Potatoes for Christmas query

[briggsy2011]

I know its mega early, but i do like to plan! I have read on this forum somewhere that to get potatoes for chrimbo you need to plant them by the first week of August.

What type can anyone suggest i grow? I have heard a lot of people grow Charlottes.

thanks xxxxxxx

[veggiechicken]

Try this http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...oes_59873.html

[Two_Sheds]

this any use? http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...s-spuds-2.html

[horticultural_hobbit]

Am glad this was asked, as I had the same idea. Would they still require chitting? From what I understand, good results are observe with spuds grown in bags kept in greenhouses and watched over in case of frost.

[Two_Sheds]

Chitting is something we do to start the potato off and growing while it's still too cold to plant them outside.

[briggsy2011]

Fantatic info as usual thanks

[bearded bloke]

Probably wont be much help but late last year I was given a blue barrel,which I duly cut in half & drilled a few holes around the perimeter.Then by good fortune I came across a bag of Vivaldi in a Wyvale with 75% off due to being old stock & self chitting.
100mm of well rotted horse poo spuds on top then filled up with MPC,had a good crop,dug up Crimbo eve & lasted us into February IIRC

[Potstubsdustbins]

BB its nice to know someone got it right last year. You may understand from that comment I didn't.

Colin

[solway cropper]

Me neither. I got a couple of meals from some Charlottes bought at a reduced price from Dobies but I won't be bothering again. When you have maincrops in store anyway it does seem a bit pointless. Oh, but it does help the profits of the merchants and retailers so we shouldn't complain.

[Florence Fennel]

I try this every year and I haven't got it right yet. It'll not stop me trying again though I did manage to get the timing right for the sprouts, so it would be nice to harvest some potatoes as well.

[bearded bloke]

BB its nice to know someone got it right last year. You may understand from that comment I didn't.

Colin

More by luck than judgement I think Colin,should add that the "tubs" were kept under cover of a "blowaway cloche",except for the times it lived up to it's name also the "tubs" were on pallets & surrounded by bags of straw.I think it was the straw bags keeping the soil warm that made the difference as the previous year's attempt was an unmitigated disaster

[Kaiya]

I'm cheating/havign a plan B - growing King Edwards and Valor now, planning to par boil and freeze them for Christmas. That way we'll have our own tatties at Christmas even if August ones don't work.

[Florence Fennel]

Good plan Kaiya, I'm not keen on potatoes that have been frozen, feel like that about parsnips too, so pull them Christmas Eve as well. Year before last was a challenge getting them out of the frozen ground. I ended up taking kettles of boiling water out on the garden!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Sorry Auntie Flo but I can't help laughing. I have this picture in my mind of you kneeling there atop one of Sheff's big hills with your steaming kettle. Wind whistling round your ears, shivering with cold, pouring boiling water on your snips. Do they come out pre cooked?

Colin

[scarletrunner]

Blight always get my autumn sown,don't bother now.