And remember when you buy a bag of seed potatoes you will get a lot of them. Dont be tempted to put too many in your grow bags, if you're using them, two a bag is enough.
WUW thanks for all the info guys! i really appreciate it.
Well My partners mother bought me 2 bags of first earlies and a bag of second earlies, One was charlotte (think thats 2nd early?) can't remember the earlies (maybe Swift and Javlin?)
Well they came in bags and all are wrinkly and all have shoots, one of the first earlies have major shoots, Which i have been told are no good, Since she was there with them i felt i couldn't say so i have now 3 loads of useless tatties.
Well i decided bugger it i'l just plant one of the earlies just now (that had least amount of growth but had chitted) well It was down to Zero Degrees last night, so does that mean that they all will have died? I have planted them in a bin I put 7 small tatties in and just covered them over with soil.
I know she was meaning well but since it was money that she had got off my partner, i'm a bit annoyed as my budget for decent loose tatties (which i was going to buy at a local nursery n' could choose the best looking ones n' not have any left over) has been spent. I had told her that i was looking forward to choosing my tats etc
(the rest of my budget was spent on raspberry and blackberry canes that she said she would buy for me, which i was wanting but was going to get from local nursery instead of big supplier, as find quality is poor from big supplier) N' now no more in budget for any of my other plans...
Don't worry, you can plant wrinkly with shoots. Protect them and their shoots from frost. A sheet of newspaper and some soil should be enough. If they are well- chitted you have a head start.
If you are not ready to plant yet put the potatoes in something like egg boxes so they can be placed shoots up in a cool light place.
Next year you will be able to choose exactly what you want. There is no shame in discarding what you don't want in the packs. Can you give them away?
If you plant early - mid - and lates at different times, then why do they sell all the different varieties at the garden centre at the same time? This has confused me
I'm new to growing fruit and veg and bought my different variety of seed potatoes at the same time, they've all chitted lovely and was told to plant them as rule of thumb Easter weekend!
I'm just going to stick 'em all in at the end of this month and hope for the best
Hi Rodge-Dodge, as far as i can understand, Earlies, second earlies (and I think Mains) can be started at the same time, it is all about how long they take to mature, Earlies don't take very long while mains take alot longer so are ready further on in the year.
But saying that i also think that shops sell them all at the same time as some people start theirs early depending on where they are located in the uk, the further north the later you plant due to the weather not warming up. I also personally think that shops sell them early almost for newbies (like myself) to go and buy them too early and then have to go back and buy more so spending twice as much. (just my opinion is the same with flowers that are for sale that have been grown indoors as soon as you get them home they die)
I would say from all the information i have been given that they should be ok I was told to stay away from tats that have long shoots but also been told not to worry about them. With me its trial and error, but for me that is most of the fun, trying to work out what workd and what didn't.
Thanks Welshonion, I will not panic, as these are my first time so i might as well practice with these I have just asked a friend if she wants a packet as i really don't have space for anymore so she will take a packet. I will also be planting the ones with really big shoots in another bin down at my partners garage to see the difference, I have perked up a bit since this morning and not feeling so dishearted about it all, I will use what i have and learn alot from them. Then next year i will be more experienced and hopefully have a bumper crop
I'm one of about 3 women on our allotment and every other bloke has a different idea. Being a woman I'm following my gut instinct. after all what's the worst can happen? I'll laugh if mine grow better! I miss read my carrot seed packet, [ sew in rows 30cm (1') apart] can you see what I did?
Brilliant Rodgy-dodge You must be aiming for massive carrots Well gut instinct is always the one to follow, thats what i do 90% of the time lol, then i read the label n' go "ops...."
My dad doesn't grow potatoes and always put me off in the past saying they are a lot of trouble earthing up and stuff (my maternal grandad always grew them though, I should probably have spoken to him more!).
Turns out most years my dad actually gets some kind of crop of potatoes without even trying - any shooting spuds discovered when cooking go in the compost whole, like many of us he doesn't turn his compost as frequently as the experts tell us, and usually some of the spuds grow and crop in the compost heap...
If it helps, he is about an hour and a half NW of Inverness and manages to grow spuds by accident - so I'm quite sure you will have some success!
As for all different seed potatoes being on sale at the same time - I bought 3 varieties, and they are chitting at different rates - I'll plant them when I think they are ready based on advice here so they will go in at different times, so far Arran Pilot have been planted, I think Estima will be next ready....
Posts
Thanks David
And remember when you buy a bag of seed potatoes you will get a lot of them. Dont be tempted to put too many in your grow bags, if you're using them, two a bag is enough.
WUW thanks for all the info guys! i really appreciate it.
Well My partners mother bought me 2 bags of first earlies and a bag of second earlies, One was charlotte (think thats 2nd early?) can't remember the earlies (maybe Swift and Javlin?)
Well they came in bags and all are wrinkly and all have shoots, one of the first earlies have major shoots, Which i have been told are no good, Since she was there with them i felt i couldn't say so i have now 3 loads of useless tatties.
Well i decided bugger it i'l just plant one of the earlies just now (that had least amount of growth but had chitted) well It was down to Zero Degrees last night, so does that mean that they all will have died? I have planted them in a bin I put 7 small tatties in and just covered them over with soil.
I know she was meaning well but since it was money that she had got off my partner, i'm a bit annoyed as my budget for decent loose tatties (which i was going to buy at a local nursery n' could choose the best looking ones n' not have any left over) has been spent. I had told her that i was looking forward to choosing my tats etc
(the rest of my budget was spent on raspberry and blackberry canes that she said she would buy for me, which i was wanting but was going to get from local nursery instead of big supplier, as find quality is poor from big supplier) N' now no more in budget for any of my other plans...
If you are not ready to plant yet put the potatoes in something like egg boxes so they can be placed shoots up in a cool light place.
Next year you will be able to choose exactly what you want. There is no shame in discarding what you don't want in the packs. Can you give them away?
If you plant early - mid - and lates at different times, then why do they sell all the different varieties at the garden centre at the same time? This has confused me
I'm new to growing fruit and veg and bought my different variety of seed potatoes at the same time, they've all chitted lovely and was told to plant them as rule of thumb Easter weekend!
I'm just going to stick 'em all in at the end of this month and hope for the best
Hi Rodge-Dodge, as far as i can understand, Earlies, second earlies (and I think Mains) can be started at the same time, it is all about how long they take to mature, Earlies don't take very long while mains take alot longer so are ready further on in the year.
But saying that i also think that shops sell them all at the same time as some people start theirs early depending on where they are located in the uk, the further north the later you plant due to the weather not warming up. I also personally think that shops sell them early almost for newbies (like myself) to go and buy them too early and then have to go back and buy more so spending twice as much. (just my opinion is the same with flowers that are for sale that have been grown indoors as soon as you get them home they die)
I would say from all the information i have been given that they should be ok
I was told to stay away from tats that have long shoots but also been told not to worry about them. With me its trial and error, but for me that is most of the fun, trying to work out what workd and what didn't.
Thanks Welshonion, I will not panic, as these are my first time so i might as well practice with these
I have just asked a friend if she wants a packet as i really don't have space for anymore so she will take a packet. I will also be planting the ones with really big shoots in another bin down at my partners garage to see the difference, I have perked up a bit since this morning and not feeling so dishearted about it all, I will use what i have and learn alot from them. Then next year i will be more experienced and hopefully have a bumper crop 
I'm one of about 3 women on our allotment and every other bloke has a different idea. Being a woman I'm following my gut instinct. after all what's the worst can happen? I'll laugh if mine grow better! I miss read my carrot seed packet, [ sew in rows 30cm (1') apart] can you see what I did?
I love this gardening game tee hee
Brilliant Rodgy-dodge You must be aiming for massive carrots
Well gut instinct is always the one to follow, thats what i do 90% of the time lol, then i read the label n' go "ops...."
My dad doesn't grow potatoes and always put me off in the past saying they are a lot of trouble earthing up and stuff (my maternal grandad always grew them though, I should probably have spoken to him more!).
Turns out most years my dad actually gets some kind of crop of potatoes without even trying - any shooting spuds discovered when cooking go in the compost whole, like many of us he doesn't turn his compost as frequently as the experts tell us, and usually some of the spuds grow and crop in the compost heap...
If it helps, he is about an hour and a half NW of Inverness and manages to grow spuds by accident - so I'm quite sure you will have some success!
As for all different seed potatoes being on sale at the same time - I bought 3 varieties, and they are chitting at different rates - I'll plant them when I think they are ready based on advice here so they will go in at different times, so far Arran Pilot have been planted, I think Estima will be next ready....
Thank you Runny