New Potatoes

I have international kidney plants growing in bags at the back of my house at the moment, It says that they take between 10 to 12 weeks to be ready, I hope this is true
TG.

 

I got 3 bags of them too Germinator, think they've been in for about 8 weeks now but they were a bit slow to get away.

I think Steve R is growing them too. I was going to earth up with seaweed but got a bit concerned about the salt content so have made a liqiud feed of it & tested it on other plants, its not killed any yet so will use it on the spuds now.

People have complained that they are dissapointing compared to the real Jersey Royals, probably because they use composted seaweed down there.

 

I'll be interested to know what you think of International Kidney because I've not read of people who have been impressed with them (but, personally, I do like Jersey Royals)

 

Will let you know Kristen

Although i've only earthed mine up with grass clippings, they are bedded in the best of the home made compost. Hopefully, with the seaweed feed as well, they might be ok

 

I think i have had my jersey royals planted about 7 or 8 weeks now' Mine were also slow to poke there heads out' Nearly three weeks, The last time i watered them i used a bit of seaweed extract' It's supposed to be good for potatoe plants' I have a read that a lot of folk are not very impressed with the international kidney

TG.

 

sorry to but in. but could you explaint to me about earlies, second earlies, blar blar blar.
do you plant earlies earlier than others or do you plant all at the same time, and just harvest the earlies first. etc etc.
thanks

 

I used to assume that First Earlies were planted earlier too ... 'coz that's the case with most things.

But actually it refers to how quickly they crop. So if all were planted on the same day (and some people do that and probably at Easter!) First Earlies will crop first from 75-90 days from planting, Second earlies around 110 days and Main crop 135-160 days.

First Earliest can be planted closer together and produce a smaller crop ... of lovely "New Potatoes".

I stagger my planting, starting in large pots with a real short-season First Early and some Second Early Charlotte ('coz we like the flavour of them) in mid February. They start cropping around beginning of May. I plant about 10 First Early outside around Mid April but I don't plant the main batch outdoors until End of April/ First week of May, otherwise I have to spend lots of time trying to keep the frost off them once they have poked through the soil. I have enough Pots, in the conservatory, to take us through until the outdoor ones start cropping around Mid June

My outdoor planting is much later than most peoples, but I just don't see the point of getting them in really early and then having to keep the frost off them. That's fine for some "chance it" or "mollycoddle them" First Earlies, but I can't be bothered doing that for the main crop that are going to take 5 months anyway.

 

I just joined to ask about early potatoes. Its the first time ive tried growing any and am doing so in bags. I planted mine 10th march meant to be first earlies. The plants are huge but no flowers or even sign of flowers appearing. They were kept in the greenhouse until heatwave of mid April and it's been raining here (scotland) ever since.

I'm a bit nervous about cocking up so thought I should join somewhere to ask.

 

My mate is growing the same spuds as me in planters but he's planters have the side panels in so you can have a look, No signs of any spuds yet Ziggy , I thought there would have been some thing there by now :D, I guess we are going to have to be patient and see what happens ' I want to see some decent hot weather like we had in march april' That would be a change from what we have had here lately

TG.

 

Thats odd Germinator. Even the self sown ones i've been weeding out have had marble sized tubers. Did they get enough water during the dry spell ?

Hot but windy here today, ground is as dry as a Mongolian Yak Herders Yurt.

 

i see, thanks.
anyone got a list of whats earlies, seconds etcetc. iv planted roosters. and king edwards so far, but do have some maris piper ready to plant out. still finnishing some beds off. to cater for them.

 

Sorry Moopants, missed that one earlier, didn't mean to ignore you.:DOH:

Depends on the variety, some of mine are flowering but some aren't yet.

If they are huge and healthy it can only be a good thing A bit of liquid feed would help, the nutrient in bags gets used up quickly.

 

Kristen will have, he's got everything :WINK1::D Even Scorzonera

 

.

Had a poke in the soil at the weekend but only found two slightly larger than an egg, so covered them up again and gave them some water!

They are Dunluce planted in a large homemade cloche planted mid Jan in riddled soil and garden compost mixed together!

Always get them earlier even some years when the foilage is hit by frost.

Should take another couple of weeks, no use picking them too small.

Cheers!

 

First Early will be about 10 weeks, unless you have one of the really short-season varieties like Rocket, so I reckon yours will be ready around 1st June.

They probably would have been faster if you had kept them in the greenhouse - although they can get too hot in a greenhouse, so it would need to be well aired. If they've been a bit chilly outside that will have slowed them down

The fact they are massive is a good sign :thumb: Make sure they have loads of water for the last couple of weeks of their growing period. Ignore the flowering thing, some Potato varieties don't flower. If they flower though its usually a good indicator that they are nearly ready.

The ones I grow in pots "fall over" about a week or 10 days before they then come ready, so that may be another helpful sign.