Spud newbie seeks advice on planting timetable.

I was planning on buying some seed potatoes now and starting them off
"chitting", with the idea being to plant out in early March.
Some questions:
* How long does chitting take?
* Is early March too soon to plant, because of the danger of frost
damage? Location is Yorkshire.

Thanks,
Bruce

wrote in message
ups.com...
Spud newbie seeks advice on planting timetable.

I was planning on buying some seed potatoes now and starting them off
"chitting", with the idea being to plant out in early March.
Some questions:
* How long does chitting take?
* Is early March too soon to plant, because of the danger of frost
damage? Location is Yorkshire.

In Ireland, Paddy's Day (March 17th) was the supposed latest to plant out by
but you might get a lot more frost in Yorkshire than we do. If no one else
replies, wait until later March to plant. Otheriwse, I have only planted
spuds once so I will happily bow to better advice.

Des



Thanks,
Bruce

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...

wrote in message
ups.com...
Spud newbie seeks advice on planting timetable.

I was planning on buying some seed potatoes now and starting them off
"chitting", with the idea being to plant out in early March.
Some questions:
* How long does chitting take?
* Is early March too soon to plant, because of the danger of frost
damage? Location is Yorkshire.

In Ireland, Paddy's Day (March 17th) was the supposed latest to plant out
by but you might get a lot more frost in Yorkshire than we do. If no one
else replies, wait until later March to plant. Otheriwse, I have only
planted spuds once so I will happily bow to better advice.


There's no hard and fast rule, it all depends on your weather. Many people
regard Easter as the time to plant them out, but of course Easter is a
movable feast, and I suspect that this has more to do with having four days
off than anything else, it means you have time to plant the spuds and grout
the kitchen tiles. And paint the spare bedroom etc.

As for chitting, yes, start them now, mine have been chitting for a
fortnight now, and the ones in the kitchen veg rack have also started, even
though they're bound for the oven, not the allotment. As for how long, well,
until you want to plant them. Ideally when the weather is not only fine for
planting, but also forecast to be so for a few days after, so the soil is
warming up nicely. How would you like to be shoved in freezing cold soil
after several weeks indoors?

But the main thing to watch out for is frost after they've put shoots above
the soil. Frost will blacken them off, and although they will probably
restart, they will be set back. If frost is forecast, bury the tips with a
couple of inches of soil, they'll be up quicker that way.

HTH

Steve

Thanks, I'll get the chitting underway this week.

Bruce

Des Higgins wrote:
In Ireland, Paddy's Day (March 17th) was the supposed latest to plant out by
but you might get a lot more frost in Yorkshire than we do. If no one else
replies, wait until later March to plant. Otheriwse, I have only planted
spuds once so I will happily bow to better advice.

Never heard Irish people planting potatoes on the 17th March. It's only
associated with planting bog plant as the weather is usually terrible
)

Planting potatoes, for as long as man can remember, as always been done
just after the first full moon, when the moon wanes, energy is drawn
down, the gravitation pull is high, creating moisture in the soil and
it is the best time to plant root crop, potatoes. I have always planted
them at Easter, between the 13th and 27th April this year is the time
to do it )

"La Puce" wrote in message
oups.com...

Des Higgins wrote:
In Ireland, Paddy's Day (March 17th) was the supposed latest to plant out
by
but you might get a lot more frost in Yorkshire than we do. If no one
else
replies, wait until later March to plant. Otheriwse, I have only planted
spuds once so I will happily bow to better advice.

Never heard Irish people planting potatoes on the 17th March. It's only
associated with planting bog plant as the weather is usually terrible
)

Planting potatoes, for as long as man can remember, as always been done
just after the first full moon, when the moon wanes, energy is drawn
down, the gravitation pull is high, creating moisture in the soil and
it is the best time to plant root crop, potatoes. I have always planted
them at Easter, between the 13th and 27th April this year is the time
to do it )


Gasp; that is ehhhh very mystical. Do you do this in special costume?

Des Higgins wrote:
Gasp; that is ehhhh very mystical. Do you do this in special costume?

Birth suit )

But seriously, haven't you ever heard of planting by the moon? We more
or less do it still but without knowing we do it.

Planting time also depends on the type of potato. Earlies mid to late
March, maincrop April is my usual timetable. Chitting takes a little
while and the usual recommendation is sprouts about an inch long. Not
all gardeners recommend chitting so it's perhaps not too critical? Frost
is an issue. Last year we had frost 1st week April (Derbyshire)and it
burnt my potato tops in spite of piling up the soil - which didn't quite
cover them at this stage of growth. They recovered but I suspect it
affected the crop. A few fellow allotment holders also lost their runner
beans, so obviously too early for these. This year I'm covering with
fleece until the end of April. Last recorded frost in Derbyshire I
believe is 20th May - or so I've been told.

wrote:
Spud newbie seeks advice on planting timetable.

I was planning on buying some seed potatoes now and starting them off
"chitting", with the idea being to plant out in early March.
Some questions:
* How long does chitting take?
* Is early March too soon to plant, because of the danger of frost
damage? Location is Yorkshire.

Thanks,
Bruce