wafflycat wrote:
If I want to grow a few potatoes (in container) likely to be ready to be
lifted on Christmas Day, when should I plant a few and what variety
would you recommend?

I guess you mean 'new' (i.e. early) potatoes. Hessayon's Vegetable and
Herb Expert says that you should replant some of your first earlies
after they are harvested in July. He says "plant them in a warm spot in
th garden and look after them in the normal way". "In late September
cover the plants with large cloches ... lift on Christmas Eve". He
mentions that it's a "gamble".

I guess the use of a container gives you much greater freedom on finding
"warm spots" and placing them under glass.

Others will have direct experience.

If you mean any sort of potato, then, extremely severe frost excluded,
main crop can lifted any time between September and March. This year,
because of continual frost between December and March here in N.W.
Ireland, many professional potato farmers had to wait until mid March to
lift their crop. But by that stage some has sprouted, and others had
turned to liquid from frost damage. Typically, weather permitting, many
of them would plan to lift the crop in January.

Best regards,

Jon C.

--
Jonathan Campbell www.jgcampbell.com BT48 UK