Spuds

[Andrewtheface]

My spuds that I am growing containers are dying, would this be down to all the rain we have had lately ( Cardiff) they just seem to be withering, I tipped one container out and the spuds where mushy?


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[WendyC]

Are they undercover or not? Have you had a frost? Potatoes are not frost hardy, even the so called Christmas ones. If you can keep them somewhere warmer and frost free they may recover but if they are mushy I doubt it.

[Andrewtheface]

There not under cover, one or two of the other are starting to show signs of the same if I get in the greenhouse do you think they will be ok


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[WendyC]

It would be worth a try, even so you might need to fleece them if it gets colder. I've never grown potatoes at this time of year but I know it is a bit hit and miss. I would also be tempted to keep them a little drier to avoid any rots setting in. Are these "Christmas" potatoes? Did they come with a warning about frost?

[Andrewtheface]

I believe so yes, I just thought with the amount of rain they've had this might be the reason they are dying


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[rustylady]

Could be the rain, but I assume you have adequate drainage holes in your containers.

Spuds aren't really suited to growing so late in the season, and if yours have gone mushy you might as well give up on them.

[Two_Sheds]

My spuds that I am growing containers are dying, would this be down to all the rain

No, it's down to it being winter. Potatoes are from S.America, so they don't take kindly to a British winter. Like all annuals, they die in the winter

[TrialAndError]

Potatoes for Christmas - it's more than possible, I've done it a couple of times no problem. However that has always been in open ground and they were planted early September.

They took off like a rocket and in 6 weeks were around two foot high.

Not sure about growing potatoes in containers but here is a link to an article that has lots about the subject:

Grow Potatoes in Containers for Christmas

When the frosts do come along it may well damage the foliage but unless it's a hard one enough keeps growing. I don't think there are particular varieties for this type of spu growing. they sell the normal new potato varieties like Nicola etc.

Good luck

[Two_Sheds]

Potatoes for Christmas... I've done it a couple of times no problem. ... in open ground and ... planted early September. ... in 6 weeks were around two foot high.

so you had foliage in mid-end October, just when the clocks go back and we have the shortest days and frosts.

When did you harvest them and what weight was the yield?

[Bill HH]

Potatoes for Christmas - it's more than possible, I've done it a couple of times no problem. However that has always been in open ground and they were planted early September.

They took off like a rocket and in 6 weeks were around two foot high.

Not sure about growing potatoes in containers but here is a link to an article that has lots about the subject:

Grow Potatoes in Containers for Christmas

When the frosts do come along it may well damage the foliage but unless it's a hard one enough keeps growing. I don't think there are particular varieties for this type of spu growing. they sell the normal new potato varieties like Nicola etc.

Good luck

Its good to see you live up to your name, a lot of gardeners get stuck in their ways and become quite stuffy when people experiment. There is no harm in trying these things and given a lucky season you can have great results.

[bearded bloke]

New spus for C*****mad in containers are achievable,but you will need to keep them as warm as possible,I sat the containers on a pallet stuffed with straw,then filled all the free vertical space with more straw,they will need plenty of water & regular feeding,variety wise to date my best results have been with Charlotte,but any second early should be fine

[TrialAndError]

so you had foliage in mid-end October, just when the clocks go back and we have the shortest days and frosts.

When did you harvest them and what weight was the yield?

Shortest day is late December, frosts in my area (Midlands) first occur mid to late November, as they have done this year. So no and no to your questions.

Started to harvest them around early November, before the first frost. And I really did have spuds on our dinner table on Christmas day. Admittedly by that time the crop was almost used up. The only problem you might encounter is remembering where the potatoes are because by end of November almost all trace of the foliage will have gone! The second time I tried it I put markers in the soil.

We used quick maturing early varieties - these are the ones the garden centres mainly sell in August / September for this purpose. The yield is good, didn't weigh them but it looked much the same as normal new potatoes.

The key factor which make this possible is the warm temperature of the soil - in September it's probably at its highest and the spuds love it.

Give it a try, loads of articles out there on the internet about how to do it. Just type in potatoes for Christmas or similar.

[JoeDaStudd]

I planted a sprouted potato (chopped into 3 or 4) I found in the back of the cupboard around the beginning of October and checked on the them during the weekend to find them dying, I got about a cup of small potatoes (ranging form 5p to 50p coin in size) I think I put a separate one in earlier as one plant in a separate bucket had was much better with about a cup or two full on its own with some decent sized ones.
Both where in a unheated greenhouse so I was hoping they would have done better, but there were about two weeks of frosts and I'd forgotten about them so didn't cover or isolate them.

Maybe next year I'll remember to put them in earlier and remember to cover them before the frosts.