Potato Growing 2024

@infradig I honestly couldn't say weight-wise. This was the photo I took after I'd harvested Swift although they look bigger than they actually were.



@JWK Last year was my first year growing veg and in my impatience, I made the rookie mistake of planting what I could harvest soonest. I definitely wouldn't grow earlies in containers again.

 

Thats 32 (?) from 3 seed. Thats pretty good. Maybe could bulk up (more water, phosphate) but as @JWK says, new potatoes are best when small (hens egg size)
Commercial growers on average expect 40-75 tonnes per hectare( 4-7.5 kgs/sqmetre) maincrop

 

@infradig When you put it like that it doesn't sound as bad!

 

I'm another one who love growing potatoes. This year I'll plant 60kg. I have Alouette variety as main crop (50kg), and Laura as first early (only 10kg).

This is my small potato field from last year.

​

 

We started growing potatoes three years ago when I retired. I'd never done so before. I always buy Maris Piper seed potatoes and have had crops that were just about OK and one bumper crop.

We are about 750 feet up on the edge of The Pennines and it can get a bit bleak. The potatoes will be in bags/containers in a sheltered area of garden. Can anyone suggest a different seed potato that might give better results?

Thanks

 

@
InTheMoorlands
We had good results with Sarpo Mira - Maincrop

There is lots to read about that variety on the internet.
We put 2 seed potatoes in 30 litre plastic tub.
Usually get around 9 pounds per tub. Excellent flavour btw

 

My bulk bag of mud, has turned up today so will planting my PFA in the next few days.
Actually its quite good crumbly top soil.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm tempted to try something like this from Amazon:

9 x Seed Potato Mix Including Varities Like Maris Peer - Charlotte - Pentland Javelin - Maris Piper - Seed Potatoes

 

That is impressive @Ante1 . What will you do with them all?

I only grow early potatoes as I'm in France and Colorado beetles get main crops. I do the same as @JWK and harvest them a plant at a time as I need them. Potatoes in France have different names to potatoes in the UK.

 

Morning all.

@Busy-Lizzie, I have potatoes all year round for me and my family. All extras I sell, mostly to restaurants in my town. Last two years was a bit disappointing due to drought and very high temperatures. Three years ago I had the best yield, around 2.5t, but I planted 150 kg.