pbfhpunk Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Am I being incredibly stupid but to grow potatoes do I just stick a potato in mud/compot and then keep ppusing more mud/compost onit as it grows Can it be that easy? Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Yeh that's pretty much it. It helps it you 'chit' the spuds first. You leave them in a cool place for a few weeks until they sprout. But bunging them in the ground should work too! Early varieties work well in containers too. Once the plants get to about 8" above soil pile some more soil on them. Feed them once a week with tomato feed and once they have flowered and the flowers have died they are ready. I have got loads in this year so hopefully we will have loads of loverly earlies. Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 That's about it - good advice from Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Yeh that's pretty much it. It helps it you 'chit' the spuds first. You leave them in a cool place for a few weeks until they sprout. But bunging them in the ground should work too! Early varieties work well in containers too. Once the plants get to about 8" above soil pile some more soil on them. Feed them once a week with tomato feed and once they have flowered and the flowers have died they are ready. I have got loads in this year so hopefully we will have loads of loverly earlies. Kev. The only thing I would add is that if you are planning on planting this year I'd get them in and not bother to chit... there is no evidence either way as to whether its better or not... I only do it to identify 'dud' spuds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 OOh I didn't know about feeding them with tomato feed. Thanks for that. We've got loads in this year too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I have been feeding our spuds with wormery wee, but have run out now after the wormery disaster. So I googled and found tomato feed is ideal, they have similar needs and suffer from the same blight apparently for the same reasons. I am just about expert enough to call myself a beginner, I do read a lot before doing anything though, and my spud plants are going crazy. I just hope it's not all leaves! Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I tend only to feed once I've earthed up the first time and keep watered if dry (if only this year lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 We put some well rotted manure in the trench to hold some water (we have very sandy soil) then some chicken poo pellets or growmore whichever is to hand. Then they get one other dose of chicken poo pellets and loads of water throughout the rest of the season. Ours were going great guns last year until we had to cut the haulms off early because of blight. We left them in the ground for a further 2 weeks to give time for the blight spores to die or blow away then harvested them. Most were not very big but they did keep after throwing a few out in early sack checks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhotchick Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I've got some Anya in. (first earlies I think) Do I need to earth them up even if I can't see any potatoes peeking out? Is it the earthing up that encourages the potatoes? They have been in about 8 weeks, they are about 8 inches high and I can see flowers on one plant I don't know if I'm a novice or a beginner, definitely an L-plate gardener though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 When we plant ours we make a trnch about 6 inches deep and then plant them 18 inches apart in that then pull the soil up over them into a ridge about 6-8 inches high. We do not then do any further earthing up unless we see potatoes, because the ground is usually too hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I've got some Anya in. (first earlies I think) Do I need to earth them up even if I can't see any potatoes peeking out? Is it the earthing up that encourages the potatoes? They have been in about 8 weeks, they are about 8 inches high and I can see flowers on one plantI don't know if I'm a novice or a beginner, definitely an L-plate gardener though! I would earth up to 6-8 inches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 When will I know when they are ready?? Mine are just beginning to flower? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 We have grown ours in potato sacks. We have grown lots of Kerr's Pinks as my maiden name was Kerr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 We harvested our first ones from the allotment on Saturday Aaron Pilot very nice they were too. We planted them in the last week of March and they are just flowering but quite a good size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckov Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Do you think that you could reuse a chicken pellets sack for storing your spuds after you've pulled them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 When will I know when they are ready?? Mine are just beginning to flower? If they are earlies, have a root around in the soil to see If they are seconds/mains then you'll need to leave them a while Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Potatoes need to be stored in a bag that will breath either thick paper or hesian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckov Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Potatoes need to be stored in a bag that will breath either thick paper or hesian. So - a chicken feed bag, which is thick paper, would probably be OK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Potatoes need to be stored in a bag that will breath either thick paper or hesian. So - a chicken feed bag, which is thick paper, would probably be OK? Seems fine to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
