Potatoes

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John

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Potatoes
« Reply #15 on: November 28, 2005, 11:36 »
Quote from: "olde9856"
Wonderful area until the river comes up into my fields

Tempted to ask how it is for growing rice!
Check out our books - ideal presents

John and Val Harrison's Books
 

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olde9856

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Potatoes
« Reply #16 on: November 29, 2005, 08:47 »
The way it floods is 4ft of water one day and gone the next! its just a b***dy fag having to bring the animals in.

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John

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« Reply #17 on: November 29, 2005, 09:01 »
Animals? Please tell - do you have a farm or smallholding? What animals? Yes - I'm being nosy!

Incidentally, you should have seen the allotment rep's face when I mentioned the constitution allowed us to keep pigs. Now I have no intention of keeping pigs but he doesn't know that  :!:

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olde9856

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« Reply #18 on: November 29, 2005, 15:06 »
Yes I have a smallholding and have seen you on other sites I visit (different user name). I only have 2.5 acres which includes veg gardens and fields. I keep the usual hens ducks geese a few sheep and pigs in the winter, though I dont have any pigs yet this year.

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kooringa

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Potatoes
« Reply #19 on: November 29, 2005, 15:08 »
Yes please, so tell Olde9856.  

I liked the way you and your forbears grew potatoes and wrote that down to try it .......

Until that is I saw you next posting when you said that you filled the trenches with water.

There is not water on our site and we live in a very dry area, so I guess that way is out for me.

Sounds like you like the life that I have always wanted to - small holding, animals, self sufficient.

I think that John has the same drea too????
Visit my website to see my chickens, quail, allotment and much more -

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John

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« Reply #20 on: November 29, 2005, 20:40 »
Oh yes, I have that dream too - only thing is that I kept trying to make enough to do it as property prices shot up.  Nearly did it a few years back but the dot com boom made me a millionaire for a month and the crash took it away again!

Now I'm on the wrong side of 50, I'm not looking for quite as much as I was. Val (my wife) reckons we should jump to Spain. 2 hectares and a house for 39,000 pounds does sound interesting.

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kooringa

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« Reply #21 on: November 29, 2005, 22:02 »
Sounds a bargain!

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noshed

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chitting
« Reply #22 on: January 26, 2006, 18:42 »
Is it absolutely essential to chit? I'm running out of space to put mine and I was considering bunging a few rows in as they come to see what happens. Has anyone any experience with this?
Self-sufficient in rasberries and bindweed. Slug pellets can be handy.

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kooringa

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Re: chitting
« Reply #23 on: January 26, 2006, 19:30 »
Quote from: "noshed"
Is it absolutely essential to chit? I'm running out of space to put mine and I was considering bunging a few rows in as they come to see what happens. Has anyone any experience with this?


Last year I ran out of time and space, and in the end 'cheated' with my main crops and worried about it, as they went straight in - no chitting - and they were brilliant.  I just think that chitting gets the earlies off to a quicker start.

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John

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« Reply #24 on: January 26, 2006, 20:29 »
Bang on! Chitting is much more help with earlies than maincrop. In fact many people don't both chitting maincrop at all.

We've plenty of room though, unless some one comes to stay in the spare bedroom  :lol:

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Martin

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Potatoes
« Reply #25 on: January 29, 2006, 16:55 »
Hello, I'm still a bit confused about chitting. I got a selection of seed potatoes today at the Hampshire Potato day. Ended up making a bit of random choice (since its all new) and got a range from first early to late maincrop. Should I start them all chitting now or should I store the maincrops for a while? If I need to store them, any recommendations?
Thanks
Martin
Martin

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John

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Potatoes
« Reply #26 on: January 30, 2006, 09:15 »
I'd start chitting now if I was you. It can't do any harm even if some people aren't sure it is of benefit to the maincrop.

The difference between chitting potatoes and them sprouting in a bag is the light. When exposed to light, you get short fairly thick shoots which give the potatoes a head start when you plant them.

Honestly, there isn't much too this. Just stick them into a seed tray or shallow box in somewhere cool but frost free with light and that's it :)

So what varieties did you buy? How much did you pay? Details - we're a nosy bunch, you know!

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Martin

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Potatoes
« Reply #27 on: January 30, 2006, 17:09 »
Quote from: "john"
I'd start chitting now if I was you.

Thanks, I've now got them in egg boxes on the windowsill in an unheated bedroom.

Quote from: "john"
So what varieties did you buy? How much did you pay? Details - we're a nosy bunch, you know!

I got 8 of each of the following:
Red Duke of York (1st early)
Maris Peer (2nd early)
Maris Piper (early maincrop)
Sante (early maincrop)
Sarpo Axona (late maincrop)
First 4 were 8 for £1, and the Sarpo were 20p each, so total cost £5.60

I realised after I got home (or rather, my wife pointed it out!) that I had got 4 floury flesh and one waxy, so maybe I didn't get the balance quite right. Never mind, this is my first year growing vegetables so all part of the experiment! (Got to finish constructing the beds yet, as I'm terracing a  slope)

P.S Potato day was well worth going to for a couple of hours. Details at http://www.hhdra.org.uk/potatoday.htm. With getting on 150 varieties it was difficult to choose!

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John

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« Reply #28 on: January 30, 2006, 18:00 »
I'm trying Sarpo Axona this year (first year it's been generally available) - the Sarpo Mira was very productive and slug resistant as well as blight resistant. High hopes.

Good luck with the landscaping - hard work.

I think it may pay you to pop into a garden centre or suchlike for a few more than you have. Mind you, we reckon I grew twice as many as needed last year LOL

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olde9856

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Potatoes
« Reply #29 on: January 31, 2006, 16:27 »
I never chit any of my spuds and to be honest it does not seem to make any difference. Perhapse the first earlies benefit slightly but not much.
I often find I tend to break off the shoots when planting!



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