have made significant progress in the last 12 days.

[Potstubsdustbins]

They may well provide a decent crop. As to how long will depend on what they are.

10/12 weeks for first earlies. 16/18 weeks for second earlies. 20/22 weeks for main crop, maybe a little longer.

Colin

[Bigmallly]

Yes, I was thinking July/August at the earliest.

[Newton]

Let em grow....not go.....

[MrC]

I do want to keep them - but they are taking up all our compost and getting in the way of the tomatoes!

When is the earliest I could pull them up and eat them - and how would I know this based on the growth above soil?

Or, could I transplant them into their normal home (container) if I use a big shovel and be very careful?

[Potstubsdustbins]

I have never tried to transplant spuds. But if you need the compost and the room what have you got to lose.

Even if there are first earlies you've got 2 months to go.

Colin

[veggiechicken]

What do you need the compost for? Is it something that could be planted in with the potatoes?

[Sanjo]

I shall be lifting a "volunteer spud" later if the rain stops YES WE HAVE RAIN!!!!!!
It has appeared in what will be my sweetcorn bed and will be in the way.
I bought a couple of potato bags in Tesco yesterday so hopefully, with plenty of soil around them and a large spade I shall move them. Not much to lose in any case so worth a try.
Last year when I turned out some of my containers the haulms still had baby spuds on so I carefully put them back in the container once I had harvested the usable spuds and as carefully replaced the compost and they grew on to produce another pound or so of spuds.

[MrC]

We went on holiday in late May and when we came back a week later the potatoes were covered in some form of white insect!

That was the final straw - they were harvested and the compost used elsewhere!

In the end I was very happy considering I never really expected anything!

[veggiechicken]

The surprise potatoes are often the best!! I've just dug up a tray full of Volunteer spuds and they were delicious. My planted spuds have been cut down because of blight and the first diggings look pathetic.
Spuds for no effort win hands down