New potatoes. How early dare I try to plant them.

Fellow Gardeners,

I have my potato patch all dug, I bought my Red Duke of Your earlies yesterday. The weather was exceptionally warm here in Flanders over the past week or so  but it is now down to 9 degrees centigrade.

I have looked at the long-range forecast and apparently it's going to be between 8 and 14 all month with the lowest (nighttime temperature, I suppose) being 1 degree. April will be marginally better. So could I plant my potatoes this early or should I leave it until the middle of the month although there is unlikely to be any frost this month?
There might be a lot of rain!

Anton

You have to ask yourself - not what will the next few weeks be like, weatherwise - but what the weather will be like in April when they are above ground?
We often get frosty nights up until the Ice Saint's days (11th-15th May this year) so I think it very likely the tops would get frosted - so perhaps just try a few plants? Or put some in pots in a greenhouse?

Thanks for all your advice.

I usually plant them from mid March to the start of April, so perhaps I should stick to my routine.

Anton

I have always planted my earliers about the 20th of March (it's warmer here in Belgium than England) and I have never experienced any problems (touch wood), apart from main crop, when it has been hit by blight.

As soon as the  potato appears, I heap up the soil and continue doing so until any risk of frost has disappeared.

Anton