To plant or not to plant...

[Sylvan]

...that is the question.

A couple of weeks ago Grumpy found some potatoes lurking on the lottie. A few of them seemed the perfect size for seed potatoes so I started chitting them.

I think we have 8 Desiree and one Picasso (though it could be a Kestrel).

The problem is, we've been trying to buy a croft for the last 5 months and it looks as though we may be just about on the home stretch, but, if we do get it, it probably won't be till the beginning of May.

Do we plant the potatoes in April, on the lottie, which may mean they end up being abandoned before harvest time, or wait till May and hope we actually get a harvest before winter?

[gan heather]

The beginning of May is only a couple of weeks away, so wouldn't that mean just harvesting them 2 weeks later than you would if you planted them now? I can't see why that would make such a difference.

Or couldn't you plant them in buckets and leave them at the allotment...moving them with you if you move? The harvest probably wouldn't be as good, but you'd still get one.

[Sylvan]

I was thinking that by the time we would be able to prepare a bed and plant them it would be at least mid-May - thought it might be too late (Can you tell we've only grown potatoes twice? )

We tried them in Morrisons buckets the year before last and had very poor results, but as you say it would at least be something! Thanks - I hadn't thought of that.

Would you plant them now, or let them chit a little longer?

[tamsin]

Could you plant them in bags (eg half a compost bag) then when you were sorted, dig a hole, put them in and shred the bag sides a bit, that way they'd get the extra moisture/food and might do a little better. Never tried it, just an idea.

[gan heather]

I was thinking that by the time we would be able to prepare a bed and plant them it would be at least mid-May - thought it might be too late (Can you tell we've only grown potatoes twice? )

We tried them in Morrisons buckets the year before last and had very poor results, but as you say it would at least be something! Thanks - I hadn't thought of that.

Would you plant them now, or let them chit a little longer?

I think even if you planted them mid-May you'd still get a crop - they just wouldn't be as big as if you planted them now.

I just had a quick look in Allotment, Month by Month, and it says the time to plant potatoes is March, April, May. If it were me, I'd probably just hold off until May and plant them in the ground (and let them sit on a windowsill, chitting, until then). But that's just me. Others will probably have different/better ideas!

[Sylvan]

Thanks. I'll leave them on the windowsill as long as I can and then, if we don't have anywhere to plant them by mid-May I'll try compost bags, if we have any spare, or buckets if we don't.

Is six weeks a reasonable length of time to leave them chitting?

[VirginVegGrower]

Six weeks chitting will be fine.

[coreopsis]

You don't have to chit the maincrop ones.Desiree is early maincrop,if you bung them into the ground in May,they'll still give you a decent crop.
I wouldn't put them into Morrisons flower buckets,in my opinion they are far too small for potatoes(it's a root crop but doesn't grow downwards like carrots)

Sorry,don't know much about Picasso but Desiree is my favourite.

I don't plant my potatoes till the beginning of May due to living in the nice frost pocket but still get a good crop.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Picasso early maturing white main crop. Desiree red skinned standard main crop neither will do any good in a small pot. My Picasso have just gone into my dustbins.

Kestral second early white skin purple eyes usually lifted in July, having grown this I don't think this one would be suitable for small pots either but should be OK in old compost bags if watered & fed well.

Hope this helps Colin

[Florence Fennel]

I'd go with the portability (is that really a word?) of the compost bag theory Sylvan.

[Sylvan]

Aye, it's looking as though that may be my best option.

Thanks everyone

[Sylvan]

Should I just put one seed potato in each compost bag?

[Headfry]

just a thought, you could plant into pedal bin/ dust bin bags, even carrier bags now.....take them careful with you. dig a hole at the croft cut the bottom out of plastic bags them let the whole lot slide out gently into nice big planting hole??????