Apr 10th, 2006
Earlies
I planted my early potatoes at the weekend. It was a gorgeous day and I just couldn’t resist. They are Maris Bard. I dug two trenches 60cm apart and 10cm deep. Then I filled each trench with compost (half rotted as you see). Then planted the chitted potatoes around 30cm apart along the rows. Text book behaviour if you go by Sarah Raven’s book. I felt very smug once they were all in. I even had a few left over and promptly marched up to the ‘free seedlings’ bench to donate them and returned with a glow of self-satisfied smugness. Happy in the knowledge that my little troopers where in the ground. It didn’t last long. I soon bumped into someone else from the allotment who told me that Dennis (Allotment God) had declared it ‘too early’ for potatoes. Darn… as they say in polite neighbourhoods.
…ditto……c’mon earlies……dennis is just a mennis!
Yeah, relax: Dennis is wrong. You can put first earlies in the moment the soil’s dry enough. I’ve planted them in February in the past – deep – and they do fine.
yeah mine’ve been in a month with a cloche over them.
Dennis …go teach your granny!
enthusiam counts for more, we are not being self sufficient(co-op 10 minutes walk) or prize winners(too shy), my earlys are in pots and bags all over the place(lost a bit of extra garden) and I will get a crop!!
i’ve got a row in allready and i’m putting another row in this weekend. I think Dennis has a plot up my allotment too?!
Sorry for bringing you into this Dennis (if you’re reading). And thanks for all the encouragement everyone! I feel much better.
I’ve also yet to put in my Pink Fir Apples so we’re definitely in for ’some’ potato action this year.
Even if they don’t do well, you got a great photo and post out of it!
I wouldn’t say it’s too early - Although please don’t listen to me - my Jerusalem artichokes have been in for a month… oops…
I am a new allotment holder and found all the posts and comments very helpful. Had to laugh though as we planted our potatoes today but my husband and I felt a bit daft before setting off to my plot because we had to look up which way round the potatoes had to be put into the ground! If we get a crop of anything this year it will be a miracle.
Hey - cool blog!
This my first spring with my allotment (and first visit to a blog forum - never found one that interested me). I hope to visit regular now I have found it.
I gotta say I put my seeds in on Good Friday (the traditional day!) - judging by comments that I received I was late. Most of the chaps on adjacent plots had theirs in two weeks earlier (as soon as the ground warmed). Still mine were well chitted so they look great now.
S.
You have to remember that spuds are tough little guys. I’ve planted unchitted salad taters in early March and got a good crop (not brilliant, but enough to supply me & family for a good bit) and I live at 53 degrees 50′31.50″ North, 2 degrees 11′10.12″ West!