What to grow after new potatoes?

[maverick451]

Hi guys

I have a small area so try to cram as much as I can and plant successionally

I want to get the new potatoes planted in late march/early April and out in June.

Any ideas on what I could plant after this? I like to have a plan

Do you think I could get away with Sweetcorn if I get them started in may ready to transplant?

any other ideas?

[Thelma Sanders]

That should work, I always follow new potatoes with leeks

[Bigmallly]

It's obviously down to personal preference & I would put Courgettes in before Sweetcorn, I think you get a much better return but as I say, it's personal preference.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'd go for leeks too, which will stand over the winter - but then you could put in sweetcorn or courgette (if you have seedlings ready to transplant) as suggested, or brassicas for overwintering.

I'd go for anything that you can overwinter, to keep the plot productive, but as BM says, it's up to you.

[Kristen]

Do you think I could get away with Sweetcorn if I get them started in may ready to transplant?

I think of Sweetcorn being a race - our season is short for that crop, in a cracking summer its a race easily won ...

For a while now we have had the benefit of F1 varieties that mature more quickly, and are better suited to UK climate - things with names like "Swift" but I still get mine sown as early as I can to plant out on 1st June to make sure of a crop by the end of August - after that the kids are back to school, Sunday BBQs tail off, and the prime time for me, personally, to eat and enjoy Sweetcorn with friends and family has passed. Of course you can eat it at any time though! I'm not sure it ripens as well into September as it does in August, but maybe I'm imagining it ...

Sweetcorn doesn't like root disturbance, so growing on to plant out is a bit of an issue. My local garden centre sells plants crammed into pots, and I often wonder how well they actually do ... I grow mine in pots made from rolling sheet of newspaper around an aerosol can, and plant the whole thing so as not to disturb the roots. Growing in loo roll tubes is the same thing (my reason for using newspaper is to make taller pots, so more root depth)

My first choice, as the others have said, would be Leeks. Mine are often not planted out until July.

Personally I would hate to harvest & store my early spuds, I dig mine "on demand" to maximise the sugar content (which will start turning to starch if you harvest & store). For me that means that harvesting my Early Spuds has not finished by the end of June.

[arpoet]

I plant winter cabbages after early tatties.

[datz]

I usually follow with leeks. I grow Mona Lisa which are a 2nd early I think. Excellent small and early but they also bulk up well to store.

[Bren In Pots]

I grow my potatoes in tubs and follow with courgettes and any spare leeks that I couldn't fit into the leek bed.

[maverick451]

Thanks guys

Im not too keen on courgettes so think I will go for winter veg then, leeks, etc

[chilli_grower]

I will be putting swede and cabbages in after the 1st earlies

[Penellype]

I grow any of PSB, leeks, chard or winter cabbage after potatoes when I grow them in my bins or raised beds - I don't usually bother reusing the potato bags as I find other crops don't grow so well in them. you could also grow later sowings of carrot, beetroot etc - there are plenty of things that can be sown in June.

[Valleyman]

As others have said, leeks. I also do carrots in the same spot as well.

If you're doing leeks do them in a trough planter or something similar first. Whatever it is sow them thinly in a 4-6 inch deep container (i.e not a seed tray) and they'll be nice thick specimens before you plant out after the tattie harvest. Carrots can be directly sown. Leeks and carrots are also good companion plants as well. Leeks deter the carrot fly and carrots deter the leek moth.

[Elfeda]

my plan is to put dwarf beans after new potatos, seems no one bothered about beans after potatoes? over winter veg can fallow beans right!

[Muppet194]

What about butternut squash? Is there any reason squash shouldn't follow potatoes? That was my plan but I'm thinking again now !

[Penellype]

Beans or squash would be fine if you can clear the ground early enough.