How to grow spuds????

Hi All,

Forgive me if I ask some stupid questions, I'm an absolute beginner so all advice is welcome.

I'd like to have a go at growing some veg. I'm going to try growing spuds in a dustbin or patio container, I've not decided yet but which is best ???

Also, I'm sure these questions have been asked before (sorry) but here goes..........

I understand that you need to leave the potatoes somewhere dark to allow them to produce shoots (I have a dozen or so in a shallow container of soil in the shed at the moment). When the shoots start growing, do I remove then plant them or do I plant the whole potato with the shoots on it?

When should I plant them?

Is seeding compost OK to plant them in?

Do you put the containers in a greenhouse first?

Do spuds like sunny areas or dark?

Assuming they grow (and it's a big assumption!) when will they be ready to harvest?

Can I get more than one harvest per year?

Can I replace any picked plants with new shoots?

Also, I've just bought myself a small greenhouse and have planted carrots, herbs, peppers, chillis and lupin from seed. I planted them two weeks ago but there's no action yet. Should I be worried or am I being impatient?

Sorry - told you they were stupid questions.

All help gratefully received,

Many thanks
Iaindp

 

Hi Iaindp and welcome to you.

Firstly, the container should be fairly deep with holes in the bottom for drainage. The problem with a dustbin is that it may be too deep as the sides will block out the light so a large patio container might be better.

The potatoes need to be chitted, that is put somewhere light, dry and frost-free for a few weeks to let the shoots grow a bit, a windowsill will be fine. Pop them into an egg tray with the 'eyes' (where the shoots will sprout from) pointing upwards.

When the sprouts are about 1 inch high, about 2 weeks time, fill the bottom of the container with about 4 inches of ordinary mulit-purpose compost. Place your spuds on the surface, about 4 inches apart, and cover with another 4 inches of compost. Place the container inside the greenhouse until the weather warms up a bit when it can go outside. They need lots of light so place in a sunny position.

Once the shoots poke through the surface, start to water the container. When the shoots are about 4 inches above the soil, add some more compost until the top leaves are just on the surface. repeat as they grow until they are at the top of the container. The spuds will be ready once they have flowered.

You cannot get a second harvest from the same spuds.

How and where did you plant your other vegetable seeds?

 

Hi Blackthorn and thanks for your response,

So I would plant the whole spud then? I've been told that I should remove the shoot and plant that, rather than the whole potato but I've also been told to plant it whole??

I'd actually had the potatoes covered up in the shed until the shoots start to grow so I've now removed the cover. The shoots are now getting on for a CM long, so I'll check again next weekend to see if they're any longer (they've only been in the shed for a week so far).

Another silly question........assuming I plant the whole potato, how many new potatoes would typically grow from it or is one for one?

The other veg I planted from seeds, in seeding compost and they're in the greenhouse in the sunniest part of the garden. I watered the compost when I planted them, then I sprinkled a little dry compost over the top. I lightly watered them again last week as the soil seemed a bit dry and then again today.

They've been in there for two weeks and I've just noticed some tiny shoots from the Lupin but nothing from the veg but I'm not sure if I'm being too hasty?? Perhaps I should leave them longer before expecting any growth??

Back to the spuds, you said to pick them when they flower. How long is this typically? or would it be at a certain time of year?? and is now the right time to plant them?

Also, I'd like to plant more veg, if poss. Could you recommend anything else that's fairly easy for a newcomer please.

My daughter and I are really enjoying this gardening lark but we're not sure when to expect any progres??

Thanks again for your response

Iain

 

You definitely plant the whole potato with the shoots on. As the stem of the potato grows, it produces more potatoes along it. That is why we earth them up covering the stem as we go: more stem = more spuds. From one spud you should get 1 - 2 kilos and first earlies are about 11 - 12 weeks from planting. Main crop varieties take longer but produce bigger crops.

It is important that the spuds are fully covered with soil so that light cannot reach them as they will then go green and become poisonous.

As for the seeds, what does it say on the packets?
The seeds of the chillies and peppers need more warmth than a cold greenhouse to germinate. Bring them indoors and put them somewhere warm and light like a windowsill. Usually they are planted into the greenhouse when the nights are frost free, around mid - late April.

The carrots and lupins should be fine where they are.

It depends on what herbs you have sown as quite a few of them need warmth as for peppers.

If you have a greenhouse, try tomato Gardeners Delight, small and sweet ones and easy to grow. They also need to be sown and kept frost-free like the peppers.

Also, try courgette perhaps. Sow in warmth in April and plant out in the garden in May

 

I started typing my answer before I saw Blackthorns answer - but I've left what I typed even though some of it is the same as Blackthorns' answers

"Forgive me if I ask some stupid questions"

The only stupid questions are the ones you DON'T ask :gnthb:

If your spuds have been in the dark they are likely to have made long shoots (you say only a CM so that's fine - but you've probably had spuds in the back of the cupboard and when you come to cook them they've got long straggly shoots on them - that's what chitting is designed to avoid - giving them some light, but no soil, starts the shoots growing, but with light the shoots stay short and stocky. If the shoots get too long, and leggy, they are more likely to break when you plant them. You MUST keep them out of any frost though. (You can always bring them indoors for the night if the shed looks like getting very cold, but unlikely now we are in to March).

When you plant the Spud (with its little shoots on it) the shoots grow up, and produce leaves. Then when you add more soil / compost the shoots come up again. Its is from those shoots, now underground, that the new potatoes are formed - so that's why you keep "earthing them up" - but you need to leave enough leaves so that the plant can produce "food" to sustain itself. (Also, if the new potatoes form very near the surface, and are thus in the light, they will go green and be no use).

"Could you recommend anything else that's fairly easy for a newcomer please"

I would grow what you like to eat! Some things are more difficult, or take up lots of space, I suggest you make a little list of what you like best and the folks here can give you some tips, and tell you what they think areBeginner / Advanced crops

" have planted ... peppers, chillis ... from seed"

Those two need warmth to germinate. They probably ought to be in a seed tray, or shallow pot (usually called a "pan"), in a plastic bag, in the airing cupboard. Put them on the windowsill during the day if it is warm (seeing the light can help them germinate, but they really need around 20C and your central heating will probably drop below that hence the airing cupboard bit. Check every day and the moment they germinate move them to a warm windowsill.

Only cover the seed with very little soil - dusting it on with a sieve is best - nick one from the kitchen and wash it carefully before you put it back! Personally I cover all my seeds (when sown in trays/pans, not the ones I sow in the soil) with Vermiculite - the smallest bag that the Garden Centre sells will last ages)

 

Thanks for all your help guys, I'm off to move my chillis / peppers indoors!

 

How did you plant the carrot seeds? Being a root crop they don't transplant well so generally sow them directly into the ground/container.

If you did sow them into a seed tray, does anyone know if the best chance is to transplant them when very small, so less root problems, or when a bit bigger, and therefore sturdier?

 

"If you did sow them into a seed tray"

The trick is not to transplant them at all - which risks breaking the tap root. So the "pot grown" method usually recommended is a loo-roll and then plant it "whole"

 

realise that, but was wondering just in case that's what Iain's done. Just wondered which method of transplanting would carry the lesser risk

 

Sorry, wasn't concentrating on who-was-who-and-said-what ...

I reckon all bets are off if they are in a seed tray. Easy enough to sow some more (time lost is not critical as still early for carrots, so to speak) and it would be a pity if the transplanted ones didn't come to anything (all bolted, for example)

But I don't actually know what would happen. Transplanting at 2-leaf stage is unlikely to stress the plant much, perhaps??