First Earlies going in this weekend!! Anyone else?

[magz.mccarthy]

Hi,

I'm going to plant my very first potatoes this weekend and am very excited about it. They are rockets from T&M, and they have been happily chitting away for the past month or so. The chits are around 1.5 cm, so not the full inch, but hopefully this won't affect them.

They are going to go into a bed which we dug over last weekend to the depth of a pickaxe head, then covered with carpet, and will weed before planting this weekend. We also have a few marigold seedlings on the way to plant in between the spuds.

Has anyone else got their first earlies in and if so what type?

In utter excitement,
Margaret

[Flummery]

Not for a few weeks yhet Magz - a bit further north than you. Early spuds are just my favourite crop!

[janeyo]

I'm waiting for a bit with mine, see what thrills the weather has in store next!

[shirlthegirl43]

I have one little bit of soil deep enough for spuds, haven't grown any there for the last 2 years so might bung some in this week if I find the energy.

[Nicos]

Yikes!!!
I wonder when I should consider putting mine in?????

[OverWyreGrower]

I am going have a go with some this weekend (weather dependent)... I won't plant all of them though, just in case!

The beds are nearly ready - I'm 'lasagne gardening' so everything is covered with newspaper, straw/duckpoo, compost etc.

I'm going to plant my spuds then layer on the straw etc - should help to keep the weeds down, temperature up etc (and save me from doing so much d*mn weeding!)

[daleclarke]

Definitely too early for me, will try at middle to end of March. We have bad frosts right through till end of April.

[HeyWayne]

Blimey! I only started chitting mine this weekend.

[lynda66]

mine have been chitting since january they still only have pimples yet, and the ground needs lots of work so i'm holding off a bit

[Alison]

Not yet, put my earlies to chit just over a week ago and the main ones will only start next weekend. Planning on putting the earlies out by the end of March (too much effort rushing around with fleece if I do it any earlier) but that's dependant on getting the bed ready too.

[PAULW]

I put mine yesterday, second early's going in shortly

[Eyren]

Mine are still chitting and the sprouts are only a few millimetres long, so there's no hurry. Besides, it's not full moon for another fortnight

[magz.mccarthy]

Full moon? Oh no, I had it in mind to try the moon planting, but am so hyped up about this dig (have a full tank load of mates and beer to help with the process) that can't change my mind now! I have 20 spuds to go in, maybe I'll hold off 4 for the full moon?

[lainey lou]

Only started chitting mine a week ago. Will stick some of my swift in a bucket in the greenhouse this week but won't be putting any in the ground for a couple of weeks yet.

[TimH]

I put a chitted test batch out nearly 2 weeks ago in a 10KG bucket, Test purpose only with a poly covering as it's my first time. . My non-test batch will go in this Sunday in potato bags. 4 lots in all.

Hope I've not jumped the gun too much.