Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: mdjlucan on April 13, 2018, 21:42

Title: Potatoes
Post by: mdjlucan on April 13, 2018, 21:42
Has the weather been terrible when can I put my potatoes in
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: New shoot on April 14, 2018, 08:34
As soon as your soil is dry enough to get on.  Mine are in now and I am on clay soil as well.  It wasn't perfect, but just about do-able.

I think a lot of the trick of dealing with clay is learning what it will let you get away with.  If you waited for ideal soil conditions, nothing would ever get done  :)
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: mumofstig on April 14, 2018, 08:39
My earlies and seconds are in, but it was heavy going, so I decided to leave the maincrop a little longer.
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: jambop on April 14, 2018, 09:00
The weather looks to be fair next week so I am hoping to get my spuds in. Only growing Charlotte and one row so not much to do there but I will be getting some ground prepped for other crops going in later next month. The weather has been so wet down here this spring it has been impossible to get the weeds cleared and ground prepared.
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: rowlandwells on April 14, 2018, 19:20
yep like the rest of you we can hopefully make a start the grounds drying up quite nicely but I believe rain is forecasted for Sunday afternoon so fingers crossed it mite not last and back to those sunny dry days get some sun on our backs makes all the difference  :D
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: Morgan Peacock on April 14, 2018, 22:39
Here in the n/e England the weather has been bad with heavy rain for the last few weeks,as a new allotment holder I was wondering if it would be ok to plant main crop potato in about a weeks time as the ground is very wet.
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: ApprenticeGardener82 on April 15, 2018, 10:35
Not going crazy with potatoes this year; what I am planting has gone i. Ground was OK been dry for 4 or 5 days in a row here.
My site has a lot of clay so it's all a bit guesswork for me still learning what a can and can't get away with.
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: Goosegirl on April 15, 2018, 12:12
I have raised beds on heavy alluvial silt that had very little top soil to start with, but it has improved over the years; however the eternal rain and cold weather has made me wait a while but I'm hoping to get mine in next week.
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: mdjlucan on April 15, 2018, 21:13
When does the last opportunity to put the potatoes in is it the main crop And when is the latest I can put them in
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: Redgoat on April 16, 2018, 20:09
My 80 yo allotment neighbour reckons that any earlies that went down in March (ie mine) are a forlorn hope due the cold weather.
I stubbornly planted my Duke of York's on the 28th March.

I plan to put my second earlies (black shetland) in tomorrow and will put my maincrop in next week.

A late year here in N E Wales but I have put maincrop in as late as the end of May and done alright.
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: Notty1975 on April 17, 2018, 14:47
I’m in South Wales and two weeks ago I dug over my top bed that had a couple of random things chucked in to see what it was like (my first year on plot) anyway whilst digging it over a came across a some spuds that my little girl missed while getting them out and they where all growing  like mad and this was only just after the snow had melted so not quite sure how they work but they had been in the ground for about 8 months
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: Willow_Warren on April 18, 2018, 13:25
I put my potatoes in the ground 11 days ago!!  All 9 of them (lol...), really pushing the boat out this year!  They are in a small raised bed though so a little dried than the main ground.  I was worried I was behind on doing so but feel less so now I've read how other people have progressed.   These were charlottes and desiree.

I also plant in early potatoes in pots, 1 potato per pot and plant at 2 week intervals (with the intention of getting a steady flow of new potatoes (I'm not saying it works).  Start middle/end of Feb in the greenhouse, but didn't get anything in until mid march this year.

Hannah :)
Title: Re: Potatoes
Post by: victoria park on April 19, 2018, 17:14
Hooray ! My Lady Chrystals popped their heads up to the surface today. So what was all the fuss about ? :D
In the end, my potatoes were planted 22 to 24 March, a week later than last year, and have now surfaced only 3 days later.
Pleased I stuck to roughly my normal potato times, as being someone who doesn't spray anything, an early planting is more or less essential. The waterproof covered potato bed helped to keep it somewhat pliable for planting.
Plenty of soil to earth up against any frost. Like a Summer's day today, not a breath of wind.