Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: GillyHen on April 10, 2009, 13:19

Title: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: GillyHen on April 10, 2009, 13:19
Do seed potatoes need to be hardened off before planting? And if I planted some Charlottes now, would it be sufficient to either cloche them or cover with a layer of fleece if any frost was expected..?

When I plant them, do I dig a foot deep trench, dump a good layer of horse muck in the bottom, put the potatoes on top, and cover the whole lot up..? The shoots then presumably make their way up to the surface..?
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 10, 2009, 14:10
You'll only need to protect them if the shoots have shown & frost is expected.

The seed spuds need to be 3" below the surface, so the bottom of the spud needs to be 5" down on average. Unless you've a 7" layer of horse much, a 12" trench is probably a little too deep.
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: GillyHen on April 10, 2009, 14:23
Excellent, thanks for that :)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: GillyHen on April 10, 2009, 19:43
(I used comfrey leaves and a layer of growbag compost instead of horse muck in the end)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 10, 2009, 19:49
I'm sure they'll be fine.

Charlotte are a "must grow". Got 50 of them in this year. (That's a lot of salads!).
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 10, 2009, 20:03
I'm trying Charlotte for the first time this year - where the bean trench has been for years so plently of organic / compost material underneath.

Is Charlotte at all resistant to wire-worm?
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: GillyHen on April 10, 2009, 22:38
I need to dig some up and re-home them actually - I got the measurements wrong and have buried them 10" apart  :ohmy:
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: GillyHen on April 10, 2009, 23:51
What happens when the seed pots are packed too closely? Does the yield reduce in both size of, and number of, potatoes? In a trench four feet long would it be fair to say only two seed potatoes should go in there?
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 11, 2009, 06:15
I think you'd lose out size wise.

I plant mine 15" apart. Three would take up 30" In a 4 foot trench this would lave 9" at each end, so you'd probably get away with it.
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 11, 2009, 11:23
What happens when the seed pots are packed too closely? Does the yield reduce in both size of, and number of, potatoes? In a trench four feet long would it be fair to say only two seed potatoes should go in there?

If you have the space then wider apart is better or if space is short 2 choices: fewer seed spuds or closer together and a reduced crop per plant.

Personally I could do with a couple of acres to plant everything I'd like to grow so my spuds are closer than perhaps they should be but crop was good last year...

I don't think potatoes are good with a ruler so they just get on with it and make the best of what space they have.  ;)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Salmo on April 11, 2009, 11:43
I need to dig some up and re-home them actually - I got the measurements wrong and have buried them 10" apart  :ohmy:

I would leave them where they are. The yield per root may be less but the yield per yard run of row will probably be the same. If the potatoes are a little smaller does it matter if you are not peeling them. It may be an advantage.
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 11, 2009, 12:20
I need to dig some up and re-home them actually - I got the measurements wrong and have buried them 10" apart  :ohmy:

I would leave them where they are. The yield per root may be less but the yield per yard run of row will probably be the same. If the potatoes are a little smaller does it matter if you are not peeling them. It may be an advantage.

I agree - shame to dig the things up when they are beginning to get settled and work out which way up they are....

More (and smaller) will = fewer but bigger.......so leave them put.  ;)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: GillyHen on April 11, 2009, 12:39
Thanks chaps and chapettes,  I will leave them for this year but watch with interest how they do. This is after all my first year and a learning curve at that. The blurb on the box said 15cm apart..! In a trench 4' long I have put four of the wee things in. When it comes to earthing up I can always pinch earth from elsewhere instead of struggling to rake it up from around the plants.
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 11, 2009, 17:43
Sound fine to me GillyHen... as you say you learn as you go along and what works for one is not always the preferred method for aother.

I guess that's why the growing lark is addictive.... we're always trying to better our last efforts - when something goes well it's a thrill!  ;)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Sharonx on April 12, 2009, 09:07
You'll only need to protect them if the shoots have shown & frost is expected.

The seed spuds need to be 3" below the surface, so the bottom of the spud needs to be 5" down on average. Unless you've a 7" layer of horse much, a 12" trench is probably a little too deep.

I'm wondering if mine are a little too deep as I have already trenched them up as well. Will they be ok or should I knowck back some of the earth? How long til they start showing their shoots?
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 12, 2009, 09:52
It can be 3 or 4 weeks, depending on a lot of variables. If you've planted deep & also eathed them up, I'd be inclined to knock the soil back.  Plants make their food through photosynthesis & if the spud is well buried it's going to be sometime before it see daylight!

Be prepared to earth up again though, if the shoots have shown & a frost is forecast.
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 12, 2009, 10:01
It can be 3 or 4 weeks, depending on a lot of variables. If you've planted deep & also eathed them up, I'd be inclined to knock the soil back.  Plants make their food through photosynthesis & if the spud is well buried it's going to be sometime before it see daylight!

Be prepared to earth up again though, if the shoots have shown & a frost is forecast.

Mine are fairly deep so I left without a ridge but will keep an eye out for frosts and shoots. Once they've begun to show I'll earth-up - this seems to work fine  ;)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: argaric on April 12, 2009, 13:40
I am confused, I have planted mine in a 12" trench with about 3" of compost at the bottom.
I did this last year and got good results for the earlies (blight nobbled the mains).
The reason I did it this way was I thought that as the spuds form off the stem thing then the longer the stem the more spuds you would get.

Regards,
  Argaric
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 12, 2009, 14:54
They form as tubers off the roots, not the stem.


(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/potatoplant.jpg)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 12, 2009, 22:23
Lovely diagram DD......  :)

The green leaves help the plant produce all that excess starch that is then stored in the developing tubers........which form along the roots at nodes (got this bit wrong I suspect but it sounds ok to me!!)

Clever little b****rs aren't they! And all this with out reading a gardening book.

Yours sound fine argaric especially if it worked last year!  ;)  Just don't be in too much of a huge rush to bury them too far under.... give the plants a chance to start sending up shoots and making their first leaves.

They have relied on stored energy in the seed-potato and need the leaves to begin making food for the growing plant. When / If frosts threaten then's the time to cover them... if they stick their noses up again and frost is still around earth up again. (Some people prefer to earth up in one go straight after putting the spuds in - I do it in a couple of stages so I get a chance to see if they are playing ball and growing).

Eventually, when frost threats are passed, leave them to produce some healthy looking leaves and feed those tubers. The earthed-up soil will give each plant a bit more space to spread its root system and develop more spuds.   :) That's my theory anyway.
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 12, 2009, 22:25
You also need to earth up to stop the spuds near the surface going green - but you knew that! :tongue2:
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 12, 2009, 22:34
You also need to earth up to stop the spuds near the surface going green - but you knew that! :tongue2:

Yeah, yeah I did.... honest!!  ::)

Only last year, on a new heavy clay soil patch,  I had serious problems earthing up sufficiently well... planted the rows too close together (greedy devil) so had to scrabble for soil to earth up with!  :( consequently had several spuds a really pretty shade of green  :tongue2: = totally inedible...... poisonous.

Be warned  ::) Be careful.


(edited purely to correct one of my typos!)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: iwantanallotment on April 12, 2009, 22:56
When / If frosts threaten then's the time to cover them... if they stick their noses up again and frost is still around earth up again. (Some people prefer to earth up in one go straight after putting the spuds in - I do it in a couple of stages so I get a chance to see if they are playing ball and growing).

Same here Learner, I prefer to do it little and often, as a safeguard against frost and greenies.
Earthed up 3 times last week & expect they'll need doing tomorrow, too. I'll carry on until the compost reaches the top of the bags and then just leave them go wild, they're generally safe by then  :)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 12, 2009, 23:16
When / If frosts threaten then's the time to cover them... if they stick their noses up again and frost is still around earth up again. (Some people prefer to earth up in one go straight after putting the spuds in - I do it in a couple of stages so I get a chance to see if they are playing ball and growing).

Same here Learner, I prefer to do it little and often, as a safeguard against frost and greenies.
Earthed up 3 times last week & expect they'll need doing tomorrow, too. I'll carry on until the compost reaches the top of the bags and then just leave them go wild, they're generally safe by then  :)

Here's wishing you luck..  Mine are all down on the plot - five rows this year. Last year 7 rows lasted us right through to end of March and there are 4 of us so well worth growing if you can keep them in store for long enough.  ;)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 13, 2009, 05:44
Here's my spud patch. Plot is 32 feet wide.

Bit of rapid earthing up to be done if they've popped up & a frost is forecast!

(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/Untitled-1-20.jpg)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Salmo on April 13, 2009, 08:21
As you earth up the potato puts out roots from the stem and this is where the tubers are formed. This is the reason for gradually filling potato bags as they grow rather than putting all the compost in at once.
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 14, 2009, 01:18
That's some potato patch DD!!

Now I wish I had stuck to my 7 rows again this year instead of 5 ...... but I have orders from OH for more cabbage / cauliflower / PSB as well as spring onions and spinach... and lettuce!  ::)

I have a feeling I am expected to arrive home with the latest order in time to reduce next week's shopping list!  ::)

I really could do with at least half an acre!  ;)

PS. What are "PJ" ?
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: iwantanallotment on April 14, 2009, 01:42
Pentland Javelin?
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 14, 2009, 06:06
iwantanallotment wins tonight's Star Prize!
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Kagganz on April 14, 2009, 07:26
Or where he hangs is pyjama's  :blink:
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 14, 2009, 07:35
What's pyjamas?
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Kagganz on April 14, 2009, 07:57
These  that you used to model,  for Man at C & A in the 60's.

I'd heard you hang 'em up now to deter the birds ......  worked then so why not recycle?

 :tongue2:


Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 14, 2009, 08:29
I can't remember the 60's.

Did they happen?
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 14, 2009, 08:46
Pentland Javelin?

Ah.....yes!  ;)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DIGGER on April 14, 2009, 09:10
Crickey DD having seen the pea plot and now the potato plot,how much land do you have.

I'v been to Loughborough,you must have it all ::)
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 14, 2009, 09:22
The spud plot is actually the opposite end of the plot to where the peas were last year. If they were growing together now, they would not meet in the middle!

Total area of the 2 1/2 plots is about 800 sq m.
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: iwantanallotment on April 14, 2009, 10:55

Total area of the 2 1/2 plots is about 800 sq m.

Is that miles?  :tongue2:
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: DD. on April 14, 2009, 10:58
Feels like it sometimes!
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: hectic on April 14, 2009, 11:11
I'm so excited my charlottes are just poking their noses through - never grown spuds before!

They are in raised beds with black plastic, do I keep it on or just build it up from now on? The shoots are about an inch high so do I let them grow leaves or keep hiding them? So many questions and so much excitment  :D
Title: Re: Charlotte potatoes...
Post by: Paul Plots on April 15, 2009, 09:29
I'm so excited my charlottes are just poking their noses through - never grown spuds before!

They are in raised beds with black plastic, do I keep it on or just build it up from now on? The shoots are about an inch high so do I let them grow leaves or keep hiding them? So many questions and so much excitment  :D

If your potatoes are planted outside (which I guess they are) then you'd be wise to "cover up" or earth-up to prevent a frost scorching the leaves. Frost damage can cause real problems including (I believe) turning the potatoes sweet and unpleasant.  :tongue2: so.... cover those leaves up when they appear until the chance of frost has gone... they will then grow through again