[Munchkin]

I'm early I know but I'm sure there is lots to learn. I've grown potatoes successfully once before in a tub. This time I'm keen to get two of these to stack up (they sell the extension kits to make this possible)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/GARLAND-RAISED-GROW-BED-HEALTHIER/dp/B00139PKYS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290107297&sr=8-1

I've already got one of the grow beds in the back yard and I'm very pleased with it. I like the fact that the sides can be taken apart if neccesary which would be ideal for harvesting potatoes. Ok so the burning questions are:

Could I plant first earlies in the grow bed and then also plant some potatoes for next Winters crop? is next Winters crop classed as a late main crop?

Potatoes are a huge staple in my diet and I just want to achieve the best results with careful planning and not be buying any from the shop.

[prakash_mib]

Cant understand the question fully.
Are you going to try plant one row of earlies and one row of late main crop side by side. This is allright as long as you feed them properly.
Are you going to plant first earlies first and put the late mains after first earlies harvest. bit of an impossible task as the soil would have no nutrient at all and mind you potatoes are greedy feeders.
If you dont meen both then I am sorry to create more confusion 

[Munchkin]

Yeah, I could have worded the OP better. I'm trying to ask if I could plant different varieties side by side in different seasons. Is that possible? Also is the late main crop the one that lasts throughout Winter?

[mumofstig]

from John's potato info page: First earlies are usually ready in around ten weeks, second earlies in around 13 weeks and maincrop after about 20 weeks.

They can all be planted at roughly the same time, but mature at different times.
Main crop is the one you lift and store for winter use, but is more likely to get blight because of the longer growing period. !st and 2nd earlies are usually dug up before blight strikes, and can last in store for quite a while (long enough for you to eat them all, anyway )

But you would need a really big bed to grow enough not to have to buy any, so have a think if this is the best use for your new bed

[Munchkin]

Thanks for the info. I think whatever I choose to do I'll regret and wish I did something else lol
: The measurements for the grow bed (after two have been stacked) are:
1m square by 50cm deep - 460 litres.

I'm only growing for myself (I'm greedy). Does this sound big enough?

[Yorkie]

You'll probably get no more than 4 or 5 seed tubers in that space so don't plan on being self-sufficient in spuds.

As others have said, 'early' spuds mature more quickly after planting than 'maincrop' spuds.  They are usually planted at the same time in spring.  Earlies are lifted first and in particular as new potatoes.  Maincrops are lifted later and then stored for winter.  Do not plan on leaving them in the ground over winter, particularly in beds such as yours, as they are likely to get frosted.

You will see references on other threads to spuds for Christmas.  These are first or second early varieties, planted in about August, which mature in time for the frosts.  However, you will also read that people lose these crops to frost or disease, and the harvest is often poorer in quantity.  You will not manage to grow spuds in different seasons in your outside beds.

[Munchkin]

Ok thanks for that Yorkie. I'll store whatever non-infected crop I get in potato bags. I'm not planning on planting two varities in the bed, you seem to know your potato stuff. So just one last question. If I plant a main crop next year around July and at harvest store them in bags properly, will I be able to eat them say in January 2012? If of  course I grow the extremely disease resistant variety?

[mumofstig]

I don't think you'll have enough to worry about storage till January munchkin
Each potato plant yields, on average, only about 1.5kg of spuds, think how few supermarket bags that is.

But yes, main crops are the ones you store in paper bags/cardboard boxes, to eat in January.

[Munchkin]

True, I'l probably get through them in a week lol I think it's amazing how well they store though.

[bigben]

If your after more spuds Munchkin you could try growing them in bags or pots. I tend to grow mine in potato bags which are just thick black plastic bags. I also bought a few big pots when they were on offer. I keep the contents of one of my 4 compost bins to help fill them and then in march buy some compost when it is 3 for a £10 along with a few bags of horse muck from our local stable. With a bit of mixing I can fill about 15 big pots or grow bags for about 75p each. Each will take 3 seed spuds and will fit down my path. Even that will not last you till Christmas though! I started eating them in June and used them by October.

[Yorkie]

Maincrop potatoes need, I think, somewhere in the region of 20 weeks from planting to maturity.  July is far far too late to be planting them, they need to be in by the end of April really at the latest.  Growth will tail off as temperatures drop / daylight shortens in autumn so they won't grow as well then anyway.

[Munchkin]

oo that just got me thinkin BigBen. If I did a lot of potato bags and didn't put them right next to each other and one of them got blight, I could quickly get rid of it and the other bags might be blight free. Or do you think that if one bag gets blight due to weather conditions, the chances are the rest will too? I just thought that the bag idea might be better than the grow bed idea for disease prevention. I might do the bag idea as well as the grow bed.

[Munchkin]

Maincrop potatoes need, I think, somewhere in the region of 20 weeks from planting to maturity.  July is far far too late to be planting them, they need to be in by the end of April really at the latest.  Growth will tail off as temperatures drop / daylight shortens in autumn so they won't grow as well then anyway.

I'll  be planting in April for sure.