potatoes and frost

[jacob]

Earlier in the week there was a sharp and slightly unexpected frost when both me and my OH were away. It's bitten the potatoes (which had just showed above ground) quite badly. When this has happened once or twice before the potatoes have recovered pretty well, but this looks quite bad at the moment. It won't have been deep and the tubers should be fine.

What's everyone else's experience of frost damage to spuds?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Later crop but they usually get there.

[Beso]

I'd imagine they would cope pretty well being a big 'seed'.

[rana]

Yes, they will recover...........Remember how often you have seen rogue potato plants growing in the plot having survived the ravages of a full winter in the soil

[WPG]

I got caught out last week too Jacob. The foliage on all my potatoes was about 1-2 inches above the ground when we got frost here, it left all the leaves droopy and black. I've since earthed over them, and put envirofleece over the top, and am keeping fingers crossed that they'll re-grow.

[jacob]

I'm trying not to look at them at the moment in the hope that next time I look properly they'll have sprung back to life.

[chilli_grower]

same here, but I am sure they will bounce back soon...

[Madasafish]

My earlies - under cloches - were frosted last week. They have already started to regrow,

(It was around -2C and lasted for a long time and it was still cold (sub 5C) at 11am that day.

[Alison]

They will regrow but it's still best if they don't get frosted as it sets them back (which reduces the benefits of planting early) and means that they've wasted some of their energy producing leaves that are then damaged so there are still some negative consequences.