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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 6, 2010 17:26:36 GMT
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Post by Jasmine on Jan 6, 2010 17:33:02 GMT
I ordered mine from Marshalls LG back about September'ish but they will not be sent out til February I think they said. I ordered first and second earlies and main crop.
One piece of advice I was given by someone at our allotments was to grow the main crop at home if you could and first and second earlies up at the lottie. Main crop are more prone to blight (apparently) and our lotties were plagued with it in late summer - everyones tomatoes and potatoes looked very sad.
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Post by Spruance on Jan 6, 2010 17:45:48 GMT
Our local GC usually has a good selection of seed potatoes so I will going along to have a look in the next week or so. Then they will be chitted in their usual position on top of the wardrobe  with a view to planting out from mid-March onwards dependent on soil conditions. Actually I think tradition has it that potatoes should be planted on Good Friday but mine are always usually in the ground by then. I don't know about second earlies and main crop as space limitations mean that these aren't an option for me. |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 6, 2010 18:15:34 GMT
Jasmine and Spruance thank you very much for your advice and information.  I may well not grow main crop this year then if they are very prone to blight and just grow 1st and 2nd earlies as this is really my first year.  I don't want to grow in tubs this year as I've had no success at all in trying that and want to use the allotment. |
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Post by carolann on Jan 7, 2010 8:33:47 GMT
LG if you can order them now then I would, they will send them out at the right time plus you will get what you ordered and not what they have left. I will be dropping into my local GC and asking when they hope to get theirs in.
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Post by farmersboy on Jan 7, 2010 9:13:47 GMT
I will be doing the same Carolann,think i had mine by this time last year,but as most of them come from Scotland,they could be very late this year.
Be aware that they could get frosted on there way,test them by putting them in the warm,if frosted they will become wet and very soft
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Post by Jasmine on Jan 7, 2010 10:05:57 GMT
I remember that last year now you mention it FB - the bad weather last year meant the seed potatoes were late coming into the GC.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 7, 2010 12:59:03 GMT
Oh that's all very interesting, the more I can find out about these things the better. I will spend this afternoon browsing. ;D
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Post by Mowhay on Jan 7, 2010 17:56:35 GMT
LG I always plant "Charlotte" and last year bought them from B&Q now and chitted them in the spare bedroom with the radiator turned off then planted them in Marshall's bags early March and put them in the GH until later, they were excellent. Will be buying them tomorrow.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 7, 2010 18:08:38 GMT
Thanks Mowhay, I was seriously thinking of ringing B&Q and asking them if they have their potatoes in after reading the posts from folk here. I think I'll check out them before ordering online. I might get what I want, I like Maris Piper or flowery potatoes rather than the waxy ones.
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Post by Missredhead on Jan 7, 2010 20:58:03 GMT
I hope to plant some in pots this year like RF does...I think mine will be mainly 'new' potatoes.....
as a newbie to spud growing I don't know what 'earlies' or '2nd earlies' are
What is the difference?
I am so looking forward to trying them for the first time..I expect to buy mine at the GC.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 8, 2010 6:55:05 GMT
I was having a google to see what they all mean MRH as I don't really have a clue either.From what I've been able to find out I think it has to do with how long they take to be ready to lift. If I have it right first earlies are ready first and are planted out about end of march if frost has gone, 2nd earlies are ready a few weeks after them, and are planted around the same time and the main crop are ready latest and are planted about april time. I'm sure someone else will know far more than I do but this might give you a bit of an idea. |
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Post by Missredhead on Jan 8, 2010 12:47:29 GMT
Thanks LG...all I want are nice new spuds for the summer...
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 8, 2010 12:49:18 GMT
I've read some more and the 1st and 2nd earlies should be eaten when they're ready, usually summer, they don't store well and the main crop are ready sept time and good for storing. I'm glad you'd asked about them as I've learned a lot too. I think I'll go for 1st or 2nd earlies and some main crop too. ;D |
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Post by Missredhead on Jan 8, 2010 12:52:52 GMT
I remember RF saying something about 100 days.. will have to ask her again...
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 8, 2010 17:24:36 GMT
Who do folk order their potatoes from I wonder? Is any one company better than another?
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Post by farmersboy on Jan 8, 2010 18:24:58 GMT
I always go to my GC,and see what they have,i dont order
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 8, 2010 18:38:21 GMT
Unfortunately, the way things are at the moment I may not get to a GC anytime soon so I may have no choice but to order FB.
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Post by Jasmine on Jan 8, 2010 21:48:26 GMT
I got my Marshalls catalogue today LG and it has a lot of choice of seed potatoes. Going to take my catalogue off for a bit of a read in bed.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 9, 2010 5:27:56 GMT
As a first time grower of potatoes, and bearing in mind I live alone, do you think 5 of each of the following would be a good start and yeild a nice little crop for me. 5 Charlotte (salad) 5 Maris Peer (2nd early) 5 Swift (2nd early). They come as a pack from Marshalls. If I look much more I'll be really confused. |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 9, 2010 6:20:04 GMT
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Post by Jasmine on Jan 9, 2010 8:03:36 GMT
I planted 14 earlies and 14 mains last year LG and they kept 4 of us going for quite a while so I think that set will suit you fine. I think I went for that combination as well but with a few more potatoes. It'll be a surprise when they do come as I can't honestly remember ;D |
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Post by farmersboy on Jan 9, 2010 8:59:22 GMT
I plant about 170 pots,and that lasts the two of us for a year,eating them every day when we are at home,about 10 early,20 2nd early, and 140 lates
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Post by Ron on Jan 9, 2010 10:12:02 GMT
Ladygardener - I see you had no luck growing in tubs. I was thinking of doing just that. I gave up my allotment because of work committments stopping me getting to it often enough, but I will miss the potatoes. How have others done?
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Post by Jasmine on Jan 9, 2010 10:15:10 GMT
Mine were grown in huge offcuts of pipe last year and worked very well. It was easing to earth them up as the shoots appeared and really eay to just spuddle round and dig up one potato plant at a time as the potatoes were needed.
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Post by Rosefriend on Jan 9, 2010 11:17:12 GMT
I remember RF saying something about 100 days.. will have to ask her again... Yes I work on the 100 days mark. Last year was a fantastic spud year for me and after waiting for the 100 days to be up I emptied one tub (had to see how well I had done) and then decided to make the others last as long as possible. I ended empting the last 2 tubs in October....there were lovely.... They tasted lovely, didn't they Missy?? RF |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 9, 2010 13:22:46 GMT
I've gone ahead and ordered Charlotte, Swift and Maris Peer, a 1kg taster pack with some of each variety. I'll still check out what's in the GC when and if I ever get the length. |
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Post by Missredhead on Jan 9, 2010 14:52:59 GMT
I remember RF saying something about 100 days.. will have to ask her again... Yes I work on the 100 days mark. Last year was a fantastic spud year for me and after waiting for the 100 days to be up I emptied one tub (had to see how well I had done) and then decided to make the others last as long as possible. I ended empting the last 2 tubs in October....there were lovely.... They tasted lovely, didn't they Missy?? RF They certainly did RF....when should I start looking around the GC's for them? And what is all this about 'chitting'? I thought that I just bunged them in a pot on some compost then covered them...keep watering and wait!!!! |
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Post by Jasmine on Jan 9, 2010 15:26:13 GMT
You can just bung them in a pot MRH, some folk chit and some folk don't. Chitting means putting your potatoes main eye up in a frost free place to allow the roots to grow a little bit before you plant them. If you haven't many to chit egg boxes hold them in place well.
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Post by Missredhead on Jan 9, 2010 15:58:31 GMT
Right....  But I dont have to do that? They will grow alright without all that? |
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with a view to planting out from mid-March onwards dependent on soil conditions.
I may well not grow main crop this year then if they are very prone to blight and just grow 1st and 2nd earlies as this is really my first year. 
I don't want to grow in tubs this year as I've had no success at all in trying that and want to use the allotment. 
