Can I still plant my chitted spuds even in this cold ??

tmol

Hi there,

I've chitted my earlies and main crop spuds. I've heard that you should have potatoes in the ground before St. Patricks day but is it not too cold to put them out now, I just hope I'm not missing out on some rule for cold weather and potaotes and I ruin the crop Wink

brennan.jm · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 41

Hi tmol,
There is a topic on organic spuds which I have asked a question. Perhaps you should ask your question there and hopefully we might get some spuds this year

tmol · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:48 pm Post subject:

Hi

Thanks for that but I'm panicking a bit now, I just don't want what I have chitted so far going to waste, I also have carrots, cabbage and onions in my front bedroom sprouting, (there was a rat problem in garden, but not any more) and I'm afraid they will all just die on me before I get them out in the veg patchas from what I can see they are all ready. Will they still be OK to plant out in a few weeks ? ...........should I be taking the soil temp or something ??

tmol · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:50 pm Post subject:

And I should add that I haven't a CLUE what I'm doing either Very Happy

so treat me like the novice that I am please !!!

brennan.jm · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 41

don,t panic there are no set rules to planting. The spuds will be ok to plant any time in the next few weeks. Keep them in a cool place or the may sprout to strongly and have weak growth on the stems i.e. long gangly stems. Not sure about the carrots but plants are realy tough so stay calm. The only way to learn is to make lots of mistakes.

michael brenock · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 3:23 pm Post subject:

make sure that the potatoes have plenty light and are in a frost free site. Planting before they sprout delays emergence. Plant when the soil is warm not by a calendar date
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

walltoall · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:19 pm Post subject: gettin the spuds in

tmol,
St.Patrick's Day is only a pointer, but a very good one. Generally it works well, just like the Tipperary one: "Cork bet and the hay saved". The idea is to have the spuds in by the Equinox which is actually 22/23 March. That's the first day when the amount of daylight exceeds the amount of 'darkness' in a day. From then on, the ground WILL warm and the idea is to have the earlies in EARLY so they get a 12week growing period. if you chitted in a cold shed there won't be a temperature shock. What's more importamt is that the ground is not WATERLOGGED. So you have a good week [even maybe a fortnight].

Redfox · Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 6:49 am Post subject:

I planted my first earlies two weeks ago. My allotment neighbour put them in as well at the same time. You need to keep them covered as the plants are not hardy enough to withstand frost. I have them under black plastic at the moment until they come out and will swap it for garden fleece when they do. I've seen other people putting them into a poly-tunnel. I will plant my main crop next week in the same way.

tmol · Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 12:09 pm Post subject:

Thanks you all so much for the advice, its much appreciated. I had to chit and sprout everything in the front cooler bedroom as we discovered a rat problem under our shed, but we've taken care of that so I think I will move everything out to the shed for a week before I put them in the ground so its not too much of a temperature shock .

My plan is to grow earlies in sacks and tubs (very small enterprise Wink

), so I'll put them in next weekend, and main crop roosters in the ground, and I'll also plant these out next weekend as well. I'll cover them all for another week or 2 until I think the frost has passed.

Againt thanks for all the advice, heres hoping to some sort of a crop to celebrate my endeavours.....I can't wait to feed my 'lil one my own home grown spuds Laughing