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Is it too late for potatoes?.


mel b3
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Hiya guys .

Emboldened by my earlier green fingered efforts at growing potatoes in bags ( they're growing well , but I don't know if I'll have anything in there). I was wondering if I still have time to plant more ?, or is it too late for this year ?.

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Crack on with some more 

although you maybe struggle for seed potatoes or you can just plant some that are sprouting from the sack in the garage 

they either will or they won’t 

I’ve been digging my first earlies for two weeks did I mention strawberries for the last 3 weeks 😊

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If you can get some Rocket then they are a fast maturing early variety but as said stick 'em in the ground and they will mature just a bit later. The 'city' area is always a few degrees above the countryside so little chance of any early frosts so they could keep  well into November before lifting.  My earlies (Rocket) are just in flower now, so I will leave them until end of June before sampling.  Nigel down in the tropics is always going to be weeks earlier than the rest of us.

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59 minutes ago, mel b3 said:

If my potato efforts pay off , I might try growing more next year , and in a more organised way. I might even try some other veg.

If you still have a bit of room then buy a packet of Swiss Chard seeds. They will produce endless greens right into winter and next year . Just tear the leaves off don't cut and they will keep producing . Like spinach to cook but far far better.

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51 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

If you still have a bit of room then buy a packet of Swiss Chard seeds. They will produce endless greens right into winter and next year . Just tear the leaves off don't cut and they will keep producing . Like spinach to cook but far far better.

I'm not exactly green fingered nev , and I'm pushing my luck at potatoes 😁.

I'm certainly thinking that I might like to have a bit of a go at a few veg next year . 

 

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2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Spuds you just stoc 'em in and water 'em, same with Swish Chard, sow seed in shallow drill and water. It will look after itself.  Wait for potatoes to flower then sample a couple of weeks afterwards.  No degree required.

Do I need to wait until the plant has died before I empty the bags out nev ? .

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The spuds ??  No, within a week or so of the flowers dying off, then lift the spuds as needed in the kitchen. They will keep in the soil for weeks and grow bigger.

Many moons ago 65 ish my Grandfather grew Ailsa Craig and he would lift by hand/fork the first as a second early whilst the skins where still soft and then  the rest as his main crop.  My job to pick and weigh and label them into bags and boxes for the Sunday milk round as ordered just in time for Sunday lunch.   Can you imaging a milk round today with Rabbits in the fur and new potatoes in the same van as the milk..and milk was loose in those days carried up between houses in 5 gallon buckets and ladled out in 1/2 or pint amounts into waiting jugs on doorsteps, the jugs had muslin over the top held down with beads around the edge.

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3 hours ago, Walker570 said:

The spuds ??  No, within a week or so of the flowers dying off, then lift the spuds as needed in the kitchen. They will keep in the soil for weeks and grow bigger.

Many moons ago 65 ish my Grandfather grew Ailsa Craig and he would lift by hand/fork the first as a second early whilst the skins where still soft and then  the rest as his main crop.  My job to pick and weigh and label them into bags and boxes for the Sunday milk round as ordered just in time for Sunday lunch.   Can you imaging a milk round today with Rabbits in the fur and new potatoes in the same van as the milk..and milk was loose in those days carried up between houses in 5 gallon buckets and ladled out in 1/2 or pint amounts into waiting jugs on doorsteps, the jugs had muslin over the top held down with beads around the edge.

Very different times nev . I can just imagine most people's reaction to a rabbit in the fur these days 😄.

I've re manured the two potato bags this morning,  I'm really surprised at how fast they're growing. 

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1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Yes, sometimes it is good to remind youngsters as to how things where AND amazingly we survived.

I remember always being fascinated by the eggs at various stages of development,  when my mom removed the giblets from chickens.

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I have for many years planted potatoes at the end of August /Sept, just smallish ones that have sprouted in the cupboard (big ones you can cut them up to leave sprouting shoots on). I usually re use a recycling bin filled with compost from the heap and just make sure they are watered in the event of a dry spell. My Father in law used to use 9" pots and we would have new potatoes on Christmas day!

Good luck, 

FB

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My late mother always grew potatoes in her compost heap . She never planted any , they just grew from potato peelings that she chucked on there . She'd just pop outside before she needed them , turn over a fork full of compost , and she had enough potatoes for a meal.

The potatoes that I planted in bags a few weeks back , have reached the top of the bags now . I'm guessing that it just leave them alone now , and just water them when the compost gets dry .

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Just now, mel b3 said:

My late mother always grew potatoes in her compost heap . She never planted any , they just grew from potato peelings that she chucked on there . She'd just pop outside before she needed them , turn over a fork full of compost , and she had enough potatoes for a meal.

The potatoes that I planted in bags a few weeks back , have reached the top of the bags now . I'm guessing that it just leave them alone now , and just water them when the compost gets dry .

No, top the compost up, you may get some more spuds set for later.

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1 minute ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

No, top the compost up, you may get some more spuds set for later.

That's what I meant dave . I started off with just a couple of inches of compost and a bit of horse manure in the bottom of the rolled down bag  . Every time the plant got to a couple of inches high , I put more compost in. Its only taken a few weeks and all of the compost is back in the bags , and the plants are sitting on top.

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