[gus]

can anyone answer this one? Traditionally potatoes were planted at easter, but with easter being so early this year  (only five weeks away)what do we do, follow tradition or wait?

[Aidy]

Me I will be waiting untill me waters tell me its right, you will find by leaving them, A: the weather is warmer and B: more daylight hours, once the break the surface they will quickly catch up to those that were planted earlier.

[crowndale]

I plant mine according to the calender and weather, not according to moveable religious holidays.

[dawninspain]

The date for Easter is calcuated following the phases of the moon I believe so the idea of planting at Easter (Good Friday I think) is tied up in antiquity with a good time to plant according to the moon (which is still followed a lot on the european mainland). As Easter is almost as early as it can be I would say wait and if you want to be traditional wait another 28 days.

If you plant anything too early its very easy to have a failure but nature has a way of letting plants catch up and even overtake those early plantings that are weakened by struggling.

[gobs]

Main reason going for Easter should be that you are likely to be off work.    

[Yorkie]

I had always thought that planting spuds on Good Friday was owing to Victorian (?) working practices.  

Many people who grew their own veg were working class.  My grandfather, a Welsh miner, was one.  He worked 6 days per week and I imagine was not permitted to work hard on the Sabbath in that society / time.

Good Friday was a different day, and my Mum does recall him always planting at Easter.

But I'd never thought of the moon?

My spuds rarely go in before mid-April, but that's down to (in)efficiency rather than any particular planning..... :oops:

As long as it's not too wet or frozen, any time from mid-March is fine, I'd say.

[mumsy]

I thought I would be really clever & try answer a post !!!!
In my book, In tune with the moon 2008 & I quote" POTATOES  = Plant potatoes on a day favourable day to 'root' plants, but not too close to perigee. To raise seed potatoes, plant when the moon is in Taurus"

Perigee is the point at which an object in orbit around the Earth makes its closest approach to the Earth.

Planting between mid April- mid May

Probably best to stick to what ya feel in ya waters!!!

[flowerlady]

Presumably the temperature of the soil is also a major influencing factor ... so I suppose it will depend in what part of the country folk are ...

As I am in the south (near to London) the weather is much milder ... soil is already 7 degrees so it's quite likely I could start planting earlies in March! ??  :?

[mkhenry]

Plant too early and you could lose a lot of your crop. at best the yield will be less than it should.

Always wait until the soil has warmed up.  You can help it do this by putting some sort of cover on it, but I always think its better still just to wait.  The weather can turn at the drop of a hat.
So you may have to delay digging them up by a day or two, but at least you will have the maximum to pick.

Late frost can decimate an impatient gardeners earlies, and lack of daylight hours can cause havoc.