Thinking of planting my potatoes. (Firsts and Seconds) The immediate
forecast is pretty dire but surely by the time they poke through we
might get some spring weather.

Paul

SW London

Paul Luton wrote in
. uk:

Thinking of planting my potatoes. (Firsts and Seconds) The immediate
forecast is pretty dire but surely by the time they poke through we
might get some spring weather.

Paul

SW London


I always chance my arm by planting a dozen first earlies mid March to get a
few new spuds a bit earlier than normal.
Apart from last year it worked fine.
Frosts can kill off the foliage but they grow new ones. Knocks them back so
much and can be that they are the last ones to mature.
I think the traditional time to plant is end of March, but if you can plant
a few now, not all of them, do so.
We are snow covered ATM but otherwise the dozen would be in the ground.
Plant your second earlies a couple of weeks after your main planting of
first earlies, probably mid April.

Baz

On 18/03/2013 14:31, Baz wrote:
Paul Luton wrote in
. uk:

Thinking of planting my potatoes. (Firsts and Seconds) The immediate
forecast is pretty dire but surely by the time they poke through we
might get some spring weather.

Paul

SW London


I always chance my arm by planting a dozen first earlies mid March to get a
few new spuds a bit earlier than normal.
Apart from last year it worked fine.
Frosts can kill off the foliage but they grow new ones. Knocks them back so
much and can be that they are the last ones to mature.
I think the traditional time to plant is end of March, but if you can plant
a few now, not all of them, do so.
We are snow covered ATM but otherwise the dozen would be in the ground.
Plant your second earlies a couple of weeks after your main planting of
first earlies, probably mid April.

Baz


Thanks - a hunt around suggests that soil temperature needs to be 6C and
a measurement here gives 5C so perhaps next week.

Paul

Lay some black polythene or similar over the soil for a week or two before you plant. Helps to warm it up.