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1st early Potateo's

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  • Ali Newbie Gardener wrote (see)

    Help! I planted mine very early (mid Feb)...daft I know but succumbed to peer pressure and it was before I realised what a weird Spring we were to have. Nothing has appeared and I'm wondering whether to have a little dig to see what's happening down there. If nothing, then I could still replant. 

    Is there a chance they are just sitting dormant or will they have rotted away with all the snow and frosts? I too suffer from veggie impatience I'm afraid!

    Ali

     

    Probably rotted-whatever possessed you?

    It was never going to work if they had grown -the tops would have been frosted

    Dig down- if no sign -or a rotten tuber-replant-if you can get new tubersimage

  • Thanks for the advice. Have had a dig and managed to find one. It's definitely not rotted and has very thin tendril roots coming from the original sprouts. I need to have another go later and see if I can find any more.

    my Dad convinced me to put them in. Now I have to work out how to replant without him knowing...don't want to hurt his feelings!! What a palaver image looks like ill be buying more seed potatoes this week.

     

     

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    You will have the same Dad hanging over you next year so sometime you will have to tell him.  February is the right time to set them to chit, not to plant.

    The traditional time to plant is Easter, though even that was early this year.

  • Oh dear will have to bite the bullet and tell him! A least I'll get some help then though. I have since learnt and put my foot down over the runner beans. I'm going to replant them. The one I dug up had some growth but nowhere near enough. 

    You live and learn image

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Far, far too early to think about runner beans unless you are somewhere very warm that doesn't get late frosts.  Start them indoors/greenhouse if you can.  The soil is cold yet.

  • LokelaniLokelani Posts: 112

    I put mine in this w/e. 

    Anyas chitted from supermaket ones, same as I did last year. As I grow them in containers I don't have to worry so much about sterilised seed potato, as there's no build up of pest or disease. Others would say to never do this...

    There's no guaranteed okay time, we could still get a frost down south here. It's all about learning from experience & from others, who hopefully give helpful advice. 

    Even if you do need new tubers, my local garden centre had them all at half price & they weren't in that bad a condition, so not all lost. no doubt image

  • image

     I apologise for the hugeness of this photo. Just dug this up. The seed potato itself is very firm. Leave in or replant? I cannot find anything online about what to do when you have planted too early but I don't want to miss the window to buy new seed potatoes either!

  • vally2vally2 Posts: 4

    Hi, Can someone give me some advice, please?  I sent off for Charlotte potatoes and a grow bag, but have only just got them out of the box.  They've already started sprouting, and are also very wrinkled and soft.

    Is it worth trying to grow them, or will it be a waste of compost?

    Thanks!

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Grow on anything that has shoots.  They'll do fine.  Ali, if the tuber is growing well, stick it in, but when the shoots surface cover them with soil to protect from frost.

  • Thanks Welshonion. Im going to see if I can still get seed potatoes and if I can I might hedge my bets and just replant 2 rows leaving the rest in. My elderly neighbour seems to think they'll grow but they take up a fair bit of my veg patch so I need them to show a return! On the bright side by broad bean shoots are appearing....very exciting for a newbie!

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