Tessa the Duchess Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 I have bought some potato growing sacks from Dobbies. The potatoes that came with the sacks are now chitted so it's planting time My compost is not ready to use, so what do people think I should buy as a growing medium for spuds? Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 I had the same problem Tessa, so I just used some multi purpose compost for my First Earlies & bought some Potato fertilizer. They are all coming up in leaf now, so I guess they must be happy enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted April 5, 2008 Author Share Posted April 5, 2008 Thanks for this Cinnamon. I was hoping it was going to be simple, and not too expensive. Wow, yours are in leaf already, I must get my skates on Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Mine aren't in yet! Ground to wet etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Why not use earth? I put my first earlies in a week ago - I hung on a bit because of the possibility of frost. I've got the second earlies chitted and ready to go in, but I'm waiting until after next week, because of the weather forecast. I thought about putting them in and covering them with fleece but decided to wait another week. I compost all the stuff from the kitchen, and the unwanted green stuff from the garden, chicken poo, shredded newspapers etc. It give me a lot of compost at this time of year so that would be a great medium to grow your potatoes in. If you started composting it now, it would be lovely by next March. And don't forget to keep it moist - get the males in your family to urinate on it regularly. Rots it down a treat. and keeps the foxes away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted April 5, 2008 Author Share Posted April 5, 2008 I have three compost bins Richard all full of chicken poo, kitchen waste etc., and they are peed in regularly, but none of it is ready yet, I don't think it has been warm enough to get it going properly but next year I'm hoping it will be a different matter. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Reading Dilly's blog, she has put potatoes in a trench lined with newspaper and manure, then covered over with soil. Anyone know why the newspaper? I'm going to try some in one of my raised beds and the rest in a potato sack. Just picked up my chitted potatoes from Dad today so hopefully will plant tomorrow. I think my compost bin is ready to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbug Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Think its something to do with keeping moisture in. Not drying out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Reading Dilly's blog, she has put potatoes in a trench lined with newspaper and manure, then covered over with soil. Anyone know why the newspaper? . When I put my beans in I line the holes with newspaper soaked in water. I always reckoned it was because it holds the water and releases it slowly so it doesn't drain away. I also use newspaper pots for my tomato, chilli, cucumber, aubergine etc. seeds when I first sow them in the warm. You don't have to mess about with the roots and stuff when you pot them up - just put the whole thing, nespaper pot and all, into the bigger pot. I make the little newspaper pots from .... , well from newspapers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 I make the little newspaper pots from .... , well from newspapers. Spooky! Me too! My maincrop Tatties went in on Friday, in the blistering (well warm) heat! I covered them with a fair bit of compost and a weather shade to keep the worst of the weather off them. If I had seen the forecast, I would have waited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 the paper is good for holding moisture but beware of too much manure (either horse or chicken) as it can lead to scab. Spuds with scab are still good to eat, if a little ugly but don't always store so well My compost is in daleks since giving up my allotment to garden at home and is nowhere near ready. It's going to cost a fortune buying enough multipurpose to fill my raised beds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 tIt's going to cost a fortune buying enough multipurpose to fill my raised beds Go on Freecycle & ask for topsoil Tara....some people are glad to get it shifted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chili pepper Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 What does chitted mean?? and do you really wee on your compost? !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 What does chitted mean?? and do you really wee on your compost? !! It means keeping your potatoes in a cool light spot to allow the eyes to start sprouting before planting. jury is out as to whether it is necessary or not but its something we budding gardeners can do ahead of the weather getting warm enough to get outside ;o) some also recommend rubbing off some of the 'chits' prior to planting to encourage larger sized potatoes, but I've never done that, especially not with my earlies. And as for the compost heap watering..... yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 It's going to cost a fortune buying enough multipurpose to fill my raised beds Does your local authority collect green waste? Ours does, and you can collect the resulting compost for free (they also deliver a skipful to our allotments from time to time) I haven't tried asking the LSH to wee in our compost dalek on the allotment - I think I prefer to rely on chicken poo for the nitrogen and water for moisture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chili pepper Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Thanks matthew, I was chitting without realising it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 It's going to cost a fortune buying enough multipurpose to fill my raised beds I got a cubic metre of cracking topsoil 75% and chicken and horse manure mix delivered for about £80... worth considering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 well, the dreaded B&Q had a deal on today, 6 bags of compost for twelve quid. Turned out that, along with a few bags of well rotted manure (free from the local stables) it was just enough to fill the first bed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
