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Horror - shock!
My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere ready to plant them! It will take me at least another couple of months to work up the energy to get up out of my chair and go into the garden, the chances of digging the garden are just as remote! What can I do? -- alan reply to alan(dot)holmes27(at)virgin(dot)net |
"Alan Holmes" wrote in message ... : : My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere : ready to plant them! : : It will take me at least another couple of months to work up the : energy to get up out of my chair and go into the garden, the : chances of digging the garden are just as remote! : : What can I do? : Send them to me |
"Alan Holmes" wrote in message ... My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere ready to plant them! It will take me at least another couple of months to work up the energy to get up out of my chair and go into the garden, the chances of digging the garden are just as remote! What can I do? Exactly whereabouts are you sprouting them ? Shed, garage, house ? Approx how long are the sprouts ? Pete |
"Cumberpach" wrote in message ... "Alan Holmes" wrote in message ... My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere ready to plant them! Exactly whereabouts are you sprouting them ? Shed, garage, house ? Approx how long are the sprouts ? PS. Spuds are pretty hardy, mine have been in the garage, in front of an East facing window, for a week. Min temp acouple of days ago was minus 2C. I cover them with an old duvet at night. My sprouts/shoots are approx 3mm. Pete |
Shock Horror. This is a natural phenomenon. If the shoots are too long rub
them off or do what I did & cut them down to 2" & plant them at the normal time which is usually Good Friday. CJ "Cumberpach" wrote in message ... "Cumberpach" wrote in message ... "Alan Holmes" wrote in message ... My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere ready to plant them! Exactly whereabouts are you sprouting them ? Shed, garage, house ? Approx how long are the sprouts ? PS. Spuds are pretty hardy, mine have been in the garage, in front of an East facing window, for a week. Min temp acouple of days ago was minus 2C. I cover them with an old duvet at night. My sprouts/shoots are approx 3mm. Pete |
"Alan Holmes" wrote in message ... My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere ready to plant them! It will take me at least another couple of months to work up the energy to get up out of my chair and go into the garden, the chances of digging the garden are just as remote! What can I do? Bin them and buy new ones if/when you are ready to get on with the job? Or maybe plant some in a barrel or similar? |
On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:02:36 GMT, "Alan Holmes"
wrote: My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere ready to plant them! It will take me at least another couple of months to work up the energy to get up out of my chair and go into the garden, the chances of digging the garden are just as remote! What can I do? Buy this years potatoes from Tesco. Sorry, just noticed you post and couldn't resist it. No offence meant. Hope you solve the problem Regards Angus Macmillan www.roots-of-blood.org.uk www.killhunting.org www.con-servation.org.uk |
Hi,
I am attending a course on 'Organic Gardening'. For growing potatoes, I saw a video last week and got some handouts this week. It is a no-dig method. The potatoes are growing in a layer of compost, manure, kitchen scraps, old leaves, etc which is about 15-20 cm in depth, then cardboards are either put underneath this layer (as in the handouts) or above it (as in the video). Then on the top is a mulch of straw, mushroom compost, clippings, woodchips, shredded paper, etc. The cardboard must be overlaid with at least 20 cm as it can help to stop the growth of weeds and lessen the chance of being attacked by eelworms. Though a hole is still made for each tuber (no matter the position of the cardboard, if it is on top of potatoes, they can let the shootings growing through; if it is underneath potatoes, roots can grow through). The cardboards should be decomposed within a growing season. It would be a good way to build up soil. If you use a lot of grass clippings on top, the depth should not more than 2 inches, otherwise, it will turn the growing area in a heat compost 'bed' that may keep potatoes. It will help to reducing moisture loss. If the weather is rather dry and you need to water potatoes, just pull the mulch back first, soaked the soil around the plants, then fitted it back around the stems. I got serious problem with eelworms in the first year, so I didn't grow any potatoes in the second year. I think I can try this method this year. When potatoes grow, you can top up with new layers of mulch when necessary. Hope it can help. CK "Alan Holmes" wrote in message ... My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere ready to plant them! |
"Cumberpach" wrote in message ... "Alan Holmes" wrote in message ... My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere ready to plant them! It will take me at least another couple of months to work up the energy to get up out of my chair and go into the garden, the chances of digging the garden are just as remote! What can I do? Exactly whereabouts are you sprouting them ? Shed, garage, house ? Approx how long are the sprouts ? Indoors, on the kitchen window, but having read your article that yours are in the shed, I'll move mine into the shed. -- alan reply to alan(dot)holmes27(at)virgin(dot)net |
wrote in message ... On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:02:36 GMT, "Alan Holmes" wrote: My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere ready to plant them! It will take me at least another couple of months to work up the energy to get up out of my chair and go into the garden, the chances of digging the garden are just as remote! What can I do? Buy this years potatoes from Tesco. Anywhere but Tesco!(:-) Sorry, just noticed you post and couldn't resist it. No offence meant. Hope you solve the problem Thanks. -- alan reply to alan(dot)holmes27(at)virgin(dot)net |
CK wrote:
:: Hi, :: :: I am attending a course on 'Organic Gardening'. For growing :: potatoes, I saw a video last week and got some handouts this week. :: It is a no-dig method. :: :: The potatoes are growing in a layer of compost, manure, kitchen :: scraps, old leaves, etc which is about 15-20 cm in depth, then :: cardboards are either put underneath this layer (as in the :: handouts) or above it (as in the video). Then on the top is a :: mulch of straw, mushroom compost, clippings, woodchips, shredded :: paper, etc. :: :: The cardboard must be overlaid with at least 20 cm as it can help :: to stop the growth of weeds and lessen the chance of being :: attacked by eelworms. Though a hole is still made for each tuber :: (no matter the position of the cardboard, if it is on top of :: potatoes, they can let the shootings growing through; if it is :: underneath potatoes, roots can grow through). The cardboards :: should be decomposed within a growing season. It would be a good :: way to build up soil. :: :: If you use a lot of grass clippings on top, the depth should not :: more than 2 inches, otherwise, it will turn the growing area in a :: heat compost 'bed' that may keep potatoes. It will help to :: reducing moisture loss. If the weather is rather dry and you need :: to water potatoes, just pull the mulch back first, soaked the soil :: around the plants, then fitted it back around the stems. :: :: I got serious problem with eelworms in the first year, so I didn't :: grow any potatoes in the second year. I think I can try this :: method this year. :: :: When potatoes grow, you can top up with new layers of mulch when :: necessary. :: :: Hope it can help. Christ on a bike! You go through all that lot just to save digging a few holes?...mind you, I suppose it could come in handy if you live on the 26th floor or on a barge. -- http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/ |
Janet Baraclough wrote:
:: The message :: from "Alan Holmes" contains these words: :: :: ::: My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is ::: nowhere ready to plant them! :: ::: It will take me at least another couple of months to work up the ::: energy to get up out of my chair and go into the garden, the ::: chances of digging the garden are just as remote! :: ::: What can I do? :: :: Order a few tons of topsoil, lay the potatoes on the garden :: surface, cover them with topsoil. :: But he'd still have to get out of his chair.....maybe a catapult might help? -- http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/ |
Hi,
One of the principle of organic gardening is 'Planting for the future', therefore, we should think about all the natural factors. You can find out the reason of a no-dig system from the two webpages of HDRA: Managing your soil: http://www.hdra.org.uk/organicgardening/gh_mansl.htm No Dig Gardening http://www.hdra.org.uk/factsheets/gg2.htm Besides, using no-dig method with mulching, you can recycle more stuff, build up your soil, reduce moisture loss, suppress growing of weeds, minimize the attack from eelworms, etc. Then, you can save time in watering, weeding, fertilising and earthen up but with a higher harvest. My tutor had tried the system for several years. She said, after growing potatoes, the place is very good for root crop (crop-rotation). Besides the theory of 'organic gardening' which you can find out a lot of information from HDRA, there is now a more recent term, 'permaculture' - permanent agriculture. I have just conducted a google search and found 848,000 pages on it. You may have a look of it. Better go to sleep now. CK Christ on a bike! You go through all that lot just to save digging a few holes?...mind you, I suppose it could come in handy if you live on the 26th floor or on a barge. -- http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/ |
"CK" wrote in message ... Hi, I am attending a course on 'Organic Gardening'. For growing potatoes, I saw a video last week and got some handouts this week. It is a no-dig method. The potatoes are growing in a layer of compost, manure, kitchen scraps, old leaves, etc which is about 15-20 cm in depth, then cardboards are either put underneath this layer (as in the handouts) or above it (as in the video). Then on the top is a mulch of straw, mushroom compost, clippings, woodchips, shredded paper, etc. The cardboard must be overlaid with at least 20 cm as it can help to stop the growth of weeds and lessen the chance of being attacked by eelworms. Though a hole is still made for each tuber (no matter the position of the cardboard, if it is on top of potatoes, they can let the shootings growing through; if it is underneath potatoes, roots can grow through). The cardboards should be decomposed within a growing season. It would be a good way to build up soil. If you use a lot of grass clippings on top, the depth should not more than 2 inches, otherwise, it will turn the growing area in a heat compost 'bed' that may keep potatoes. It will help to reducing moisture loss. If the weather is rather dry and you need to water potatoes, just pull the mulch back first, soaked the soil around the plants, then fitted it back around the stems. I got serious problem with eelworms in the first year, so I didn't grow any potatoes in the second year. I think I can try this method this year. When potatoes grow, you can top up with new layers of mulch when necessary. Hope it can help. What on earth is all that nonsense in aid of? Just make a hole in the ground and drop a potato in it. If you feel like it you can sprinkle a few processed chicken pellets on the ground now and again as a pudding for the potatoes. Potatoes actually *want* to grow. Franz |
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message ... The message from "Alan Holmes" contains these words: My seed potatoes are beginning to sprout, but the garden is nowhere ready to plant them! It will take me at least another couple of months to work up the energy to get up out of my chair and go into the garden, the chances of digging the garden are just as remote! What can I do? Order a few tons of topsoil, lay the potatoes on the garden surface, cover them with topsoil. Alternatively, and cheaper in money and labour, throw them away and buy some potatoes at the supermarket of your choice when it comes to planting time. Franz |
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