Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!

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Zippy

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Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!
« on: June 17, 2010, 10:24 »
I know it is early days yet, but I am thinking ahead to a Christmas Potatoes project.  My plan is to keep the poly greenhouse up in my back garden. I have two huge plantpots – one fits inside the other with about an inch all round. 

I plan to fit one inside the other and pack the space between with bubble wrap, leaving drainage routes at the bottom (but insulating the bottom as well). Then placing the whole thing inside the poly greenhouse as the weather closes in.

I gather people also put a clear poly “tent” with ventilation holes over the plant for more insulation.

I will be using peat free compost and feeding with Comfrey extract in the watering.  Do people keep the pots a bit on the dry side to prevent rotting and moulds?

Also, I wouldn’t want more than 2 or 3 seed potatoes. Can I buy in such small quantities anywhere?  I know a few fellow allotmenteers have used their own produce as seed potatoes or just bunged one in from a supermarket, but I have reservations about this approach.

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mumofstig

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Re: Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2010, 10:29 »
I think a fleece tent would be a better bet to stop too much condensation forming.
For small quantities of seeds, I wonder if Wilko will sell them this year as it seems to be popular idea?
Personally I think you would be ok with saved or s/mkt spuds for seeds cos it's all in a pot, if you develop disease you can throw the lot away without infecting the veg plot.

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Zippy

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Re: Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2010, 10:31 »
Thanks mumofstig - good points.  :)

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aelf

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Re: Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2010, 11:22 »
Tried this last year without much succes, but trying again this year  :) I plan to save a couple of Charlottes from my first harvest. They will be wrapped in paper towel and stored in the fridge til August. Then I'll put them on a window sill to chit for a couple of weeks before planting them outside in tubs. Will bring them into the greenhouse as the nights draw in in much the same way as suggested above. Worth a go  :)
There's more comfrey here than you can shake a stick at!

http://www.wedigforvictory.co.uk/dig_icon.gif[/img]

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Zippy

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Re: Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2010, 11:32 »
The fridge - of course. thanks aelf. I think, if I cannot find a cheap source of Christmas potato seeds I will try a couple from my own harvest; maybe one from supermarket, but prefer my own to be honest.

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goodegg

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Re: Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2010, 12:10 »
i wouldnt use super market spuds you are very likely to got disease and waste your time. you
really need earlies save some from your early crop let then go a bit green to set then put them away

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chopkins1313

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Re: Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2010, 12:15 »
goodegg - how do you 'let them go a bit green'? does this involve leaving them out in the light after harvesting? then pop in fridge for a quick fake winter?

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Zippy

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Re: Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!
« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2010, 12:23 »
Hi Goodegg, thanks, could you also add why you let them go a bit green? What reason? Cheers.

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white westie

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Re: Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!
« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2010, 22:05 »
aelf
Thanx for the tip what a brilliant idea i shall save some of my charollettes too. :)

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Yorkie

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Re: Christmas Potatoes - sorry I know it's too early!
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2010, 06:54 »
I've not heard the bit about going green before, but last year Iain said that there needed to be 60 days between harvest and replanting if using a spud grown earlier this year as a seed spud.
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days all attack me at once...


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