[al78]

I had a thought as to how to get a very early harvest of potatoes. Using some potato grow sacks plant some potatoes in a greenhouse in late January, and keep topping up the sacks with compost to minimise the chance of the foliage being nipped by frost. In addition, fill two sacks with fresh manure mixed with straw and place in greenhouse. As the manure rots it will give off heat which should warm the greenhouse and help to minimise frost damage. If all goes to plan this should yield a crop as early as late April. Does this have a chance of working, do you think?

[gavinjconway]

I think you will need a whole lot of heat... in general plants wont grow under 7 deg C.. or very little growth.. So your 2 bags of compost wont give off enough heat.. You will possible have to have heat until end of Feb at the earliest cut off when the temps start to rise.

This is my view and may not be right.

[finleyfreyaseth]

best advice I can give is give it a go nothing ventured nothing gained

[3759allen]

i think i would go with plant them as deep as possible mound up and cover with as much dry straw as possible.

if in tubs then try and use insulation, as much as possible. and straw on top again.

if it's of any interest i did find 3 little potato plants in the poly tunnel today looking healthy. they wasn't planted, must've been some potatoes left from earlier in the year. not had any hard frosts yet this year though.

i put some in the poly tunnel last year before the last frost. mounded up and covered with carpet til the last of the frosts had gone. took between 6 to 8 weeks to be ready, they were ready a good month or more before the ones outside. so worth doing if you've run out of stored potato.

[Goosegirl]

Could you make a victorian-type hot-bed in your greenhouse with the fresh manure - giggle it to find out the facts and if it is worth doing.

[Ivor Backache]

I tried an experiment this year which was successful in that I was eating new potatoes in mid May, about a month earlier than usual. I usually keep back some of my own 'seed' in case I need a plan B. By March they were well chitted and that was before I have taken my delivery of seed potato.
I took a 6" pot put some moist compost in it and placed the potato (Lady Christl) on top. It was put on the proverbial bedroom window sill. The potato continued to chit and it took root.
Mid April I transplanted it to a large pot. I use the supermarket cut flower black pots. Half fill with compost and top up with soil. They were placed along a south facing sheltered wall. By mid May I was eating them, when my normally planted earlies were just emerging.

[solway cropper]

I've been getting new potatoes by the end of April for the last 4 years but I don't plant in the containers till mid February. Keep the compost in the greenhouse for a few weeks to warm it up and make sure the seed potatoes are well chitted. Cover the shoots, as you suggest, but if they get large and frost threatens put bubble wrap/ fleece over the container.

Ideally you should use a fast maturing variety like Swift or Rocket. Other varieties will be just a bit later that's all.

If it works in Cumbria it should work in Sussex!

[richie3846]

I think it'll work given your location. I know that Jersey growers have over-wintered poly-tunneled crops, with the crops ready in February. If we have a frigid March like last year than probably not, but in favourable conditions I reckon you'll be eating spuds for Easter!!

[alandbailey]

I buy the reduced (yellow label) spuds from supermarkets - when they start sprouting, I plant 3 or 4 into each potato bag and put them into my double-glazed unheated greenhouse in early November - hoping to get some new spuds for Christmas.