Charlotte potatoes...

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DD.

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #15 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.
Did it really tell you to do THAT on the packet?

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Paul Plots

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #16 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  ;)
Never keep your wish-bone where your back-bone ought to be.

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argaric

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #17 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

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DD.

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #18 on: April 12, 2009, 14:54 »
They form as tubers off the roots, not the stem.


« Last Edit: April 12, 2009, 14:57 by DD. »

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Paul Plots

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #19 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.

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DD.

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #20 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:
« Last Edit: April 13, 2009, 05:41 by DD. »

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Paul Plots

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #21 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!)
« Last Edit: April 13, 2009, 05:42 by DD. »

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iwantanallotment

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #22 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  :)

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Paul Plots

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #23 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.  ;)

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DD.

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #24 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!


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Salmo

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #25 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.

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Paul Plots

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #26 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" ?

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iwantanallotment

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #27 on: April 14, 2009, 01:42 »
Pentland Javelin?

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DD.

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #28 on: April 14, 2009, 06:06 »
iwantanallotment wins tonight's Star Prize!

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Kagganz

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Re: Charlotte potatoes...
« Reply #29 on: April 14, 2009, 07:26 »
Or where he hangs is pyjama's  :blink:



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