[Paul Plots]

Hmm, could do that I suppose - currently the excitement of the shed keeps eight at a time occupied when it is raining!

I imagine they love it..sounds brilliant!

[AndyRVTR]

I'm planning to put mine in the ground on the weekend of the 28th March, if the weather is too wet, probably the weekafter and that will be earlies and maincrop..... I cant wait      

[Jay Dubya]

Putting my earlies in tomorow ( Pilot ) under plastic cloches i'm in north norfolk.
There's a saying round here, ( Get your earlies in late and your lates in early ) whatever that means!!

Keep on a troshing J W

[newby]

Oh dear, maybe I have been too keen !! All mine are in already !!! But it doesn't harm them if , when the leaves come through you cover again with sil, does it ??

[MulesMarinair]

Earth them up to protect them.

My granddad used to have them in for St Patrick's Day on March 17th  (suppose Easter fluctuates too much!), but that was in Ireland so it's a wee bit milder over there.
Might aim for a week or two after that.

[dougsta]

There's a saying round here, ( Get your earlies in late and your lates in early ) whatever that means!!

That's really smart IMO - the logic works for me:

The earlies go in late to reduce problems with frost
The lates go in early to reduce the chance of blight

So often the case that these old expressions are a product of tried & tested experience

[rubixs]

this is my first time growing spuds i've just bought some king edwards seeds potatoes and a variety called rooster.
the rooster seeds was a pk of 5 for a £1 in wilkinsons and these are all ready chitted.
the king edwards was a 2kg pk i've got ten of them sitting in a 10 egg box carton chitting away.
should i plant the roosters now seeing as they have got chits on them or wait like every 1 els & plant at end of month beginging of april or wait till my king edwards have chitted & plant them at the same time.

i read quite a lot on grow potatoes & still dont understand about earlies & main crop

is it that earlies are when u harvest when you have flowers showing & for a main crop you just leave them to finish off.

do u think my king edwards will chitt in time i have them on my kitchen window sil north facing

[MoreWhisky]

As far as i can tell the first potatoes on my site went in today, im still being patient 

[iwantanallotment]

i read quite a lot on grow potatoes & still dont understand about earlies & main crop

is it that earlies are when u harvest when you have flowers showing & for a main crop you just leave them to finish off.

do u think my king edwards will chitt in time i have them on my kitchen window sil north facing

Your King Eds will be fine rubixs, it's amazing how fast they sprout once they've decided to. Often annoyingly so, when we've bought them for eating!
Your potatoes are both maincrop, so I'd just plant them together in around 10 days/2 weeks. Chitting isn't vital, it just gives them a headstart. If your Roosters are going mad chitting, just cover them with several layers of newspaper to let the King Eds catch up.
The difference between 'Earlies' and 'Maincrop' to my mind is that 'Earlies' are just that - they mature quickly and are ready when the flowers bloom, to be pulled and eaten as small new potatoes. 'Maincrop' are the big boys, who take longer to mature and we pull them when the foliage/flowers die back - they produce a larger potato.
Hope that helps, you have the right idea 

[sunshineband]

Hmm, could do that I suppose - currently the excitement of the shed keeps eight at a time occupied when it is raining!

I imagine they love it..sounds brilliant!

Today we planted the plum tree -- geat excitement as it has what might be flower/fruit buds. Out of all the soft fruit only the blackcurrant looks dead -- the others all have some growth evident now.

Red Nose day got in the way of the photos but will be on it next week.

[philskin]

only got my earlies in containers and they are srarting to grow can see a few leaves in the bottom ,will get my maincrop in  in a cpl of weeks ,having a well earned rest

[argaric]

Last three years I have always put in a couple of early rows and have got away with it. I put them in trenchs so frost should not be an issue unless it is very hard.

We have had blight for the last two years so I try to get things going as quick as possible as I would rather have a crop of small spuds rather than big ones that will spoil.

Regards,
  Argaric