How long do your spuds last?

[Eden]

Hi all,
I was just wondering how long your spuds last you, I usually manage to go without shop bought spuds for about 4-5 months, but I was surprised today when I went into the garage and found just one bag left!

I grow new, first second earlies and maincrop to last me as long as possible but they do tend to all be ready roughly the same time. Is it possible to grow them for longer round the year?

cheers!

eden

[Alison]

I've hardly started on my main crop tatties as yet as they're being kept for storing to see me through the winter. Am a bit confused by your comment re them all being ready at the same time as, whilst that's true, it doesn't matter if they're properly stored.

[Eden]

Hi, one year I grew over half my allotment plot with spuds, had a massive harvest but when it came near xmas time a lot were getting wrinkly and soft, even though I'd stored them properly. I made a muck up saying about them all being ready about same time, that's a glass and a half rose wine messing me up! I tried to leave some spuds in the ground for storing but the slugs got them, never mind!

[Jillyreeves]

I grew Desiree, not many, 4 short 8 foot rows. Lifted and started eating them at the beginning of August, just a few meals worth left now :-( So I would say we have had 10 weeks without shop bought potatoes, but for a family of 3 we use quite a lot. I am happy with this years crop but plan to grow at least 3 times as many in 2010 now that we have cleared more land.

[snuffer]

I usually have some main crop left when I am planting the next years first earlies.

Not sure if I will this year though. I have certainly harvested enough (about 15 sacks all in all) but the nice warm autumn we've been having means that some of the stored potatoes (paper sacks in the garage) are starting to sprout. Up to now it only seems to be the International Kidney that are sprouting. The Desiree and Cara are still fine.

Have been keeping half of the village in potatoes (slight exageration) but think I will end up throwing away some of the Int. Kid. Such a shame but can't think how I might better store them.

[jackie j]

I mixed mine up when I planted them, I put in a couple of rows, It was a few weeks before I was able to plant more, I thought I was planting the same as before but it wasnt, by the time I dug them up I couldnt read the labels even tho I used a permanent marker pen. I had about 80lb plus, I gave some away but still had two big jute bags to store them in, I have one bag left. I planted Maris Piper and Pentland Javelin. I want to plant more next year and will try not to mix them up lol. I need another plot to be able to do this though.

[StephenH]

Hi all,
I was just wondering how long your spuds last you, I usually manage to go without shop bought spuds for about 4-5 months, but I was surprised today when I went into the garage and found just one bag left!

I grow new, first second earlies and maincrop to last me as long as possible but they do tend to all be ready roughly the same time. Is it possible to grow them for longer round the year?

cheers!

eden

Some of my veg. growing books, including 'Grow your own veg' by Carol Klein, question whether it's even worth growing spuds, since you can buy them so cheaply in the shops. However, I at any rate want to grow the full range of basics. However, I'm only growing maincrops - 'Maris Piper' this year, 'Pink Fir Apple' next. I was able to avoid buying spuds for maybe two months, and have the last few tiny ones in my larder waiting to be boiled - there's about one serving of them. Mind you, I think I harvested them a bit too early - lots of them were quite tiny, though I did get a couple of whoppers. Next year, I'll be more patient.

[PAULW]

Some of my veg. growing books, including 'Grow your own veg' by Carol Klein, question whether it's even worth growing spuds, since you can buy them so cheaply in the shops.

Yes but if you look in t***o's you can buy bags of "white potatoes" no name so you dont really know what you are buying, I have my standard favorites Maris Piper, Charlottes, International Kidney them I grow a trial selection and see if there is another spud better than one I am aready growing.

[Eden]

Hi!
I suppose there's a lot of veg that are just as cheap to buy in the shops as it is to grow, but home grown produce tastes so much better, and you know what chemicals if any it has come into contact with. If it's organic, and from the lottie surely it's better than 'white potatoes' from supermarkets which I find totally tasteless and no real show stoppers when it comes to roasting/mash/boiling etc.

What I've done in the past if I've had a lot of spuds going soft, I've cooked them all up and mashed them, froze them, or washed and sliced them, then froze them as slices, great on top of pies etc. I just found I has 2 full draws full of spuds!!! It was brilliant though, sometimes the thought of doing mash is a little off-putting but hey-ho! Get a bag out of the freezer, allow to defrost and bung it in the oven for a lovely crunchy top. I also added things like spinach, sweetcorn or cheese for an extra treat.

Eden

[Nicos]

We've usually eaten ours by Xmas!!!!

[Tam]

If you put an apple in each paper sack of potatoes, you will find that they don't sprout. This year most people will have quite a surfeit of apples !

[stupot]

Never heard that one Tam... I shall give it a go!

[janeyo]

I have had to buy potatoes this week - first lot since the early tubs were ready in May.

[snuffer]

If you put an apple in each paper sack of potatoes, you will find that they don't sprout. This year most people will have quite a surfeit of apples !

Thanks for that Tam, I'll give it a try. Can't do any harm unless I try cutting the apple into chips.

[kentvegplot]

I hope to get through to about the end of Jan. I grow about 7m of spuds in raised beds 1m wide. There's only 2 of us (except at weekends) so I don't use that many each week.