Christmas new potatos

zagmund

This year we decided to plant some potatos to be ready (in theory) for Christmas. They are in containers in the green house. The problem we might have is that they have been quite vigorous - I think they were planted at the end of August and now they are huge. Wild guess . . . a meter high and very bushy. The stalks aren't really strong enough to support this height though and they are bending & breaking. I have already had to earth them up and build surrounds around them to provide support.

I know the growth rate will slow down (what with Winter & all), but if they keep going anything like this rate they will be huge.

When do people normally plant for Christmas potatos? Did we go too early or is this just a result of the unusually warm September we've had?

Thanks,

z

pwurple

Greenhouse is your issue I'd say! Mine are out in the open.

zagmund

When did you plant yours?

We were going to plant some outside, but the garden is pretty exposed and I didn't think they would survive the first storm of the year coming off the sea.

z

Technophobe

You probably should have left them outside until the threat of frost was imminent...bit of waste having them in a greenhouse, would have been fine outside

zagmund

We'll know for next year so. We were considering leaving them outside at the start but thought they would be quite heavy to move with all that soil. I didn't want to risk damaging the roots/tubers when moving the containers.

z

pwurple

Planted mine two weeks ago, so mid-september. I won't be harvesting until january though. Should be massive by then.