The Poultry Keeper

jaydee67 · Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:47 am Post subject:

I've grown potatoes withthe kids in stacking tyres - just add another tyre when the plant is high enough and fill it up with compost / whatever - grew potatoes in a barrel with one of the kids at school last year - just a cut off plastic barrel and we used grass clippings to heap it up - doing the same with my lasagna potato bed this year.

Aussie Chick · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 12:14 am Post subject:

Do you think I can still plant them when I get back? late Aug is that too late?

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

my potato leaflet says that the latest time is the end of August, if they're outside, but it can be delayed for one week if they are in a polytunnel or greenhouse. It doesn't say that it won't work later but that the results will be disappointing.
So you can stop worrying now and plant them when you get back ~ it does say that the tubers should be stored in the 'fridge until you decide to plant them, so hope someone is doing that for you.
Have a lovely holiday

Aussie Chick · Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 10:15 am Post subject:

Thanks for the info. I'll ask Sam to fridge them for me.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

Checked my potatoes yesterday and already 3 of them have popped up through the compost ~ only half an inch, but it's upwards instead of downwards, so I'm very pleased.
I read somewhere about just earthing them up with the pooey wood shavings from the girls house, is that right? I thought the stuff had to rot down before it could be used. Or should I just do it with ordinary compost (they're in a barrel)?

Lisa · Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 9:27 am Post subject:

Not tried these, but I'm very curious. I have a few left over supermarket "new potatoes" that are sprouting, so was thinking of giving it a go.

Do you have to keep them frost free? I know frost can kill the tops of potato plants early in the year, so would the same thing happen in autumn?

I've got some large pots I could plant them in. And keeping them up close to the brick wall of the house should give them a tiny bit more shelter and warmth. I've got some garden fleece I could cover them with. I thought that normally gives a coulple of degrees protection, so I should be okay down to -2C or -3C?

Do you think that will be okay? Don't want to dig up frozen spuds Confused

I just really love the thought of having some fresh, home grown new potatoes around Xmas time Razz

- even if they might be really small in number and size... Laughing

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

I think that sounds fine, Lisa, they should stay warm close to the house. I think maybe looking for something to insulate the pot might be good as well, perhaps wrap some bubble wrap round the pot if it starts getting really cold, also make sure the pot isn't standing on the floor, put it on little feet or blocks of wood, so that it doesn't get frozen from the bottom.
Good luck

Lisa · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:07 pm Post subject:

Did anyone dig up new potatoes for their Christmas dinner then?

My sister planted the one's I had (left over supermarket ones that were sprouting). They went in quite late, in large pots. When it started to get colder, they went into Mum's unheated greenhouse and more or less got ignored Confused

Despite all that they did produce a small number of small potatoes.

With hindsight, I wonder if it would be better to grow potatoes on the allotment, at normal time, that store well into winter instead?

stephen · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 8:02 pm Post subject:

That's what we did last year quite successfully. This year we had a very bad year for potatoes due to the soil in the part of the allotment we planted them in Sad

Lisa · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:42 pm Post subject:

nigel · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:09 pm Post subject:

we grew pink fir apple, which stored very well, IIRC till we after xmas

Lisa · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:13 pm Post subject:

Oh good - they're on my list to buy and grow for just that reason Razz

(previous problems have been that I've eaten them all and had none to store Laughing

)

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

grew some potatoes in a barrel ~ set them in August ~ but they didn't really amount to anything ~ some didn't even bother to sprout! I don't think I'll try that again.
I did grow corn though in tall plastic kitchen bins ~ 5 to a bin and they were excellent ~ considering they were not in the sunniest position.

Aussie Chick · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:18 am Post subject:

Forgot to plant mine Embarassed