potato growing

im expecting to plant my potato's in early to mid april, i have some seed potato's at the moment and i have put them on the window sill in an eggbox so they start sprouting.. am i right that you have to do that or should i put soil in aswell? thanks in advance!

 

You don't need soil Dave. The sprouts get all their nourishment from the seed tubers.
If on a window - don't let them get too hot. Indirect light in a bright cool room might be better.

 

cool is best as dave w says.
dont be to eager to get them in, make sure that the sprouting growth is about 1" long before putting them in

 

ok then, thanks alot! i love the pic by the way dave

 

I would like to know if potatoes need any further feeding apart from the manure/compost put into the trench at planting time.

 

I d tend to broadcast some fert[eg growmore], at half recommended rate in May altho i have already incorporated some fert at half rec rate in soil when i planted up.... the ground had compost in a trench last autumn, If the veggie area has been used for a long time it mite be better to use an organic fertiliser and or seaweed meal to replace essential micro nutrients
The main thing spuds need is water ....... that is why you will see farmers using sprinklers thru the summer, this allows them to bulk up, hopefully in a garden situation you will still retain the home grown flavour!
I hope you will try the heritage varieties which are not grown commercailly for reasons of yield, looks, and inconsistant tuber size ,,,,,, you can get these from main seedsmen, also some microplants are available to allow you to build your own seed stock

[ 24. March 2006, 05:35 AM: Message edited by: Lady Gardener ]

 

Thanks for that L.G. I like to plant my pots. flat and earth up when they come through, perhaps I can add some fert.then! I have seen heritage and mocroplants advertised, but was'nt qiute sure what they were about! and for some reason thought they were a bit complicated.

 

not complicated, just they havent passed all the EU tests, mainly cos they are not grown commercially, yields mite be a bit lower but flavour is what your after anyway

 

golden wonder
arran victory
kerrs pinks
www.organiccatalog.com
and www.heritage-potatoes.co.uk

[ 26. March 2006, 08:44 PM: Message edited by: Lady Gardener ]

 

No pink fir apple. :(

 

For years I followed the method of earthing up maybe four times through the season to encourage new growth as shown by G dad on our four allotments. At harvest the winner was the one who had the most spuds from one root..up to 35 I remember once.
These were then sorted into sizes as...
1)Eaters.
2)Seed
3)Pig/Hen mash
I realise years ago nothing went to waste and every spud had to count.
Later on,in my own garden, I got seed for free and had no pigs or hens to feed,and so only needed eaters.
Trouble is..just who is going to peel all those little spuds left in the bottom of the sack as your stock runs down??..not my wife that's for sure :D .
So I decided to try something different.
I made 12" drills 3ft between them,put in a good muck bed and planted the spuds at 18" apart. Then ridged over the drills giving each seed a covering of at least 18"..
The result was an average of 6 spuds per root..Baking size!....Desiree and (I think) Pentland Crown,main crop.

 

try gonegardening.com for pink fir
the first year in my first garden , heavy clay, i raked all the clods and stones to the edged of the plot and put potatoes in rows roughly, then brought in a trailer full of manure which i forkd on top to a depth of about 9" to a foot .... i had a great crop of spuds, no weeds and no clods, im not sure what the neighbours thot when they saw the manure being delivered, it filled the drive!
for my earlies and second earlies im gonna try non earthing up but my main potato area is weed infested so i want to be tilling the soil regulary to get rid of weeds ....... couch and ground elder

[ 27. March 2006, 09:55 PM: Message edited by: Lady Gardener ]

 

I had the Council on my doorstep after I had a load of muck dropped in the drive!!!
I wouldn't say the folk around here were snobs...well I could...but they soon came round to my ways :D

 

lol was that a health hazard or what! ...... how peeps over-react to natural organic farming methods ,,,,,,,,