What potatoes can be planted now?

[Samurailord]

I want to get hold of some seed potatoes that I can get in the ground now.

According to the books I have got I should be just at the right time to get a late maincrop going, but every online site seems to have Jan 13 as the earliest time for despatch.

I mainly want to use them to break up the ground in newly established beds, but also having a crop would be nice.

I also want a few that I can pass on to my son's fiancee as she is just getting into growing her own but only has a small concreted yard in which to do so, so it's all containers for her until I can let her have a small part of my allotment.

(only six days to go until I get the keys, if all goes well!)

So - firstly, is this the right time to get maincrop varieties in, and secondly, where can I get some appropriate tubers from that I can plant now?

Thanks

Andy

[Two_Sheds]

The reason why we don't usually plant spuds now is because blight comes along in August. Also, the days are getting shorter now, and plants don't grow as quickly as they do when the days are lengthening.

3-4 months is average for getting a crop: that takes you into Oct/Nov, when it's too cold for spuds and any frost will kill them.

It is possible to plant "Xmas" spuds in July/Aug, but they'll need taking under glass when blight/frost occurs


If you're determined to have a go, just plant some supermarket spuds. Yesterday I dug up a very presentable crop of Marabel (from Asda)

[Samurailord]

Thanks TS.

Like I said, the main reason to plant is to get the ground in new beds broken up a bit, and also to get the foliage cover to deter some of the weeds.

I have a couple of bags of sprouting whites (also from ASDA) that SWMBO is making noises about throwing out.

I will put them to one side and have a go once I get the allotment.

Isn't there a problem with using supermarket potatoes as they might introduce disease?

Andy

[zazen999]

I'd recommend cardboard to keep the weeds down and leeks to go in to break the ground up. You can use a bulb planter to get the leeks in nice and deep, and mulch around them with grass clippings, shredded paper, coffee grounds - rather than potatoes this year. I suspect blight will rampage in the next few weeks and there just isn't enough sun to keep get them up and running.

Plus brassicas like the soil nice and dense, so get some of those in.

You won't get potatoes for Christmas if you put them in an allotment, outside, in Oldham.

[Florence Fennel]

Morning Andy. I've had an e-mail from T&M this morning advertising "potatoes for Christmas", but they have to be grown in pots so you can take them inside when it gets really cold. They are also very, very, expensive. I'd use those sprouters you've got, or go with Zaz's good ideas.

[Samurailord]

Thanks Zaz, Florence

I think I will use a bit of all the ideas, after all, I am on a steep learning curve here.

Some of the potatoes will have one area, leeks in another and brassicas in a third area.

I am planning to use a weed suppressing fabric on the majority of the plot this year as I am sure I won't be able to get it all under control before winter, but I will also be using cardboard so I can see how the two methods compare.

How big should the leeks be before planting them out, or is it best to start from seed?

Andy

[Florence Fennel]

My leeks are from seed and are about a thin pencil size Andy, I'm just waiting for the potatoes to come out so I can plant them. Think you may have to buy plants.

[Two_Sheds]

Isn't there a problem with using supermarket potatoes as they might introduce disease?

If there was, I wouldn't use them, nor recommend them

[scarletrunner]

Morning Andy. I've had an e-mail from T&M this morning advertising "potatoes for Christmas", but they have to be grown in pots so you can take them inside when it gets really cold. They are also very, very, expensive. I'd use those sprouters you've got, or go with Zaz's good ideas.

Waste of money,if you want to try this cheaply,save some of your normal planting time first earlies,and store them in the fridge to delay spurting.That's what T@M do!

[hollychap]

i was in the uk discount store the other day and they had some king eds still on sale i think you got 8 tubers for a quid see if theres a branch local to you . i too save my xmas spuds from my yearly batch

[danniiangel]

I bought some spuds for planting now at JBA online. It was £1.99 for ten tubers and they have a few varieities to choose from. They were despatched promptly too. I bought them last week.