Today I took 3 of my chitting Lady Crystle potatoes and put them on 4 inches of soil beefed up with composted chicken manure. I then added another 4 inches on top. The tub is in the greenhouse, and I'll keep adding more soil when the green shoots come through. When the soil level reaches the top, if there's still a chance of frost in the greenhouse I'll cover the greenery at night with fleece.
I might do another, maybe with Anya. I grew a tub of these 2 years ago. They were lovely in salads.
I've also sown a few seeds from a pointed red sweet pepper from the supermarket. I did this a couple of years ago and the yield I got was much higher than with bought sweet pepper seeds. Free, so I like the price!
8 comments:
I'm still on the fence about whether to use grocery potatoes or "seed" ones. I know I want more taters than I got last year! Your pot looks like so much promise.
I usually buy real seed potatoes as I know they are certified disease free. I've also heard that some eating potatoes are treated with something to inhibit sprouting in storage so they might not grow so well. I have actually tried shop spuds. I grew a variety call 'Exquisa' from the superparket. To be honest, there wasn't such a good yeild as I'd hoped. I find it mainly comes down to a good seed potato, chitted if it's an early, and copiously watered once the haulm gets going.
Good luck, whatever you decide on.
How big are the pots that you are using Flum ?
Anya and Pink Fir Apple and potatoes of that ilk make wonderful potato salad! One of my favourites!
I need to figure out when to plant some early spuds in pots around here. They seem to do really well in containers. And yes, free is good :-)
What is a haulm? Also, I have some store bought potatoes that immediately started sprouting about 3 days after we bought them. They are chitting in my sunroom now. I'm thinking I need to pot them up. Do they grow well in pots?
The pots stand about 18" high and the same across - don't know what they are in litres but it takes a lot of soil to fill them!
I think Anya and Pink Fir Apple are related, Matron. love potato salad.
I normally plant seed potatoes in Mid March here Dan, when they are going out into the soil. In the greenhouse you can sneak in some early ones!
The haulm is the green growth on top. In Scotland they call it the shaw. I expect it's got a few other names too!
I usually use seed potatoes, but last year I made a little experiment with supermarket potatoes and they grew great! I cut the larger tubers into thirds or quarters (they should have 2-3 eyes and be at least about 2 square inches.Then just planted them.
Post a Comment