potatoes for christmas

[flighty1]

I don't know if anybody can help but here goes. I would like to grow some potatoes in tubs for christmas. I have a few varieties either planted or waiting to go in this coming weekend. I was wondering if it would be possible to use some of this years kestrel which should be planted this weekend. Once they have matured in about 15 weeks (July) would it be possible to just dig up & replant a few potatoes in the tubs to grow on for christmas. Personally I can't see any reason why not but it's not something I have ever done before & it's one of those things which seems to be to simple; there must be a reason why its not possible.
regards

[tattieman]

That is a good plan but I am afraid it won't work. Potatoes have a dormancy cycle which lasts around 60 days from the time they are harvested so by the time they wanted to grow again you would be too late to plant them,

[flighty1]

I thought it would be to easy. I will have to order a few. Tattieman many thanks for your help. Have just been looking at your web site, very impressed.
Thanks again

[tattieman]

Glad you like it.
I am working to improve it all the time.

[Maddie106]

I don't know if anybody can help but here goes. I would like to grow some potatoes in tubs for christmas. I have a few varieties either planted or waiting to go in this coming weekend. I was wondering if it would be possible to use some of this years kestrel which should be planted this weekend. Once they have matured in about 15 weeks (July) would it be possible to just dig up & replant a few potatoes in the tubs to grow on for christmas. Personally I can't see any reason why not but it's not something I have ever done before & it's one of those things which seems to be to simple; there must be a reason why its not possible.
regards

In the past, I've saved some of the seed potatoes from my spring planting ( always seem to buy too many!)....just put them outside in an empty seed tray in a shady spot, then planted them up 1 to a florist's bucket in July.(had to keep removing greenfly)
When the leaves died back in the autumn, I popped the buckets in the cold frame in case we had any frost.

We had some nice new potatoes in December...only a small crop of Red Duke of York, but very tasty. I just washed them and then steamed them to cook them. The skins stayed red.
Failing that, you can buy seed potatoes later in the year specifically for planting in the summer, to give you a december crop.

[Bigmallly]

Failing that, you can buy seed potatoes later in the year specifically for planting in the summer, to give you a december crop.

I was just wondering if I could save any seed potatoes for later planting & if so what conditions should I keep them in order to plant later in the year.

[tattieman]

To store the potatoes i would keep them in your fridge at a temperature of 4degrees celcius or sloghtly below. The problem is that if the chits have started to appear then you can't stop them as the cycle has begun

[moola]

Tattieman - just got a good look at your site. I am over the moon - I now have a greenhouse (double polycarbonate that did brilliantly well this cold winter) and will have masses of spare pots come August. It'll be brilliant to use these and have a full winter crop. Ace Just got to choose the varieties now....

[Bigmallly]

To store the potatoes i would keep them in your fridge at a temperature of 4degrees celcius or sloghtly below. The problem is that if the chits have started to appear then you can't stop them as the cycle has begun

Brilliant, I still have plenty that have not started chitting yet. Thanks.

[Flummery]

You are talking about re-planting the last of your earlies Flighty? If you leave some in by mistake, they don't start into growth again until spring - that's why you get volunteers all over last year's spud patch! As Tattieman says, they need a few months break. The ones sold for autumn planting have been kept in cold store.