Which potato to plant first?

[veg4681]

I'd like to start planting some potatoes this weekend but which of these would be best candidate for early planting. All have chitted although the shoots aren't 1" long yet.

First Earlies
Vales Emerald

Second Earlies
Kestral
Charlotte
Anya
Edzell Blue
British Queen

[smallblueplanet]

We've started some of our Vales Emerald in a box last weekend. I think you can also crop Charlotte as a 1st early, small salad spud?

[veg4681]

Yes I was thinking of Vales Emerald as it's 1st earlies and also Charlottes as of some of you Grapes (think it's Shirl) have planted this already.

But you haven't planted all 10 tubers of your freebie Vales Emerald, have you?

[smallblueplanet]

No just a couple of them. We'll probably do a couple of the others in pots, but the rest (we've only 1st & 2nd earlies) will go in the ground mid-April-ish.

[veg4681]

If they go in mid April, when will they be ready for harvesting, July? I'm thinking of planting the spuds in the parsnips & leeks bed but they need to be out by July. Only Vales Emerald and Kestral (half stock) will be considered for growing in ground as they're proper seed potatoes (not supermarket ones). Grown in ground, how badly do they get eaten by slugs? I hate to buy too many pots for growing tatties.

[SMS6]

can parsnips follow potatoes? Wouldn't that be root crop following root crop so not good rotation or would it be classed as same growing season.

This rotation business is all very confusing to me

[smallblueplanet]

Each variety of potato grown in the vegetable garden has its own particular length of time between planting and harvesting. Potato varieties may be listed according to the number of weeks they need to grow to become large enough to harvest.

* extra early potatoes
o ready 10 weeks after planting
o varieties include Lady Christl, Winston, Rocket

* first early potatoes
o ready 12 weeks after planting
o usually planted from January to March
o ready for digging from May-July
o varieties include Sharpes Express, Red Duke of York, Maris Bard

* second early potatoes
o ready 16 weeks after planting
o planted between February and May
o harvested from July to October
o may be stored over the winter
o British Queen, Kestrel, Edzell Blue

* salad potatoes
o usually grown as first or second earlies
o varieties include Charlotte, Annabelle, Amandine
o harvested when small

* main crop potatoes
o lifted 24 weeks after planting
o planted in April
o harvested in September and October
o stored over the winter
o varieties include King Edward, Desiree, Sante

* late maincrop potatoes
o harvested 30 weeks after planting
o planted in April
o harvested in October.
o stored over the winter
o varieties include Pink Fir Apple, Arran Victory, Asterix, Sarpo Mira

* second crop potatoes
o are planted in late August for a Christmas crop
o potatoes will be immature like new potatoes
o can be grown on same patch that grew early potatoes
o varieties include Carlingford, Maris Peer, Vales Emerald

The length of time between planting and harvest will depend on:

* chitting
* aspect of vegetable garden
* type of soil
* weather
* growing conditions

Although all potato varieties can be planted in the vegetable garden at the same time, the list shows that each variety will take a different length of time to grow to a suitable size to harvest.

Top Veg � Blog Archive � List of Harvesting Times for Potatoes

HARVESTING AND STORAGE
Depending on the variety, potatoes take the following time to reach maturity;

Type Plant to Harvest Time

First Early 10 weeks

Second Early 13 weeks

Early Maincrop 15 weeks

Late Maincrop 20 weeks

Potatoes which are left in the soil longer than the above periods will become larger, but are also more susceptible to slug attack.

Harrod Horticultural

[veg4681]

Thanks for the above notes SBP, just what I need as I have far too many varieties to deal with (will put them in my potato doc). Big potato variety experimental year for shortlisting next year.

[Snadger]

can parsnips follow potatoes? Wouldn't that be root crop following root crop so not good rotation or would it be classed as same growing season.

This rotation business is all very confusing to me

Parsnips like a long growing season and usually need to be sown February/March or at the latest April. They grow at the same time as most potato crops and it would even be too late to sow them after your early potatoes have finished cropping I would think!