Too late to sow spuds?

RaggyDays

As the title says, Is it too late to sow spuds. I saw my local hardware store selling off seed potatoes for 50cent but they have large stalks growing out of them. Would these be ok to sow??

Denis322

I've planted spuds as late as first week of July before, provided the frost doesn't come too early you're fine. Anyway, at 50c it's not much of a loss even if it didn't work out.

Tulipout

I was looking for potato seeds there two weeks ago and I was told in two garden centers that it was far to late for planting, but with Irish weather you just wouldn't know.

I had a bit of decking left over and I was going to build a potato box tower.

Going back to the OP as above poster said, you don't have to much to lose.
Plant away:)

paddy147

Tulipout wrote: »

I was looking for potato seeds there two weeks ago and I was told in two garden centers that it was far to late for planting, but with Irish weather you just wouldn't know.

I had a bit of decking left over and I was going to build a potato box tower.

Going back to the OP as above poster said, you don't have to much to lose.
Plant away:)

Potato grow bags with access panels near the base in Dealz for 1 euro 50 cents.


Cheap but great little potato planter bags.


Or you could also use some old/empty compost bags and pierce the bottom and sides with a knife (drainage) and sow some spuds like that.

Very handy for anyone who wants to grow spuds but may have limited space or a small balcony/patio area.


Good way to also get the kids involved in it too.:)

Sgt Pepper 64

Tulipout wrote: »

I was looking for potato seeds there two weeks ago and I was told in two garden centers that it was far to late for planting, but with Irish weather you just wouldn't know.

I had a bit of decking left over and I was going to build a potato box tower.

Going back to the OP as above poster said, you don't have to much to lose.
Plant away:)

You dont even need proper seed spuds, you can use normal ones. Seed ones are just a guarentee that they wont be diseased.
My grannie, god bless her soul, used cut a normal spud up into 4 and plant it just like that, worked grand

I too, just finished planting them, I asked the spud guy at Bloom and he said everything was late anyway because of the crazy weather

amandstu

I have wondered before about seed potatoes that have gone "straggly" .

Does that mean that their internal clock is already advanced by a month or so over seeds that haven't made such long shoots (or roots ?) ?

Will they come to flower much quicker than they would if they were planted "from scratch" as it were ?

And will that mean that the potatoes which you would normally pick just after the completion of flowering will still be too small to pick then ?

redser7

Just rub off those long chits and work away. Might be best to try early varieties as main crop can take up to 5 months. Tricky thing is that you will be growing right through the blight season. If you are just doing bags in the back garden it should be fine, just protect them when there is a warning.

paddy147

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

You dont even need proper seed spuds, you can use normal ones. Seed ones are just a guarentee that they wont be diseased.
My grannie, god bless her soul, used cut a normal spud up into 4 and plant it just like that, worked grand

I too, just finished planting them, I asked the spud guy at Bloom and he said everything was late anyway because of the crazy weather

Lots of nurseries and garden centres are around 5-6 weeks behind this year.

Like you said....its due to the crazy weather patterns we have had.

Tulipout

Think I'll give it a go myself, have a few spuds under the stairs and a grow bag in the car. Sorted;)

paddy147

Spuds growing in old/empty compost bags.

And a potato planter bag in Dealz for a mere 1 euro 49 cents.

Its actually a good size planter bag,when opened out fully.

My Potatoes

RaggyDays wrote: »

As the title says, Is it too late to sow spuds. I saw my local hardware store selling off seed potatoes for 50cent but they have large stalks growing out of them. Would these be ok to sow??

If you can see through the ash tree, then you can still sow potatoes.

Stressica

i got 3 small bags of seed potatoes for 50c each each have about 10 inside, why not i say, thinking of trying the lazybed way of planting

Snowc

paddy147 wrote: »

Spuds growing in old/empty compost bags.

And a potato planter bag in Dealz for a mere 1 euro 49 cents.

Its actually a good size planter bag,when opened out fully.

Jaysus paddy youd grow spuds in the sink if herself let you

paddy147

Snowc wrote: »

Jaysus paddy youd grow spuds in the sink if herself let you

She has a large allotment full of spuds,turnips,onions,carrots and peas at the moment.Oh and strawberry plants and raspberries bushes too.:)


I just decided to try out a few seed spuds that she had left over in some empty compost bags,after she said I should give it a go.

So far so good.:)



I went and bought the potato bag in Dealz for 1 euro 49 cents,as I want to plant some more this week comming.

Francie Barrett

I was given a few seed potatoes for free, so I threw them into containers a week ago. Haven't seen anything poking out yet.

paddy147

Francie Barrett wrote: »

I was given a few seed potatoes for free, so I threw them into containers a week ago. Haven't seen anything poking out yet.

You wont see anything for at least a few weeks.

Then once they break through the soil surface,they will fairly fly.


Dont forget to heap the soil up around them,as they grow.:)

RaggyDays

Got some of them planter bags from dealz, there ideal for the job but an old fertilizer bag will do the same thing if you have them.I`m not sure what soil to use, I have a heap of straw based manure thats well rotted(its full of earth worms which are as big as small snakes) could I use this manure and would i want to mix sand, soil or compost with it ???

amandstu

I may not know any better than you but I know what you mean about the well rotted compost as I have lots of the same (straw or hay based stable manure).

I wonder if those worms are a sign that it is still just half rotted -since my best stuff doesn't have worms in it ?

If it isn't slimy at all then maybe add some sand or soil like you say.

I think if it at all sticky or doesn't drain well that your potatoes might become blemished-when I first started growing potatoes I added too much half rotted stable manure to the rows and it was fairly disastrous in the wet weather we tend to get (I also killled the odd rose bush with it as well).

And I think that that problem could be worse in smallish containers versus the open ground...

Tulipout

Still no sign of my spuds showing. They're sowed now about three weeks and nothing showing not even a weed.

Ah well there's always next year

paddy147

Tulipout wrote: »

Still no sign of my spuds showing. They're sowed now about three weeks and nothing showing not even a weed.

Ah well there's always next year

Mine seem to be mutant spuds.

Ive had to cane them to stop them from tipping over,as they have grown that tall out of their compost bags.

CorsendonkX

paddy147 wrote: »

Mine seem to be mutant spuds.

Ive had to cane them to stop them from tipping over,as they have grown that tall out of their compost bags.

That's normally enough for spuds to grow long tops when they get the required water and nutrition. Usually they just flop down in beds or drills and choke the surrounding weeds so they appear smaller.

overmantle

I would reckon you are a tad too late. Make a note to plant a bit earlier next year.

paddy147

Decided to dig up the 2 small compost bags today and see how many spuds in them.

Happy enough with the result.

Nice fresh Sarpos and King Edwards for dinner.:)


So anyone can do this,even if you don't have a garden,but have a small patio or balcony area .......you can grow your own new potatoes in time for Christmas.:)

loco-colo

Nice spuds Paddy - What did you use ... a soil/compost mix? Thanks.

paddy147

loco-colo wrote: »

Nice spuds Paddy - What did you use ... a soil/compost mix? Thanks.

Yep..thats it.

3 compost to 1 manure mix.

Regular watering. and thats about it really.


Spuds out on the alllotment are ready to be dug up this week aswell.

So I cant wait to see how many spuds my misus gets out of the alotment.:)

loco-colo

Cheers Paddy - and finally, was it one seed per compost bag? Thanks.

paddy147

loco-colo wrote: »

Cheers Paddy - and finally, was it one seed per compost bag? Thanks.

It was 2 seed spuds per compost bag,and then the heap the soil up around the plants as they grow up out of the bag.


That's about it really.:)

paddy147

We decided to have a quick dig on the allotment and see if the Sarpos are ready to come up.

You can see original seed spud in the pic,and theres 10 nice Sarpos from that 1 plant.

Happy enough with that.:)

RaggyDays

Just an update on how they progressed. These are the spuds sown mid July

Got more seed potatoes in dealz for 25cent each so Ive sown another 20 bags this week. I think I`m on the limit now for lateness for sowining spuds as its the 1st of september tomorrow!
Anyone else have any success planting this late?

CorsendonkX

I say your wasting your time with that amount unless you have have a heated greenhouse, one good frost and your finished. Once the nights cool and light levels decrease your growth rate just slows down too much.

redser7

+1. People usually only grow a handful as a novelty. Usually so they can harvest some fresh for Christmas dinner. They would usually have a greenhouse or fleece them to keep them going. So it's quite a bit of attention needed. They would usually be a first early type and the most successful would be ones that bulk up quickly. And watch out for blight, I believe there is to be a mild September ...