Duronal's Potatoes from Seed Experiment '08 and into '09

[Snadger]

I've got loads of potatoe 'plugs' in a tray hardening off. I intend borrowing an idea from the leek growing fraternity..........that is, dibbling a hole about 5 inches deep and dropping each plug in a hole. As with planting leeks , I'll then just fill the dibber hole with water and this should save me from ridging up and hopefully allow any spuds I harvest to be well below ground!

[Duronal]

As long as light doesn't get in and turn them green it should work Snadger.

I finished planting out all of my TPS today, I grew some in Rootrainers to make life easier and it was well worth it. I found several spudlets whilst removing the books with the longest being 1 1/2 inches long. I can also confirm that i will have some BLUE potatoes as a noticed some wonderful flashes of purple peeping out of the roots.

I can honestly say that i'm delighted and i hope you all enjoy your crops.

Thanks for giving this a go.

D

[zazen999]

I've got 2 in buckets, from seed and quite a few in roottrainers from cut offs from sprouted shop bought. The 2 from seed are in the greenhouse and are being earthed up. One was planned, after being sprouted from seeds in kitchen roll but the other started growing in a pot with a tomato....I can only assume that it bounced out at the transfer stage of kitchen roll to module and found its own feet so to speak. It was transferred to the bucket at the weekend.

[Flummery]

I potted up my 6 into their big flower buckets and pots the other day. Some had the thick roots on which will swell into tubers, so they're doing the right thing! I potted them well down so just the top tuft of leaves show. Exciting eh?

[zazen999]

Not half Flum.

[Demeter]

how big are everyone's plants?

I did sow mine a bit later than most (22 March) but the plants are all still tiny! I potted loads up into 3" pots a week or two ago, and they are pretty much all still at the 2 or 3 leaf stage with a few straggly roots (a couple did have those teeny tiny embryonic tubers on though, which was dead exciting - and I noticed a bit of blue on some of the blue ones!)

Am I way behind or is anyone else wondering when their spuds will actually take off??

Will definitely sow earlier next year!

[Snadger]

how big are everyone's plants?

I did sow mine a bit later than most (22 March) but the plants are all still tiny! I potted loads up into 3" pots a week or two ago, and they are pretty much all still at the 2 or 3 leaf stage with a few straggly roots (a couple did have those teeny tiny embryonic tubers on though, which was dead exciting - and I noticed a bit of blue on some of the blue ones!)

Am I way behind or is anyone else wondering when their spuds will actually take off??

Will definitely sow earlier next year!

Mine are only 3 or 4 inches tall but well established in the allotment soil!

[Duronal]

My largest is approx 12", unfortunately i managed to kill off two of my plants with ambitous earthing up. I'm assuming that they died as they didn't have enough of am energy store to shoot through the soil. Still I've had a proper stomp about the foolishness of my mistake, i'll chalk it up in the memory to avoid doing the same next year.

The remaining 15 plants seem to be growing well, my fingers are crossed so i hope that i get some tubers.

Cheers

D

[zazen999]

I've got 2 in the greenhouse, both in big pots. They are coming to the top of the pots now so will earth up to the top and just leave them be, only watering when needed.

[Flummery]

Mine are about 6" above the pots - the pots are just a tad smaller than a flower bucket.

[quark1]

I'm afraid I have to report a 'death' in the family - of this experiment - the Roosters were planted out into a flower bucket and some darned nocturnal creature dug the lot up - RIP Rooster!

I will start again - deeper and straight into flower buckets - keeing inside until VERY big!

Staring again this weekend - will keep you updated.

[Demeter]

Sorry to hear about your roosters, Quark. Are you starting again from seeds or did you have some little plants put by?

However often I look at mine they are still tiny - maybe I will get potatoes by Christmas!

[Snadger]

Just wondering how everyones tattie seed experiment is doing? the foliage on mine looks quite normal so I'm looking forward to a crop of special 'Snadge' potatoes!

[Flummery]

My 6 buckets are doing well. I'm leaving them in until September (or they flower, or the foliage dies off) as I don't know if they'll turn out to be maincrop and I don't want to cut them off in their prime! Exciting though eh?

[Snadger]

My 6 buckets are doing well. I'm leaving them in until September (or they flower, or the foliage dies off) as I don't know if they'll turn out to be maincrop and I don't want to cut them off in their prime! Exciting though eh?

Ok.....so we know we are producing new varieties, but will maincrop not begat maincrop etc etc?