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Post by Moonlight on Feb 25, 2013 11:03:17 GMT
I have 3 varieties of potato Maris Piper, Golden Wonder and Pink Fir Apple.
When should I 'chit' them and will any of them be any good for the 8th September?
Or are they too late / or should I have already started them off?
Have not got a clue what I am doing never grown potatoes before. Girls are doing a potato challenge for the children's class at the local show which is for the 23rd June, their variety is what is given to them and we have to follow the instructions.
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Post by sweetpea on Feb 25, 2013 13:40:56 GMT
I have 3 varieties of potato Maris Piper, Golden Wonder and Pink Fir Apple.
When should I 'chit' them and will any of them be any good for the 8th September?
Or are they too late / or should I have already started them off?
Have not got a clue what I am doing never grown potatoes before. Girls are doing a potato challenge for the children's class at the local show which is for the 23rd June, their variety is what is given to them and we have to follow the instructions.
Now. set them up in egg trays or similar. Where you can see the remains of where they used to be attached , place that down. ie what they call the rose end uppermost. (where the eyes are) pllace them in good light and some folks give a light water spray now and then. pink fir apple is a rather knobbly sort of spud, a so called salad variety and main crop to boot. Should manage a crop by Sept though. With the other two you can reduce the amount of shoots to two or three which will give larger spuds but less of them. Not actually necessary but many do it. |
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Post by Tel on Feb 25, 2013 14:36:28 GMT
Is the potato challenge for the most weight or condition?
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Post by Cherry on Sept 25, 2013 8:48:11 GMT
I have been eating Picasso and Blue Bell potatoes. The farmers seem to like Blue Bell. I have forgotten the name of the new one we ate in the early summer.
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Post by Rosie on Oct 2, 2013 8:03:23 GMT
I have been trying to find my favourite spud, Druid, but T&M don't have it on their list this year, i shall be disappointed if i can't find it. I can always keep a few of my own tubers back if i can't get any others.
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Post by dianthus on Mar 7, 2015 21:14:34 GMT
I found this thread from 18 months ago, but thought it was appropriate to be talking potatoes right now.
Mine are from T&M's catalogue and include Rocket, Picasso, Abbott, Kestrel and Chicago.
I've not grown Abbott and Chicago before, so any feedback would be appreciated. |
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Post by dianthus on Mar 14, 2015 17:15:07 GMT
Is no-one else growing potatoes this year?  |
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Post by steve on Mar 14, 2015 18:24:24 GMT
I have kept to First earlies in recent years Di, these are ready before blight is about then when dug up I put another crop in their place I have Rocket, Arran pilot and Pentland javelin, I find Rocket is a fairly hard skinned variety and doesn't get so much damage from slugs and wireworms I also have Sarpo mira which was on offer from T&M, the Hungarian bred Sarpo range show good resistance to blight and I have seen them growing unaffected with blight riddled plants only a few feet away, on the minus side until the breeders can spread the resistance around a few more varieties they are pretty poor when boiled, they tend to break up very easily and you end up with a saucepan full of weak potato soup  I'll have to try them baked or as chips  |
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Post by peony on Mar 14, 2015 18:59:47 GMT
I'm growing Swift, Rocket and Charlotte dianthus. Mine are all grown in bags as my garden isn't suitable for veg growing. They are all sitting in egg boxes at the moment and will be planted in April. I've grown Rocket and Charlotte before but this is the first time for Swift |
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Post by dianthus on Mar 14, 2015 19:45:47 GMT
I have kept to First earlies in recent years Di, these are ready before blight is about then when dug up I put another crop in their place I have Rocket, Arran pilot and Pentland javelin, I find Rocket is a fairly hard skinned variety and doesn't get so much damage from slugs and wireworms @i also have Sarpo mira which was on offer from T&M, the Hungarian bred Sarpo range show good resistance to blight and I have seen them growing unaffected with blight riddled plants only a few feet away, on the minus side until the breeders can spread the resistance around a few more varieties they are pretty poor when boiled, they tend to break up very easily and you end up with a saucepan full of weak potato soup I'll have to try them baked or as chips That happened with my Sarpo Miro three yrs ago. I found one in left over compost, and that produced better potatoes. They were too narrow for bakers, so it was mash.  |
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Post by dianthus on Mar 14, 2015 19:52:50 GMT
I'm growing Swift, Rocket and Charlotte dianthus. Mine are all grown in bags as my garden isn't suitable for veg growing. They are all sitting in egg boxes at the moment and will be planted in April. I've grown Rocket and Charlotte before but this is the first time for Swift I grow mine in bags, as the soil is only 6" deep before bedrock.
Rocket get cultivated in 10l buckets, and two weeks after I've removed the flower buds, I start cropping them by feeling for the biggest ones, and usually find 2 or 3 in a bucket. This way, the tiddlers grow on, and I'm picking them from early June to about mid August. They eventually keel over, or I get fed up of the hulms flopping along the pathway.
I grew Swift a couple of years back, but wasn't impressed with them.
Picasso are my favourites, by a long way. 
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Post by Tel on Mar 24, 2015 12:08:40 GMT
All the local garden centres I visit all seem to have the same seed potatoes, year after year. We bought some Elfe potatoes in Tesco, grown by Albert Bartlett in Norfolk. Lovely buttery potatoes. Not seen any seed potatoes, maybe they are exclusive to the farmer. I am keeping some to plant out myself. |
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Post by KC on Mar 24, 2015 12:13:38 GMT
How many do you plant in a bag? Don't know anything about planting spuds but wouldn't mind giving it a go, if I can find the space lol |
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Post by peony on Mar 24, 2015 12:52:22 GMT
How many do you plant in a bag? Don't know anything about planting spuds but wouldn't mind giving it a go, if I can find the space lol It depends what size your bags are but if they're like mine (the type you can buy from T&M or in my case the Pound Shop), then I put 4 or 5 potatoes in each bag. Put a layer of gravel in the bottom of the bag, then about 4-5" of compost, place your potatoes, then cover with approx. another 4-5" compost. When the potatoes start to grow through the top of the compost, just keep topping up with more compost until it reaches about 1-2" from the top of the bag. When the flowers appear give a liquid feed once a week. They are usually ready to harvest at about 12-14 weeks if you want small new potatoes, or leave longer for larger ones |
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Post by KC on Mar 24, 2015 13:02:22 GMT
I'd probably go to Poundland too So how many potatoes do you harvest per bag with 4-5 potatoes planted? Sorry these must sound like dumb questions |
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I'll have to try them baked or as chips 
