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  • Potatoes in winter

    What is the best method of growing poatoes through the winter.
    Dont judge a plant by it's pot.

  • #2
    Good question!!!

    I've never done it- but am tempted.

    Clearly the growth needs to be kept frost free.
    Length of daylight??...urrmm- peeps still manage spuds for Xmas...I just wonder if some varieties do better than others??

    Clearly a greenhouse does best- followed by cloches????


    An interesting thread- well done!

    Oh- and ...welcome to the Vine...we've all got loads to learn from each other!!!
    Last edited by Nicos; 01-12-2009, 06:48 PM.
    "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

    Location....Normandy France

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    • #3
      Lol thanks
      Dont judge a plant by it's pot.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by greasyfire View Post
        What is the best method of growing poatoes through the winter.
        Moving to Spain?
        WPC F Hobbit, Shire police

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        • #5
          My thoughts too, FionaH - or moving to Australia?
          Seriously it would be really expensive to heat/light the growing space!
          Whooops - now what are the dogs getting up to?

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          • #6
            urm thanks for the hope
            Dont judge a plant by it's pot.

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            • #7
              I start very early Swift potatoes in buckets in the unheated greenhouse in Jan or Feb for an early crop. Sometimes I have had to cover the foliage with fabric to prevent them being frosted if the weather is particularly cold.

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              • #8
                You can get an early crop but there's not much point trying to grow over winter proper as there isn't enough light / heat and it would be ridiculously wasteful to provide these for spuds. I'd have thought that you'd be better to spend the time making sure that your stored spuds are fine and using them.

                Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

                Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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                • #9
                  well apart from christmas and new yer i want to do some gardening and so i want to grow some patatoes through the winter. There no point being optimistic i am not goin to stand around al winter eating potoes and turkey i want to get out and do something even though it is cold
                  Dont judge a plant by it's pot.

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                  • #10
                    You can be sowing onions and the like over Christmas (seeds in pots that is) and I usually start my chillis off in early Jan too. Also, winter peas and broad beans are OK for an early start before being planted out a bit later. However there's not much will grow outside and the ground may well be frozen which is a shame, especially as I'm off work for a couple of weeks

                    Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

                    Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      frost is not and issue i pretty sure i dont need help in that but lighting is, i never knew potaoes needed that much light
                      Dont judge a plant by it's pot.

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                      • #12
                        I managed to grow a pretty good crop of Nicola's by planting in August - but by the end of November all the foliage was tatty and the frost of this week got them. They were outside and might have lasted in pots for another few weeks in the cold greenhouse but really they are a summer crop.

                        There were far more potatoes in the ground then in the pot I grew, but another drawback is that it is sticky ground to dig up now it is so wet.

                        If I wanted to plant now I would go something that would be worthwhile such as for garlic, onions or winter lettuces under cloches [which you can get away with quite well around here]. However I think it is hard to grow much well now in low light and temperatures so I am, putting my time into tidying the plot, soil preparation, and emptying compost bins into sacks for use in the spring and gathering leaves to make additional compost for next year.

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                        • #13
                          ok thankz for the advice
                          Dont judge a plant by it's pot.

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                          • #14
                            Hi, Greasyfire. I still have potatoes in the ground, but they are now effectively stored, as the foliage has now gone over (they were put in during August). I think the lack of light is the main issue - I protected mine from frost using fleece 'jackets' over the tubs/pegged into the ground. I pulled some up today and although small, they look like lovely new potatoes. So, although they are no longer growing, I have enough potatoes to see me through until I start sowing in the early Spring, provided they store ok.

                            I don't think you'll get much foliage growth if you put any in now, though.

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                            • #15
                              I put mine in the ground at august to but the foilage is all mangy. I will try leave mine in to see if they will get a bit bigger but neverthelees i am a bit optimistic. But next year i will be sowing poatoes in late january early february
                              Dont judge a plant by it's pot.

                              Comment

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