Another question on potatoes!

For the past few years, I've bought my potatoes from a garden centre, and though I've read the sowing instructions, I've always ignored them and, instead, worked to the ones I've always used - tfrom my old gardening books.

This year, because I'm very limited for space, I'm wodering if I could follow those on the packet and would appreciate some opinion as to what the crop might be like.

The instructions say, and it's omn all their early. second early, and even on the main crop potatoes, sow 10" (20cms) apart with 24" (60cms) between rows! I've never planted potatoes so close together and, as I say, wonder what the result might be!

One thing I can say, however, is that, while I stick to the old distances on my allotment, my wife tends to take a small area of the kitchen garden and sow every one that I have left in that area, irrespective of how close they are, and she has good results - I may well have answered my own question but old habits die hard so I'd appreciate others!

 

The crop should be fine if you follow those planting instructions. I plant my spuds even closer than that because of a lack of space in my garden, and always get great yields. Roots are clever things - they will find somewhere to put down a decent tuber even if they are crowded.

The biggest problem is that they are more susceptible to pest and disease because of the more crowded foliage - including the dreaded blight - but if blight is around pretty much nothing will stop it in my experience!

 

What sort of distance do you plant them at. 1st timer here, got my seeds today, will get them going in the morning.

 

Thanks to all for replying. As I said, my wife never bothers about the distance and she seems to get a good crop - embarrassing, really!

And, in answer to Bigbaddad, if this helps, I have always planted mine as the old books say, which is -

Earlies - 30cms (12in) apart, in rows 60cms (2ft) apart

Maincrop - 38cms (15in) apart, in rows 76cms (2ft 6in) apart.

(I’ve never bothered with second earlies - though that's what I'm planting this year)

Depth, in all cases to be 10cms (4in).

In fact, I’ve seen the distances often quoted even greater than that but this year, however, I’ll plant them, as the packet says, and as the others on this forum indicate, 25cms (10in) apart and 60cms (24”) between rows.

In other words, I’ll treat the main crop the same as the earlies.

The choice, however, is yours! Best of luck!

 

Hi all,

I'm new to this site so I hope you don't mind me hijacking this potoato thread.

I've tried growing spuds for the last couple of years, but because our garden is tiny, they've been in containers. The first year, in half a barrel, they were fine. However, last year I grew them in planters and everything was infected with blight, which then spread to my tomatoes.

My question is: do I need to disinfect the planters if I want to use them again? I'll be using different compost/soil, but I was concerned in case the spores could survive on the containers which have been stored in the garage oer winter.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Hi dan-w,

Yes, to be on the safe side, disinfect the containers - Jeyes Fluid is a good disinfectant but there may be others on the market - I tend to use the more old-fashioned cures!

 

Oh, by the way, dan-w, you'd be better starting a new thread than asking a question on an old one. It's not many who will look up an old thread. I only replied to your posting because, when I asked the question, some time ago, I, also, asked for email notification of any reply - which I got and, obviously, still get. But most others, on this Forum, won't be aware of your question.

Another point to consider is that I tried the blight resistant tomatoes two years ago and they were no better than the normal ones. I lost them all to blight!

Last year, I put a high curtain (just over a metre) around my tomatoes and mine all survived while others, near by on the allotment, lost theirs to blight.

The curtain was put up to stop other crops, which I had planted far closer to my tomatoes than I intended, and which grew taller and spread wider than I thought they would from infringing on my tomatoes. The curtain was to hold back the foliage and keep it away from my tomatoes - so, perhaps, a curtain may provide some protection, though I don't see how, as the blight is airborne. I'll try that again, however, this year.

Just a few thoughts!

.



Quaedor36