Royal Potatoes Harvested 29/4/11

[tattieman]

With today being the royal wedding day I decided to harvest some Swift potatoes that had been growing in the greenhouse during the winter. The crop is not huge but they have been harvested a bit too soon and there were plenty more tubers forming which would have been great in a few weeks time.

Anyway here is the video YouTube - Seed Potatoes Harvested 29/4/11

I also have a few photos of them just waiting to be washed a devoured.

[mrbadexample]

...some Swift potatoes that had been growing in the greenhouse during the winter.

Tell me more! Is your greenhouse heated? Mine is unused in the winter, so it'd be great if I could grow spuds in there, even if it was only a few.

[Maccabee]

^^What he said.

[tattieman]

No the greenhouse is not heated and the cold did nip them but I covered the polypot with bubblewrap and that was the result. The potatoes were actually planted in November but the cold weather never allowed them to develop and then when they did they got nipped but grew again.

If I made a small bubble wrap greenhouse in the big greenhouse then I think you could grow most of the year round apart from when things get to minus 18 like this year.

[mrbadexample]

Sounds like it's got to be worth a punt. I'm thinking a pallet or something to lift them off the cold ground, then some bubblewrap as you suggest. Did you just wrap the sides, or over the top too?

[Snadger]

I remember a couple of years ago trying to grow some tatties for Christmas. They were planted in October I think, in a cold frame. Surrounded by straw and with a small paraffin heater in.....they still got frosted!
Some of the shoots did start to grow again in the spring though and lilke tattieman I got a very small early harvest.
Certainly was a memorable day to harvest them anyway!

[tattieman]

I always grow stuff to the worst of my ability so that if it works for me it should work for everyone if that makes sense. I just layed the bubble wrap over the top of the bag and let it droop over the sides. I think where I got lucky was that I was not in the greenhouse very much over the winter and the potatoes did not get watered on a regular basis which means the water did not have a chance to cause any frost damage to the spuds.

I had the polypot just sitting on a mound of soil in the greenhouse.

So the theory is that I can plant potatoes in March - May to Harvest June to September.
I can then plant potatoes in July/August that are Ready in November/Christmas.
The next step is November planted first earlies which can be harvested in April so really I have potatoes growing all year round in Scotland with no heating needed.

I can see a new market opening up for November/Christmas planting potatoes whilst you harvest the others you planted in July.

I think if you had some grow bags and a porch/conservatory etc then you would be off to a flyer.

[Maccabee]

Cheers for that tattieman! I'll be giving it a go this year i think

[solway cropper]

I planted quite a lot in containers in the greenhouse in February and they are almost ready for picking. I reckon another week or ten days. I wouldn't risk trying to overwinter them after the last couple of severe winters but if we ever get back to 'normal' British winters I'd certainly give it a go.

[bronwen]

Yay, Royal Potatoes! Well done tattieman!

[FoxHillGardener]

I planted some really late summer in Morrison's pots and they grew a bit but I'd really left it too late and wasn't expecting much. I had a vague plan about harvesting them for Christmas. Anyway, never got round to harvesting them but left them in the unheated greenhouse.

When it got cold they died back but I left the pots all winter and they've grown again. Not sure if it's the tubers that formed last year that have now grown - llike the volunteers in my broad bean bed

The stems are going a bi tfloppy now so I think I'll have a poke around and see what's in there

[Flummery]

Now that's what I call a First Early! I'm expecting to harvest mine, grown in a cold greenhouse and planted in Feb, in about 3 weeks time. Can't wait!

[solway cropper]

Following tattieman's example I decided to take the plunge and empty one of the greenhouse containers today. These are Lady Christl, bought from Iain's good self and planted on 20th Feb. Not really ready as you can see by the number of tiddlers but, boy, did they taste good with our tea today. Another week or so and they should be as big as hens eggs.

more details with pics at:
the recycled gardener

[tattieman]

Nice result there I would say. I had the Swift tonight and they were yummy.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Check my pots today, Lady C planted in buckets in Feb reckon next week I will be into some lovely new spuds.

Colin