Potato chat and potato growing challenge

[diggernotdreamer]

Starting a new thread on my favourite subject, potatoes.

I am really interested in the different ways people grow spuds. Is the extra work involved in growing in ridges and rows worth it, I mean, do you get a lot more yield?? Does anyone have weights or yields from previous years. I have done it once, but have nothing to compare it with. I grow no dig potatoes in raised beds using vaguely wibbly wobbly equidistant spacing, I give early potatoes about 10-12 inches and give main crop potatoes about 12 inches, these distances are variable and I jiggle them about a bit until they look comfy (if seed potatoes can look comfy) then just lazily grub a hole in the dirt to pop them in and start earthing them up with spoiled hay and straw and then grass mowings as I get them,

Here is something I posted here 30th August 2012:

I have today lifted my spuds, first opportunity I have had what with haymaking, peeing down weather, visitors etc etc

In three 3m x 1m beds
Arran Victory 1.5kg seed yield 11.1kg size pleasing

Cosmos 1.5kg seed yield 8.7kg size very good including a fair few bakers

Nicola 3kg seed yield at lifting 7.6kg but been tickling them for 6 weeks

Sante 1.5kg seed yield 11.4kg not too bad but no bakers which I would normally expect from them

Lady Balfour 1.5kg seed yield 8.5kg size pleasing

All planted out by second week of February, no dig method, cut off haulms 3rd August as getting a little bit blighty.

I don't know if that is a good yield or not, don't normally bother weighing them, but I am not unhappy with what we have, more than enough for two people to get through.

So how about a bit of a challenge to see what can be done using different methods, is anyone up for it, just a bit of fun

[Odsox]

Yes, I will possibly maybe join in.

The reason for my apparent lack of enthusiasm is because the majority of my potatoes are first earlies and due to my back problems last year, my veg garden has reverted to jungle.
I love new potatoes and so I grow them in succession, but assuming that I can get my garden dug before March, which is a big assumption as it requires the weather to cooperate, I will grow some variety of maincrop the traditional way and take notes.

[Green Aura]

Our plan, this year is to merge the raised beds into one longer, but narrower bed. This will free up the current, stackable beds so I'm thinking of just doing three (four boards high).

I usually only grow earlies (I likes ma spuds waxy). But having three beds offers itself up to growing first and second earlies and maincrop and it also gives us a little more time for freeing up the required beds.

So I may have a go after all.

One question - will spuds grow in shade? We have a perfect spot to hide the beds between the polytunnel and the hedge, but I'm not sure how much direct sunlight it gets. I've never grown them in shade before.

[diggernotdreamer]

One question - will spuds grow in shade? We have a perfect spot to hide the beds between the polytunnel and the hedge, but I'm not sure how much direct sunlight it gets. I've never grown them in shade before.

I have grown spuds in part shade and they did fine, I had a veg garden to the side of my house in England and it was shaded for a good part of the day by apple trees.

I did some calculations (I know dangerous territory) and my three beds equate to 90 square feet of growing space (I don't know how many miles that is) so they produced on average, just over 1lb of spuds per square foot.

GA, can I suggest Anya potatoes to you, they are exceptionally gorgeous, when I put them up for sale, people are going mad for them, they taste divine. I have bought two bags this year one for the polytunnel and one for outside.

[Green Aura]

We grew Anya back in Manchester. You're right, they are delicious. We've just ordered 60 seed potatoes (10 each of 6 varieties) so that will probably do us. I may have a look during my next trip to the garden centre and see what salad spuds they've got.

[ojay54]

My days of ''It's not worth growing Maincrop cos they're cheaper to buy by the bag'' are history.This year I'm going for the lot.

Must say ,though that a significant reason for growing spuds is the great tilth it creates.So earthing up is important to me.

[doofaloofa]

Count me in

[diggernotdreamer]

[attachment=0]April 16 That's the spirit OJ and Doofa. I am guessing Doofa that you will be growing in ridges. We need a few more no diggers to come forth and maybe some tyre and bag growers to get good mix of methods.

Polytunnelers, just to get your potato appetite whetted, I am posting a picture taken last April 18 of Colleen first earlies tickled out of the bed, it is always my aim to get spuds out of the tunnel starting early April or I am a potato failure

[glyn.c]

im a no digger and also grow a few in bags ,mainly earlies though , last season was our first and the beds were very shallow 6- 8" max plus earthing up !constructed on ground that we removed 18" of concrete off in february and was very poor underneath! but the bags were still well down on the beds 1.6kg per tuber off the beds and only 0.8kg from the bags ,that was sharps express. this year we are growing juliette using the beds and bags again but the beds are manured on top now giving us about 12" depth