[Welsh Merf]

Ladies and Gents!

Let's talk spuds!

Less than five minutes ago I finished putting my seed potatoes in egg boxes, keeping them in the spare bedroom to chit. There is nothing in the egg boxes except for the spuds. The bedroom is east-facing, but doesn't get too much sun at this time of year. The radiator has been truned off. My varieties are:

1st earlies: Pentland Javelin and Duke of York Red (the latter are experiments)
2nd earlies: Maris Peer
Maincrop: Desiree

My allotment is on the Romney Marshes in Kent, between the town of Lydd and Dungeness.

I have read the relevent section of this site, and many other gardening books and articles.

My cunning plan is to leave the spuds in situ for about 4 weeks, or until there is about an inch of growth on them. My understanding is that the difference between them is the time it takes for them to grow, i.e. approx 10 weeks, 13 weeks, and 20 weeks. Therefore, my assumption is that I can plant them all at the same time (mid/late March).

The ground is virgin territory, but it was rotovated in October and then covered with horse manure. I have started turning it over with a fork today, it is about the depth of a fork, and it looks pretty damn good earth.

My question is: can anyone see a flaw in the said cunning plan?

Many thanks!

[arugula]

Sounds reasonable. Cool but as light as possible for chitting. Where you are around mid-March for planting. You can plant them all at the same time as they take different lengths of time to mature. Sounds like a good start to me.

[plum crumble]

that sounds a very suitable plan, bach!rather similar to mine actually...and you are right about the planting times - its how long they stay in the earth which varies, not the planting time..

[arugula]

its how long they stay in the earth which varies, not the planting time..

Maincrops 18-20 weeks

2nd earlies 16-18 weeks

1st earlies from 10-12 weeks

Up to you to work it out.

[mumofstig]

I usually plant my on or just after St Patrick's day (17 March)

Sometimes they get frosted if you aren't careful about earthing them up - this will set the harvest date back a week or 2. My earlies are always in the garden so I can dash out and put fleece on if a late frost is forecast 

[Silkworm]

Hi Welsh Merf,
Sounds like a good plan to me, like you l have same varieties as you except this year Maris Piper as main crop, as MOS all planted on or around St Patrick's day.

From a fellow Toxophilite.

Silky 

[Wiltshire Worms]

sounds a perfect plan, the only watchword i would say is slugs on your maris pipers, mine were decimated last year