[MickyB]

I ordered my seed potatoes from JBA today, during the ordering procedure I was asked for the date I wanted them delivered, I didn't know when the right time would be but I guessed at 17.02.14 - thinking this would allow time for chitting - have I got them coming at the right time?

[m1ckz]

ive got my earlies in now  wilkos   2.75 per 2kg bag

[mumofstig]

They say to start chitting them 6 weeks before you plan to plant them, so earlier delivery suits the South 

I start chitting them as soon as I buy them, or as soon as they arrive from the suppliers, if I've ordered them online, cos if kept cool chitting can be quite slow.

[MickyB]

They say to start chitting them 6 weeks before you plan to plant them....

Six weeks of chitting would take me to the very beginning of April, would that be around about the right time to plant out potatoes in Nottinghamshire?

[mumofstig]

I try to plant mine mid March, so it seems ok to me, but there's bound to be someone along soon, who lives nearer 

[heloise]

End of March always works for me (weather permitting) and it's not like the '6 weeks' idea is an actual rule 

[MickyB]

Cheers, my 'guestimate' was pretty good then  Phew !

[surbie100]

I tend to plant mine in April because my plot spends a few months impersonating a bog. Chitting for an extra couple of weeks does no harm I reckon.

[Yorkie]

I plant mine on Good Friday 

[BabbyAnn]

I used to plant spuds about mid-March but in recent years, this has shifted to about mid-April or even into May - just remember that a warm spring day doesn't necessarily mean warm soil.  And sometimes we can get a late unexpected frost about mid-May which can knock otherwise healthy foliage.  When I've planted early, I seemed to spend more time whittling about a succession of frosts, fleecing the bed and earthing up to the point when you start to worry the plants never see daylight.  The downside to later planting is the worry of blight later on, so quite a balancing act.  As I usually book leave off work at Easter week, I try to plant mine about then but it really is dependent on the weather and when that holiday falls.

[devonbarmygardener]

My seed potatoes should be coming next week.
I tend to plant earlies in early March but it tends to be warmer down here.

[JayG]

Looking at my records over the last 10 years the earliest I've planted spuds is the middle of March, the latest the middle of April last year (not surprisingly given that there was nearly a foot of snow in March!)

Agree entirely with BabbyAnn about the risks and benefits of planting later - I only grow earlies so hope to avoid blight problems even when planted later, which does help save some of the nervous energy wasted wondering whether to fleece or earth up when frosts are still about.

Spuds need a minimum soil temperature of 6C to even think about growing, which is worth bearing in mind if you happen to own a thermometer. 

[Goosegirl]

I tend to plant mine around Easter like my dad did, and I haven't chitted them for a couple of years now and still get a good harvest.

[mumofstig]

I tend to plant mine around Easter like my dad did,

so that could be any time between March 22nd and April 25th, then 

[DD.]

My grandfather was an old traditional gardener (born in to 1800's) and one by profession.

However, he rubbished Good Friday planting as it's all over the place as mumofstig says.