Author Topic: Putting my potatoes to bed. (Read 3875 times)

Bodger · « **on:** April 01, 2013, 07:51:45 pm »

Early evening, not only see's me putting my chickens and ducks to bed but also my potatoes.
I planted some early potatoes in the polytunnel weeks and weeks ago and over the last month, I've had to earth them up several times. To be honest, I've been feeling smug about them, maybe a trifle too smug. I've been fantasizing about the taste of some really early new potatoes for sometime now, so imagine my horror the otherday when I saw that their tops had been frosted and that they'd turned black.

I've cut the black bits off with scissors and ever since, each night I've been covering the rows up with two layers of tarpaulin. Its now a case of fingers crossed and hope that I can keep the frost at bay. For the last three weeks, we've had temperatures first thing in the morning of around minus five, six and seven. I reckon that I would have got away with my early early potatoes in any other year other than this one. There's not a sign of any improvement, what a winter we've been having !

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2013, 10:18:08 pm »

Just had our poly since last summer and tried potatoes in there for Christmas. Same problem , too cold. They just peeped their stems above the soil before withering

we have left them to see ifvthey come back in late spring

I think a greenhouse heater is the way to go for these unpredictable seasons. Hope your pots appreciate the TLC they are getting

Bodger · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2013, 11:44:04 am »

I've just earthed them up again but there's no sign of these hard frosts stopping, or of my potatoes stopping growing. Its nice and warm in the poly during the day but bdooly feeezing at night time. I'll have to keep on topping them off with soil or putting the tarp over them until the weather warms up.
As insurance, I put two more rows of earlies in over the weekend. One of Foremost and one of Pentland Javelin.

Catweazle · « **Reply #3 on:** April 06, 2013, 09:51:42 pm »

Would agri fleece be OK to leave on the spuds 24 hours ?

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #4 on:** April 06, 2013, 10:06:31 pm »

Really itching to plant out the potatoes for the plot but it is still so cold at night and the soil is still sodden $:-\$

No sign of life from the poly spuds either

suziequeue · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2013, 11:02:58 pm »

Same here. I gave them some water today but nothing much doing in the poly. Still for main crops chitting on the window sill. Just tiny little buds on them.

Lucky really as it really isn't the environment to be putting them out in anyway......

Bodger · « **Reply #6 on:** April 07, 2013, 06:21:35 am »

Another heavy frost here this morning.

Clarebelle · « **Reply #7 on:** April 07, 2013, 08:27:34 am »

My first lot of pots went in in march one the one nice day we had (me thinking spring had sprung!) but they have failed to do anything, im worried now that the snow etc has finished them off. Put my next lot into my other potato bag yesterday.

Possum · « **Reply #8 on:** April 07, 2013, 05:34:17 pm »

Don't worry to much about black frosted leaves. The plant usually recovers once they have had a couple of weeks of warm weather. (If we have any

). I usually put 2 layers of fleece over my plants in cold weather (sometimes for weeks at a time, so need to worry Catweazel). This really helps, so keep trying and good luck.

Olly398 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 23, 2013, 10:59:25 am »

I just planted our Ratte and Nadine spuds we've had chitting in the greenhouse since Feb. I think the cold got to them becuase the chits are feeble and black, and haven't grown for a few weeks.

Will they come back or have they had it?

Cheers

Clarebelle · « **Reply #10 on:** April 23, 2013, 11:39:42 am »

My chitted pots (Charlottes) that I put in a potato bag went black and hadnt grown at all but now they seem to be doing really well now we have had a bit of sun. They are producing some lovely shoots so I'm hoping they will be ok.

Olly398 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 23, 2013, 08:43:59 pm »

That's reassuring... I wondered if the cold could actually "kill" the tubers, but they looked okay when they went in. Fingers crossed, and I'll make sure they get well watered.

Thanks!