Preparing for potatoes

[rary]

I have been trying to resist starting too early with the garden, but so far the indications are for an early spring, we had severe frosts in November but though its has been cold and wet in December and January there have been no hard frosts so I am going to cover the bed that I will be using for the potatoes and hopefully it will heat up sufficiently to allow me to plant a bit earlier

[greenishfing]

When I grow my really early potatoes in the greenhouse I make the trench in the border about now and put some manure in the bottom and water it. I then leave it open for the bit of sun that we get to warm the bottom of the trench. In 2 or 3 weeks I'll put my chitted potatoes in and just cover them. I'll earth them up slowly as I want the sun's warmth to penetrate as far as possible. I'll keep some fleece and/or bubble wrap handy in case of frosts. Using this method I got my first potatoes at 8 weeks and 4 days last year and had them all dug out and the ground ready for other crops by June.

[Snadger]

When I grow my really early potatoes in the greenhouse I make the trench in the border about now and put some manure in the bottom and water it. I then leave it open for the bit of sun that we get to warm the bottom of the trench. In 2 or 3 weeks I'll put my chitted potatoes in and just cover them. I'll earth them up slowly as I want the sun's warmth to penetrate as far as possible. I'll keep some fleece and/or bubble wrap handy in case of frosts. Using this method I got my first potatoes at 8 weeks and 4 days last year and had them all dug out and the ground ready for other crops by June.

Sounds like a plan!

[rary]

Well that's the ground covered now all I need is some sunshine
Here are some photos of today's work

This is the bed I will be using and apart from the weeds there are edible radish there too

Weeded and chicken pellets hoed in, then the bed covered

[rary]

I will be covering the potato bed with a tunnel, if you were doing so what would you use enviromesh (the fine mesh type) or horticultural polythene, the bed is in full sun and it is a high rainfall area so watering is not a problem as there is a water butt close by

[Logunner]

I will be covering the potato bed with a tunnel, if you were doing so what would you use enviromesh (the fine mesh type) or horticultural polythene, the bed is in full sun and it is a high rainfall area so watering is not a problem as there is a water butt close by

Debris netting. Gives me +3c when I checked against outside temp.

[Can the Man]

I have my potatoes chatting in the garage, I will grow the earlies in the poly tunnel and the main crop outside when the soil is a bit warmer

[quanglewangle]

I usually put fleece over where the rows will go, about a week or so after I start chitting. This warms the ground a bit. I was planning to put the fleece out tomorrow and plant in a couple of weeks.

I return the fleece after planting and leave it in place until the plants are pushing against them, then take them off and earth up.

[edit] Forgot to say we spread LOTS of farmyard manure and dig it in before we start. The guy who farms the field as the end of our garden dumps a couple of tractor scoops over the wall each year, and we use the previous year's pile. Our soil is sandy, which is nice to dig but very hungry.

[Mr H]

I've heavily manured two beds for potatoes this year, both will be earlies - too much of a chance of blight on our site for maincrop. I have charlottes and red duke of York stored in the cool, dark garage waiting until the end of March to be planted. If last year was anything to go by they should be out by July and as long as they store ok we'll have a good supply through the winter.

Ahead of where I was last year as it was a rush from taking the plot on early March to preparing enough ground in time to plant them. Feeling like I'm in control of the spuds.

[quanglewangle]

...Feeling like I'm in control of the spuds.

Unfortunately, I am never quite as in control as I feel, and way less than I want...

BTW we are in a blighty area but Sarpo Mira main-crop avoided it here for us last year.

[Mr H]

Unfortunately, I am never quite as in control as I feel, and way less than I want...

BTW we are in a blighty area but Sarpo Mira main-crop avoided it here for us last year.

Thanks that's useful to know, I can only go on the advice of my neighbouring tenants as I'm still new at growing just about anything. Their advice is to avoid maincrops and tomatoes. Have to say I ignored them on the tomatoes last year and they were terrible. All covered in black spots.

[Jungle Jane]

I've heavily manured two beds for potatoes this year, both will be earlies - too much of a chance of blight on our site for maincrop. I have charlottes and red duke of York stored in the cool, dark garage waiting until the end of March to be planted. If last year was anything to go by they should be out by July and as long as they store ok we'll have a good supply through the winter.

Ahead of where I was last year as it was a rush from taking the plot on early March to preparing enough ground in time to plant them. Feeling like I'm in control of the spuds.

You are in control of them but I wouldn’t store the seed potatoes in the dark,the chits grow healthier in the daylight,the dark causes long weak,white shoots. Mine are just on the east facing windowsills where they get plenty of light but the least amount of sun.