The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: RuthG on May 27, 2011, 02:51:27 pm
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Is it too late to plant potatoes in the north of England? I ask becuase I have just cleared a plot and want to fill it as soon as possible and was wondering if I could still include potatoes in my growing list.
Thanks.
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You should be fine with maincrop varieties. They'll be in the ground for about 18 weeks (~4 months) which takes us to about 1st October, and the biggest risks are blight and frost.
If you can, protect the haulms with fleece if there's frost forecast later in the year and the spuds are still in the ground.
Not much you can do about blight unless you want to spray them.
HTH. :)
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Thanks, I'll take a risk then. The plot I want to use for potatoes is about 30 feet by 6 feet. I make that about 48 seed potatoes. Would that be about right?
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You could plant earlies as well. Early varieties have a shorter maturing time so are also a good bet late in the season as well.
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I agree - give it a go.
6' by 30' would be 2 rows = 40 seeds at 18" spacing. Earlies, which as Hopewell says will mature in a shorter time than maincrop, can be planted at 15" spacings, so you can fit more in - 48 seeds. I measure my spacings with my boots - maincrop at 1 1/2 fleecewife boots, earlies at 1 1/4 fleecewife boots :D :D :spud: :spud: :spud:
Earlies don't usually have time to get blight, but there are now some varieties which show some blight resistance and it's worth getting them if you can, although this late you will probably not have much choice. Some years blight isn't bad and you will still get a worthwhile crop.