[Weston grower]

How do I get potatoes that I can plant in early July that will have finished growing before the 1st frost that I can then leave in the ground until Christmas.

Can I keep some of my seed potatoes back and will they keep until July - or can I plant supermarket bought ones.

Next year will be my 3rd try at this and the 1st 2 years I failed.

This year I paid over the odds for some that were meant to be delivered in early June but didn't arrive until late July. This means that the colder weather and early frost have decreased  the crop significantly.

Unfortunately my OH tells me we don't have anywhere that I can keep the growing plants indoors so they need to stay outside.

Regards, WG

[JayG]

Last year some January-bought seed spuds I had left over were still plantable in July (good short chits although the tubers were rather shrivelled!)

They kept for all that time in egg boxes on the windowsill of a cool north-facing bedroom.

I'd sooner use those in your situation than risk introducing diseases to your plot from supermarket spuds, especially as blight in particular is much more likely to be a problem in high summer than with early crops.

Buy them as late as you dare, chit as above and you should be OK.

[TerryB]

Hi Weston grower,
As JajG said but plant them in bags of multi compost, filling up the bag as they grow.
You can then move them into a shelted spot as the weather gets worse and when the frost kills the top growth you can put some protection around the bag and then just empty the bag when you need them.

[Weston grower]

Thanks both, I'll give it a last try. 3rd time lucky!!

WG

[arugula]

I kept some earlies back this year, from the main spring planted batch, in a cool dry place. They chitted beautifully when brought into the right conditions in July.

[mumofstig]

Advice seems to be 60 days between lifting your earlies and then replanting them, so may be difficult if you are aiming to replant in July.

If you buy them IMO you're better to get early varieties of seed spuds, sooner rather than later and keep them as cool as poss to delay sprouiting if possible, rather than have them sprouting in the warmth of the store/garden centre. In the fridge is the best place for them

[arugula]

Advice seems to be 60 days between lifting your earlies and then replanting them...

Thats a good bit of advice for people new to growing. Not that anyone had suggested so far in this thread that they had re-planted spring-grown potatoes or were advising anyone to do so.

Only use saved seed potatoes from your winter/spring purchase which you did not plant out in the spring and which you have subsequently saved in a cool dry place.

[mumofstig]

sorry, Argyllie, that's what I thought you meant you'd done - I'm blond please forgive me 


(But,yes you can    lift some baby new potatoes you've grown and replant them 60 days later to grow for Christmas. But this supposes you can move them inside when the weather turns cold.)

[arugula]

That's OK mum.