When do the nurseries get the seed potatoes in? Now?

I've grown some nice potatoes and some not so nice, but I can never
get big ones for jacket potatoes or fat chips. Any advice on type or
technique. (I'm on very well drained soil, maybe I need more
watering?)
--
Mike.

"Brownfingers" wrote in message
...
When do the nurseries get the seed potatoes in? Now?

Most garden centres have them in already.



I've grown some nice potatoes and some not so nice, but I can never
get big ones for jacket potatoes or fat chips. Any advice on type or
technique. (I'm on very well drained soil, maybe I need more
watering?)
--
Mike.

"Brownfingers" wrote in message
...
When do the nurseries get the seed potatoes in? Now?

I've grown some nice potatoes and some not so nice, but I can never
get big ones for jacket potatoes or fat chips. Any advice on type or
technique. (I'm on very well drained soil, maybe I need more
watering?)
-

Quite possibly. This -

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...f/P1010016.jpg

is what I do. The piping came from a skip, and I made holes along it's
length and I bury it in the trench with the seed potatoes so I can water
direct to the roots by pouring it down the pipe.

Steve

"Brownfingers" wrote ...
When do the nurseries get the seed potatoes in? Now?

I've grown some nice potatoes and some not so nice, but I can never
get big ones for jacket potatoes or fat chips. Any advice on type or
technique. (I'm on very well drained soil, maybe I need more
watering?)

They are in the shops now or you can order online....
http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/

Maybe you are using the wrong varieties for your soil type, try some drought
tolerant ones. How much manure do you put on your potato bed each year, I
spread about 4 inches thick layer all over before digging it in and I'm on
clay/silt, your soil probably needs more. Watering is also key as is
starting with big seed potatoes.
An old chap on our first allotment site always went down the supermarket and
bought the cheapest and biggest clean spuds to use as seed to grow baking
potatoes. Not recommended but he proved to me that big in means big out.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 Brownfingers wrote:

I've grown some nice potatoes and some not so nice, but I can never
get big ones for jacket potatoes or fat chips. Any advice on type or
technique. (I'm on very well drained soil, maybe I need more
watering?)

The biggest ones I ever grew had had some horse manure dumped on them by
accident while they were growing. They were HUGE - but not very nice!

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:23:34 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:

How much manure do you put on your potato bed each year, I
spread about 4 inches thick layer all over before digging it in and I'm on
clay/silt,

I normally do that but this year our manure was contaminated with that
persistent herbicide :-(
--
Mike.

To grow larger potatoes, one thing you should do is reduce the number of shoots on the potato after chitting to about 3 good ones.

Unless you have a lot of garden space and free time for gardening, I think growing the kind of vegetables that are relatively cheap in the shops is a waste of scarce garden space and one's personal labour. It might not even save you much money. To my mind, in potatoes, getting best value from one's scarce garden space and labour means growing new potatoes, which are more expensive, and growing varieties that you wouldn't find in the shops.

You do need to buy your seed potatoes now and get chitting. Soon you'll be too late.

On 24 Feb, 16:14, Brownfingers wrote:
On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:23:34 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:

How much manure do you put on your potato bed each year, I
spread about 4 inches thick layer all over before digging it in and I'm on
clay/silt,

I normally do that but this year our manure was contaminated with that
persistent herbicide :-(
--
Mike.

I would try rubbing out all but one of the eyes so that there isn't
the competition for the feed and water.
David Hill