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Got sucked into buying “Christmas Potatoes”…

catshupcatcatshupcat Posts: 3
in Fruit & veg
…without doing proper research first! 😅 

I have grown potatoes before in grow bags and have seen successful yields. However, I was away during Easter so missed the planting window for a summer harvest. 

Was at the garden centre yesterday and saw some potato seeds for summer planting, in time for harvest for Christmas! Naturally I was excited so bought some. But upon researching more, it seems like it is much harder to get a successful crop for Christmas planting. 

I was wondering if anyone has any advice/good practice to share?? 

- How to avoid blight? Unfortunately I can only grow them outdoors, in grow bags. I also prefer not to spray with anything. 

- If blight happens, what should I do? Can I still eat the potatoes (if they look fine)? Do I have to throw out all the soil and bags (these are fabric-ish type of material used to stop root circling)?

- How to protect from cold? I’m in Hertfordshire. No greenhouse, is covering with fleece or a makeshift poly tunnel with some metal frame and plastic sheet good enough?

Thank you all in advance! 😀

Posts

  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    When you say 'grow bags' - do you mean the bags they sell for potatoes? (Tomato grow bags aren't deep enough).

    The main thing to remember is that they need a lot of water when they're in bags - rain won't be enough, they have too much top growth. And don't put many in each bag - 2 or 3 perhaps. 

    Stand them close to the house wall, ideally, to give them some frost protection. Yes, you can fleece them if frost is forecast. A makeshift polytunnel could work well if you can make it sturdy enough to stand up to autumn gales.

    There's not much you can do about blight. If it's cool and wet, try to make sure they have plenty of air movement but if blight is about, they'll probably get it. If you see brown blotches on the leaves and stems, cut the top growth off quickly and the potatoes will be OK to eat (they may be too small). You'll know if they aren't - they go to mush.

    Think 'new potatoes' sort of size and you may well get a crop.

    Good luck
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • catshupcatcatshupcat Posts: 3
    Yes, proper potato planters that you can unroll and hill up as you go. 

    Thank you for all these tips. Looks like just vigilance and taking fast actions. Definitely intend for these to be new potato sized anyway so hopefully I get some!

     raisingirl said:
    When you say 'grow bags' - do you mean the bags they sell for potatoes? (Tomato grow bags aren't deep enough).
  • war garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    However, I was away during Easter so missed the planting window for a summer harvest

    thats funny.
     if plant late you will get a harvest just few weeks later. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I’d plant them now … you should  get a crop of lovely new potatoes in November … hopefully before the hardest frosts  arrive. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • catshupcatcatshupcat Posts: 3
    Dovefromabove said:
    I’d plant them now … you should  get a crop of lovely new potatoes in November … hopefully before the hardest frosts  arrive. 
    Yup, going to get them in this weekend! Just waiting for some bags to arrive because the ones I had have started to rip so need to be replaced. Fingers crossed I get some before frosts/blight!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    🤞 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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