Cold spuds 4 Xmas

[smallblueplanet]

My two sorts of spuds - Anya & Nicola - are still in the salad drawer of the fridge. I plan to plant them up (well advise the OH how to!) in recycle boxes.....but when is best?



ps also grew Belle de Fontenay and they are absolutely yummy!!!

[nick the grief]

Any time now SBP.

[smallblueplanet]

Nick - any time? not ready yet, got no compost...'til when?

[nick the grief]

Well you usually use 1st earlies & they take around 10 - 12 weeks to mature (probably a tad longer as ther season will be in reverse if you see what I mean - nights getting longer, temeratures plummetting pestualance & plagues etc.) so if you go 12 weeks back from 25th of December that will give you the drop dead date as they say.

So you've got all of next month at least and they will keep in the tubs in moist compost OK if they are early

[smallblueplanet]

Ta duck! (I'm Derbyshire born originally and revert after a few glasses) I'll try and avoid the pestulance & plagues!!!!!

[Alice]

I planted mine today SBP. Nicola and some Maris Peer. I think you'll be OK anytime til the end of the month.(That's what I had in my diary anyway) The potatoes in buckets have been so good I can't get enough of them. Planning to go for mass production for next year. I've got plenty of space for the buckets. In fact everything in containers has been very succesful. I have a very large garden, but no kitchen garden as never had time, but this year the kitchen garden is getting started and made ready for the spring.

[anthonyjb]

Alice are your buckets out side all the time or do you put them in a greenhouse. wots your advice on watering buckets
many ths .
regards
anthony

[Alice]

Hello Anthony, I started my potatoes in buckets in March, in the greenhouse and put them outside in May when I needed the space for the tomatoes etc. I planted in succession and from May on they have just been outside. The ones I planted today will stay outside until the tomatoes are finished and we're in to the risk of frost (September) then I'll lift them into the greenhouse and just protect the shaws with fleece if very cold. I line the bottom of the buckets with porous membrane to keep slugs from getting in and mix some manure with the compost for the bottom of the bucket. I water the buckets quite generously, especially in the last few weeks of growth. The Charlotte were absolutely delicious and I got 4.5 lbs per bucket.(3 potatoes planted) Red Rooster gave me 6.5 lbs from 1 bucket(1 potatoe planted) I can't wait to see how Nadine gets on. Hope this helps.

[Squirrel]

The HDRA potato day next year is 28th January 2007 - just in case anyone is interested!

[anthonyjb]

do they have them in any other part of the country only i live in wiltshire ths
regards
Anthony

[nick the grief]

Have a look on Alan Romans site. He does loads of them. From memory I think that either Bath organic group have one or it may be Bristol can't remember.