[DonnaP]

Hi

This is the first time I have posted on this board. I got an allotment in November after many years of waiting (right opposite my house  ).

I am going to be having a series of beds and I have everything planned out on a spreadsheet so I know what to do and when (that's the idea anyway!).

I am unsure how many potatoes to buy and wondered if anyone has any advice. I will have 2 beds for spuds - 1 for earlies and 1 for main. Each bed will be approx 8ft x 8ft. How many of each do I need to buy?

Thanks for any help.

Donna

[madcat]

From my spreadsheet to yours

for earlies
=ROUNDDOWN((width in inches/12),0)*ROUNDDOWN((length in inches/24),0)

for mains
=ROUNDDOWN((width in inches/15),0)*ROUNDDOWN((length in inches/30),0)

I think that comes to 32 earlies and 18 mains on a 8ft sq bed

[digalotty]

normaly i plant them 18inches apart so i would say each bed would hold aronnd 20 - 25 spuds
as madcat said you can put the earlys a little closer 

[Adam]

Hi Donna, I usually plant my spuds in rows about 2 feet apart, with about a foot between each spud, so I reckon you might be able to get about 28 in each bed (if you start your first row a foot in from the edge).
I've read that you should give a bit more space to maincrops than earlies, so maybe a few less of them, perhaps give them 18" between each spud, just spread them out along the row so there's one less than the earlies in each row, 24 spuds maybe?

[bigben]

Hi Donna - check out this link http://www.thompson-morgan.com/info/growing-potatoes/introduction.html

 To some extent the closer they are the smaller the spuds will be. For earlies it is approx a foot between each and 2 foot between rows while main crop is a little bit more. Potatoes also do ok in pots so if you are pushed for room in your main beds you could grow some earlies in pots and use the beds for something else.

[DD.]

From my spreadsheet to yours

for earlies
=ROUNDDOWN((width in inches/12),0)*ROUNDDOWN((length in inches/24),0)

for mains
=ROUNDDOWN((width in inches/15),0)*ROUNDDOWN((length in inches/30),0)

I think that comes to 32 earlies and 18 mains on a 8ft sq bed

The back of my envelope says 32 earlies, 24 main.

[madcat]

He's usually right!