[Sweetpea C]

Hi all,

In my excitement about the allotment I went rather overboard on ordering potatoes. I thought I had got everything in but have just found a bag of 30 Desiree potatoes (still in their bag) in the (clearly very tidy  greenhouse). On first inspection they look like the have chitted by themselves. Am I too late to plant them out or should I just get them in? There aren't any mushy ones but with dug space limited at the plot and not a lot of time to do much more in the next couple of weeks I don't want to waste the space.

I will be less eager next year - oh hang on, I've read all of your posts so I doubt I will!!!

Thanks,

Sweetpea

[DD.]

Get them in, I've planted in May before and had perfectly good yields.

[simonwatson]

They're certainly not going to keep until next year so if you've got the space them I'd plant them.

[Beetroot queen]

Go for it, what have you got to lose, even a meal or two would be worth it. 

[gavinjconway]

Put them in  - you can have new spuds for a longer period..

[Debz]

I've got some still to put in too.  The weather just hasn't been in it here.

[simbamara]

I purposely bought two varieties of potatoes which had started sprouting from a supermarket.Can I plant them and will they grow successfully?Or is it best to get 'seed potatoes?
Also which are the tastiest varieties of potatoes?Maris Piper and Vivaldi have been suggested to me.
Thanks

[seaside]

Plant away. I'll be putting more potatoes in during August/September for Christmas fayre hopefully. With our coolish climate most crops can be planted outside of their traditional window in the non commercial small numbers us allotmenteers use.
My only worry with potatoes is the August blight period when it comes a calling.

[Mark's Sussex Allotment]

Most people suggest not planting supermarket varieties, as they may be treated, or may not be true.

But I've planted some desiree from the supermarket before and done well with them.

Others may disagree.

[DD.]

It's not they've been treated, but they may be harbouring diseases.

Certified seed spuds are grown in controlled circumstances to minimise this risk. I would never ever plant supermarket spuds in my ground, containers at  push.

[grendel]

I have planted leftover sprouters from the veg box, with great success.
Grendel

[rachelsco]

how could you not plant lovely desiree potatoes  :happy:

wonderful mash, good chips, lovely red colour so that you can tell them from other more nondescript spuds

[DD.]

I have planted leftover sprouters from the veg box, with great success.
Grendel

I'm not saying they won't grow.

But it's your ground and you are entitled to ignore the risk of disease.

[Beetroot queen]

DD I think this one causes a big split, personally I use seed potatoes but some people use left overs. I guess it's each to his or her own. I gave up bashing my head on a brick wall the day I realised no-one was listening. Hehe

I can see the temptation in using sprouters as they are free but seed potatoes can be picked up so cheap these days it's not worth the risk. That's all just in my humble jumble opinion folks

We won't all agree on everything but the one thing we do agree on is weeds are a waste of space 

[salmonking]

Plant away. I'll be putting more potatoes in during August/September for Christmas fayre hopefully. With our coolish climate most crops can be planted outside of their traditional window in the non commercial small numbers us allotmenteers use.
My only worry with potatoes is the August blight period when it comes a calling.

sorry for being stupid here!so you plant them in aug/sept and eat at Christmas?.are the covered permenantly in the autumn winter?