The end of February was perfect for sieving soil, weeding and digging over the veg plot and planting up the containers and a sink and old baths in what I call the Terrace House Allotment Container Garden.
I have spread seaweed on the outdoors new potatoes patch and dug 4 inch trenches to plant them around the 17th of this month. St Patrick's Day is the traditional time in Ireland for planting potatoes.
However conditions are very bad and the ground is saturated at the moment. I might have to put up a Cricket sign: RAIN STOPPED PLAY!
When they are planted. They should be ready to harvest in twelve weeks before it's too hot to want to eat potatoes.
The ones in the polytunnel with the ripped plastic cover should be ready before then if Jack Frost and his wife don't paint the potato tops that is.
Will you be planting your 'outside' potatoes this St Patrick's Day weekend?
We're a bit behind you with our spud planting, Dave. The bags are all prepared but the spuds aren't ready to go in yet.
ReplyDeleteMine have all chitted JayCee. They are living on top of the unit in the front room. They like the heat from the solid fuel stove and the oil central heating. They still grow even if you don't chit them. They just take longer. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteNo potatoes being grown here, but never say never!
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you Vera. Have you been to the car boot sale at Chirk, We use to visit it on a Sunday. You might find some potato growing bags like the ones we found last year at a carboot sale. They're great and take up very little space. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWill investigate the Chirk boot sale, and the growing bags. Thanks for the info.
DeleteYou're welcome Vera. Chirk use to be good when we use to travel around car boot sales in England and Wales.
DeleteHere in Sheffield the traditional day for planting potatoes is Good Friday - even though its date shifts around because of the bloody Roman Catholic church with its archaic ways. For the second year running we will not be planting any potatoes.
ReplyDeleteThe moon dictates when we have Easter YP. I planted my earlies this very morn. I dug their trenches a few weeks ago and just placed them 30cm or twelve inches apart and covered them with soil and seaweed with my trusty Azada. I think its milder here on the Gulf Stream or Irish Riviera.
ReplyDeleteDid you see the Sheffield Forest Garden on Gardener's World last night YP? It featured a young lady who skateboards and tends her forest garden allotment. It's brilliant and she has created a natural habitat for wildlife and a garden for humans to enjoy.
I have tried potatoes in the past but didn't get much of a harvest. I'm changing over to herbs and flowers. They seem to do better under my non green thumb
ReplyDeleteI went plant mad when I got my polytunnel Linda. I'm always making cuttings and dividing plants to make more. I still grow early potatoes and other stuff like onions, leeks, peas, carrots, beetroot and parsnips...?
ReplyDeleteWe don't have any room for spuds. We have a couple of 100 too many onions in trays in the greenhouse with nowhere to put them and our jerusalem artichoke tubers arrived today and our garden is way too soggy to plant them.
ReplyDeleteHi Tigger. I always grow new potatoes. We must get some Jerusalem artichokes. They make a good screen and are related to the sunflower family. I planted my seed potatoes yesterday.
DeleteNo planting but I did scrape up soil from around the edges of the pot and mound my potato stems a bit. I need to keep watch on the local "dump pile" to find something to increase the height of the pot, an old car tyre or a flexible sheet of something sturdy, then I can pour in another bag of potting soil.
ReplyDeleteHi River. Potato growing bags are excellent. I bought mine from a carboot sale for 5 Euros. Does the Dump sell or giveaway their compost materials?
ReplyDeleteThey bag the compost and sell it back to the local and city councils.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. Is it expensive?
ReplyDelete