Grow Your Own Magazine

I have some maris piper and pink fir apple potatoes that I want to plant in the ground (my first and second earlies are going in pots). When is the latest that I could put these main crop potatoes in as I need to get a bed sorted out for them which may take some time as there is only me to dig it. Also I have quite heavy clay soil - will they be ok in this? should I mix in some compost when It has been dug out?

Kim

Seed potatoes go in around the end of March in open ground. If you have compost available, then use it - if not then go ahead anyway.

I had better get my finger out and get digging

Hi Kimbo
Both these varieties are maincrop so are okay to plant up until Mid to late May., as they take about 15-20 weeks from planting to harvest, so don't do your back in rushing to get the ground dug!

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Hello Kimbo, maybe what I'm saying is the obvious. Others ate right but it's because your potatoes have to be ready by the time the top growth is struck down by frost. So you have to work ot when is the first frost in your area - and dear knows when that is now - but if you call it October- then you have to count back about 20 or 22 weeks from then, and that is the latest date you can plant mains, or late mains, and get them to maturity before they are struck down by frost.
Hope this helps.

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