[OakR]

Hello

Most maincrop potatoes suggested planting times are after the times for first earlies - is there a reason for this? They obviously take longer but what's the issue with getting them in the same time as the 1st earlies, or at least some of them?

Thanks

Al

[New shoot]

I have planted the whole lot at the same time and there is no issue with it. 

You have to bear in mind that potato foliage gets damaged by frost, so if you plant everything now, you could be rushing to earth up or fleece if we get a cold snap. 

I think the logic is that you want the early potatoes as soon as you can, so you plant early and faff a bit over them.  The second earlies are a follow on crop, so you plant those a bit later to stagger your harvest.  If you don't dig them because the first earlies are still going, they keep growing and turn into an early main crop, but that is not the end of the world.  The mains you want for autumn and to store, so  the suggested planting times reflect that.

In a cold or wet spring, that can all go to pot and that is when I end up rushing them all into the ground together 

[rowlandwells]

so rite new shoot because its going to be a few weeks before we can think about planting potatoes as i understand the potato crop is around fourteen weeks from planting to lifting is that rite?

we are intending to plant some early potatoes in drums this week also i left some potatoes in drums from last year forgot to lift them do you thing they will produce some early potatoes this year?

[New shoot]

so rite new shoot because its going to be a few weeks before we can think about planting potatoes as i understand the potato crop is around fourteen weeks from planting to lifting is that rite?

we are intending to plant some early potatoes in drums this week also i left some potatoes in drums from last year forgot to lift them do you thing they will produce some early potatoes this year?

The harvest time depends on the type of potato.  John's guide in here, but it is worth looking up and checking the individual varieties you have.

https://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/potatoes/potatoes-growing/

As for the drums from last year, they will be overcrowded so won't make a full crop.  If you leave them, they might make some new potatoes for you, but it depends if you want the planting space.  If you have to keep them watered, it might also be a lot of work for not much. 

[mumofstig]

New shoot is spot-on about faffing with any you plant a bit too early!
When I was younger, and a working single mother - I used to grow a lot of potatoes for the family, It simply wasn't possible to plant them all at the same time, the job took too long.
So it was earlies planted first (obviously) then the next weekend I planted the 2nds, then the early main-crop, then the main-crop. So the work was staggered over a month or so, allowing for weather and anything else that got in the way.
So, I think I just carrying on with what worked then and still does (although I grow an awful lot less nowadays)

[AnneB]

I agree completely with New Shoot.  The only real difference between the types of potato (first and second earlies, maincrop) when planting is the length of time until the tubers reach maturity, with maincrop taking the longest.
Up here in Yorkshire I put mine in the ground around mid April all at once.  It seems to work ok.

[OakR]

Thanks everyone - am going to have a think about planting times but this has helped a lot.