[Arnfields]

...so I am in the process of trying to plan my planting and crop rotation on my lovely new lottie but am having trouble squeezing in all the potatoes, is it ok to plant the main crop in the same bed as the first earlies, providing they will have been harvested by then?  Or am I leaving them wide open to blight?

Thanks

[DD.]

Other considerations aside time is an issue.

Assuming at best you get the earlies out by the start of June, your maincrop need about 22 weeks to mature. Under normal weather conditions you would not get this period of growing time.

[Ropster]

generaly speaking, maincrop and earlies should be planted at the same time, or near enough.

the main crop just take longer to grow than the earlies

good things to follow the earlies are dwarf french beans (started in Richy's) or leeks

[mumofstig]

or winter squash/pumpkin

[Sweet Pea 2]

yes try some butternut squash.  Reckon mine might have ripened if I had done that this year.  I followed mine with Brocolli which probably didn't work so well, but I am still harvesting it, evne if it is in small quantities.

[Arnfields]

or winter squash/pumpkin

Oh that's fab, I love butternut squash but planted too late this year 
This planning lark is really making my head hurt 

[Sweet Pea 2]

try planning with a glass of wine.  The planning might not be as good, but the head hurts less   well until the next morning that is

[Arnfields]

try planning with a glass of wine.  The planning might not be as good, but the head hurts less   well until the next morning that is

That is an even better plan, tho I think it may have to wait til I get home from work
Rotten fottie  is on tonight at least it will give me chance to 'plan' in peace 

[greenhead]

Reading the various posts on Potatoes, I had no idea that you planted all three together i.e. 1st, 2nd and main at the same time, different beds of course.  I have always spaced them out by a month or so. - Am I missing the plot.  Perhaps some experienced  allotmenteer can put me (us) right.

[Arnfields]

Reading the various posts on Potatoes, I had no idea that you planted all three together i.e. 1st, 2nd and main at the same time, different beds of course.  I have always spaced them out by a month or so. - Am I missing the plot.  Perhaps some experienced  allotmenteer can put me (us) right.

Me either , learnt oodles on this forum 

[superplanty]

greenhead..........I plant my spuds as follows :-

1st early..................end Mar/Early April
2nd early.................early April/Mid April
Maincrop..................end April.

Also depends on weather !

[Sweet Pea 2]

I guess I spaced mine out a bit this year.  Mainly because I didn't have the time to do all of them at once though.
I am defintely going to plant a few of my first earlies earlier next year.   Reckon a few seed potatoes have got to be worth a risk of frost.  Also I will write down the date a planted them as well, so i know when to start furtling.

[DD.]

I start with planting my first earlies at the end of March and just keep going until they're all in. When I finish depends on my enthusiasm and the weather, were it physically possible I'd do them all on the same day, but it takes a couple of weeks.

[mumofstig]

I planted all of mine, Earlies and 2nds and maincrop on St Patrick's day (17th march) 

But then, I only plant 10 of each

[Arnfields]

greenhead..........I plant my spuds as follows :-

1st early..................end Mar/Early April
2nd early.................early April/Mid April
Maincrop..................end April.

Also depends on weather !

Looks like I was seriously late with my mains this year then...no wonder they were dire 

Does anyone know how many spuds you should be able to expect per plant as I am likely to either massively over plant or underplant so I end up with just a handful