Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: sonnycbr on October 28, 2012, 19:25

Title: small seed potatoes
Post by: sonnycbr on October 28, 2012, 19:25

Is it worth planting small seed potatoes? When I say small, I mean about half the size of a hens egg. I have saved some seed for early planting and they are chitting well, but some of them are really small.Should I just use the egg size ones or plant the lot? I am growing them in a raised bed in a polytunnel.

Title: Re: small seed potatoes
Post by: m1ckz on October 29, 2012, 06:40

when buying mine..thats the size i pick out ,

Title: Re: small seed potatoes
Post by: Rampant_Weasel on October 29, 2012, 08:45

ive often heard and read then hens egg is the size to use so thats 2 in favour ;)

Title: Re: small seed potatoes
Post by: DD. on October 31, 2012, 13:53

You'd do well to read this, especially the bit under "Myth Busters" about passing on blight.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/9643877/The-fight-against-potato-blight.html

Title: Re: small seed potatoes
Post by: sonnycbr on October 31, 2012, 21:16

Quote from: DD. on October 31, 2012, 13:53

You'd do well to read this, especially the bit under "Myth Busters" about passing on blight.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/9643877/The-fight-against-potato-blight.html

Well, I read it all and I'm afraid I wasted my time. I've never had blight on my allotment, nor have any of my neighbours.I usually buy fresh seed every year, but this year, wanting to get a really early start and having a few seeds left over, I am going to plant some, or all of them.I can see the virtues of everybody buying new seed every year, but sometimes it's just not possible.



edit to fix quote

Title: Re: small seed potatoes
Post by: Trillium on November 01, 2012, 03:20

We use the very small ones for seed potatoes but plant 2-3 per hole and get exceptional results, so yes, the tiny ones are worth saving. Tip: a pinch of general fertilizer in the hole makes a huge difference to yield.

Title: Re: small seed potatoes
Post by: rowan57 on November 01, 2012, 07:11

I would think it is way way too early to be chatting potatoes now, they will have likely used up all of their food resource by spring. Does anyone think any different? I haven't grown potatoes in the UK yet, only in Kenya, so I'm just basing this on background knowledge.

Title: Re: small seed potatoes
Post by: arugula on November 01, 2012, 07:35

Quote from: rowan57 on November 01, 2012, 07:11

I would think it is way way too early to be chatting potatoes now, they will have likely used up all of their food resource by spring.

I'm not sure what you mean? Next year's seed potatoes come from this year's crop. Anyone attempting to grow them for a celebration dinner in December will be using this year's seed potatoes or possibly some of this year's crop.

Title: Re: small seed potatoes
Post by: rowan57 on November 04, 2012, 16:15

I suppose it would have helped if I had seen the bit about the polytunnel ;)

Of course next years seed potatoes come from this years, I never said they didn't. My misunderstanding was that Sonnycbr was chitting potatoes now for spring planting, a simple misread.

Oh and no I shouldn't think there would be any issue with planting the small seed potatoes.