Potatoes for Christmas

[hamsterhead]

Good Afternoon

Has anyone planted and potatoes so they are ready to harvest for Christmas? And if so which varieties did you use? Did you plant them into the ground or into bags/containers?

[Bigmallly]

There is a couple of links here that may help you.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...puds_7359.html

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ties_3608.html

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...toes_2506.html

[hamsterhead]

Thanks Mally.

[Gemmalaveen]

After quite a bit of research I planted late season Charlotte new potatoes in containers (trugs with holes drilled in bottom) two weeks ago and they seem to be very happy. My original plan was to grow them for Christmas but I suspect they will be ready long before then.

I might plant another batch next week and fingers crossed I'll be munching them with my family on 25 Dec!

[The Large One]

i picked up some Nicola from GC a week or too ago.
Also think a bit early yet so maybe this weekend or next but into bags so i can move into the plastic greenhouse when needed

[Brengirl]

I too may have got the timing wrong. I planted some supermarket anya about a month ago. 3 containers have now got halum appearing and I planned to steep up with compost when needed. Before the first frosts I will put them in the unheated greenhouse. Have I a hope in hell of getting tatties for christmas?

[lettucegrow!]

So it's not too late for planting for christmas? The garden centre ones I saw today said plant in July. Might give it a go.

[Jax]

I am going to do some rocket, did want some different ones but I have some rockets to use. Gonna do them this weekend. I did read the best time was the last week of august

[arpoet]

I have started charlotte's off in potato sacks from tattieman's farm in scotland. 3 per sack in a mixure of topsoil, shreeded paper, multi purpose compost and a few handfulls of spent hops as i have found out that slugs dont like hops, and handful of potash well watered in. They are growing nicely outside my g/h ready to be taken in when the frost is forcast.
I dont expect make a profit on the job but as imported spuds at xmas can cost as much as 60p to a £1 per pound in the market it would be nice to break even.

[chris]

I got some Charlotte & Kestrel from JBA; emailed them via their site for information, and I think tattieman got back to me with the following:

<edit>
For info, here was my email to them:

Subject:
Christmas Potatoes - Chit?

Comments:
Hi,

I just had some Charlotte & Kestrel delivered from you - hopefully for some Christmas spuds. Few of them had white shoots on, that I've rubbed off..

As these are both 2nd earlies, and reading around they can be ready in ~13 weeks would it be best to chit them -seeing as Christmas is in 24 odd weeks?

Or can you plant now (putting some in the planter sacks you can buy - maybe some in the ground if I can find space) and just leave them in sacks/ground hoping to not get blight + protect from frost?

Or, shall I store for a couple of weeks?

Failing that, are there a maincrop Christmas spud that goes in around now? People have told me early July to plant - and that's what coincides with the instructions on both packets of potatoes.

Thanks for the prompt delivery too!

Chris

</edit>

Hi Chris

I would plant them by mid August at the very latest.
The idea is to grow the crop as quickly as you can before they die off due to the cold weather.
You can then leave them in the ground or potato planter bags until you need to harvest them.
I would probably chit them for a week just so that they have a tiny chit showing and put them into a container so that they can be moved indoors later on.
We tried maincrops last year but they tended not to bulk up quick enough before the cold weather arrived.
The potatoes will not grow as fast as the summer is getting by so it will take longer than 13 weeks. I would plant them all at the same time and see how you get on.

Iain

That said, Christmas was ~24 weeks away when I was planning on planting. The Charlottes are way ahead of the Kestrels, and two sets are just breaking the top of a fully opened potato grow bag (haxnicks one).

I was speaking to someone else about it, and they said anytime until around the start of September is ok, they tend to do it then, and as long as you can keep them protected from the frost, then you'll be in with a good chance of nicely plumped up tubers on Christmas Day!

Mine are in my greenhouse now, mainly as I don't have the room for them because all around the greenhouse is just mountains of earth, so no suitable place to put them. I'm having to water more regularly than I did when they were outside - which probably explains their growth too (due to temperature). If they're ready before Christmas (which I fully expect them to be) I'll cut the foliage down, and just leave them in the sacks until Christmas. That reminds me, I need to get a tarp to empty them out on, it's a pain trying to not spill the compost everywhere!