Autumn Planted Potatoes

[Jay-ell]

Aparrently it's an old practice which I've never tried or really heard of but has anyone planted their potatoes in the Autumn before? This is different to second cropping potatoes to be harvested in the Autumn/Winter.

The idea is that you plant them in Autumn/Winter - deeper than you normally plant them and mulched to protect from frost. Next spring they have a head start off and start growing their root system before you can get the first earlies into the ground giving them a head start and producing healthier plants and an earlier crop. Hopefully the weather will be cold enough to knock back any slugs and the seed potatoes won't rot in the ground.

When you consider how volunteer spuds can come back from the smallest tuber missed in the harvest, it might be worth a punt with some larger tubers from the second crop spuds I have in at the minute.

Browsing on tinternet I came up with this website which peaked my interest and there's and old thread that mentions it but didn't go into much depth.


If you've tried it what were your results? What varieties did you use? When did you plant them?

Strange isn't - in previous years I wasn't really bothered about growing spuds. This year I've had first earlies, early main crop, maincrop, second crop and I'm contemplating planting out some more for next year already.

[mickeymoose]

Whilst on hols in Jersey last year a tour guide was explaining the system for jersey royals.
They dragged seaweed onto the fields in early summer then planted in autumn covered with plastic and left till springtime removed the covering so the pots started very early

[Penellype]

I don't see why this shouldn't work, given that volunteer potatoes survive the winter outdoors. I would be inclined to plan to protect them against frost when the foliage starts to show as its rather colder in Newcastle than it is in Jersey!

[Thelma Sanders]

I don't see why this shouldn't work, given that volunteer potatoes survive the winter outdoors. I would be inclined to plan to protect them against frost when the foliage starts to show as its rather colder in Newcastle than it is in Jersey!

I think they may just grow through later anyway, in response to the temperature there?

[Penellype]

I think they may just grow through later anyway, in response to the temperature there?

Yes, that's likely, but I would still plan to cover them in the event of a late frost.

[Bumblingbroccoli]

What a fantastic idea. We always seem to miss a few potatoes that survive just fine over winter. I'm really keen to try it but where would you get seed potatoes from in November? I don't have enough spares from my poor harvest this year...

[bikermike]

hmmm, I have some saved spuds from last year that I forgot about, they sprouted in the box, I wonder if they will have enough left to give it a go or not?

[Jay-ell]

I'm going to dig up some Charlotte and Nicola just so I can plant them out again.

Or should I take some of the Maria piper in storage?

I don't think that they need to be chitted as that'll happen naturally in the spring.

[Thelma Sanders]

The advice from Iain@JBA potatoes (written in my notebook - remember those? ) about 2nd cropping potatoes, was " if using your own seed potatoes you must make sure that your potatoes are harvested and left for 60 days before re-planting to kick start the growth cycle"

[Jay-ell]

But second cropping spuds are planted July/August and harvested in Autumn / Winter so you want them to start growing ASAP (I didn't chit mine and they've grown ok)

This is more like a third cropping which you want to go dormant until spring so I'm thinking that some of the second crop as they are sort of in that state already.

I'm also thinking of using some of the second crop instead of the main crop as they're early potatoes and I might end up with an early crop in April/May

[Jay-ell]

Looks like it's in vogue at the minute - there's a recent utoob video about it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCF...s&pbjreload=10

[rary]

I think its worth trying so will give it a go if I can find some potatoes, which might not be too difficult as I have just lost 3 pots of tatties to the frost, the leaves are gone but the tubers should be ok

[Snadger]

Tried them once. Once was enough for me. More bother than they were worth.

[bikermike]

well, I've put in some pink firs from last year that I didn't plant in spring. the shoots on them seem to be still alive. I soaked some for a bit (as they are very shrivelled). we shall see if anything comes of it...

[Jay-ell]

Potatoes planted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOcwfcvzGec&app=desktop