Seed potatoes?

I would like to get some potatoes in on the allotment. Can you guys advise the best place to buy from & what variety to get?

Am I right in thinking I can plant late August for a Christmas crop?

 

Yes, if you plant by end of August you can be eating your new potatoes on Christmas Day. I will either be growing Maris Peer or Charlotte and will pick mine up from the local garden centre as I only do 3 x bags.

 

Thanks @kazzawazza I've already been around a few of the local GC, but to no avail. Not sure if I'm looking too early?

I've got pots in bags at the minute in the garden, but they dont seem anywhere near ready - theyve been in for weeks & weeks & the stems are still growing & continuously flowering!

 

I was told to go on line which I did and I have stacks. If you live Newcastle way you could have some. That said I did see them in a garden centre yesterday - Dobbies @ Ponteland. Wyevale don't do them and didn't see them at b&q.

 

Our local GC gets Charlottes in about now, specifically for Christmas cropping.

If you get the late blight on them, just leave them in the ground till Christmas.

 

http://www.simplyseed.co.uk/christmas-potato-seed.html

Free delivery over £12 on seeds and seed potatoes

 

I've got Charlottes coming by mail order to go in two grow bags. Very excited at the thought of my own spuds for Christmas dinner!

 

Yep me too. Got stacks though. Gonna have to give some tubers away. Not enough space to grow them.

 

Thank you for the kind offer - I'm originally from Gateshead so know your neck of the woods very well am 300 miles away now though!

 

I'll keep on looking - thank you

Thanks Kazza.

Thats whats making me excited too haha oh what a sheltered life I lead

 

Gonna order my potatoes from this site. 10 tubers for less than £5 and free delivery, no min spend.

http://www.nutleyskitchengardens.co.uk/seed-potatoes/

 

You can only plant spuds for Christmas if you can give them frost free conditions, maybe a cold greenhouse etc.
Doubt they would make it outside on an allotment.

 

Mine made it in bags on the patio, but it could have been a mild winter.

 

So is the consensus that bags are better than ground over winter months? I must admit we had no frost at all here last winter. My pots are in bags just now & flowers dying so they may be ready soon. Do I just chuck my hand in there & see what theyre like or is there a 'magical way' of knowing?

This is my first year doing potatoes - I'm all open to any advice :-)