Potatoes for Christmas dinner.

[Big Al]

Potatoes for Christmas dinner. not any old tatties of course. I was once told that you could plant some seed potaoes around now and harvest fresh out of the ground potatoes on christmas morning....

Anyone heard of this and does it work?? how long should they be left in the ground etc???

Take care,

Alan

[invisiblepiper]

Strange - someone told me the same thing just last week - and he was off to plant tatties there and then. Its mild here by the coast - so i am going to give it a try. I have some 'chitted ' potatoes still lying since - oh May! - don't ask!!!! I'm going to plant them cos there is nothing to lose!

[Big Al]

Strange - someone told me the same thing just last week - and he was off to plant tatties there and then. Its mild here by the coast - so i am going to give it a try. I have some 'chitted ' potatoes still lying since - oh May! - don't ask!!!! I'm going to plant them cos there is nothing to lose!

Same here as I put some on the window sill ages ago I'll stick mine in on the 1st of October and see what happens.....

[MKG]

Hmmm ... I always thought that this had to be done in a container and under cover - in the greenhouse, for instance. I can't really see potato plants surviving a deep frost.

[Shirley]

My OH was suggesting this same thing, but we live in an area that does get quite severe frost... so I doubt it will work unless we've got some form of shelter for them. I guess we could try and protect the tubs in some way.

[Annpan]

I would have thought that in the ground would give you a better chance than in a container (thermal mass sort of thinking) but I get your point about under cover, perhaps some fleece would be enough?

[Shirley]

It would be easier to hoik the container inside too Ann

[agapanthus]

Will be planting mine in the greenhouse soil this week. Have never done it before but am gonna give it a go!

[Penny Lane]

We've grown potatoes in large black tubs for years but didn't this year.

Thanks for posting this Al, I can now get my fix and have pototoes for christmas!

I might use my front bedroom windowsill as a greenhouse... it gets loads of sun and our chilies are doing well in there at the mo.

[invisiblepiper]

I'm lucky enough to rarely see any frost at all - (50 metres from the sea! - Gulf stream and all that) as palm trees survive here - I shall give it a go. Will check back on Christmas Eve!

[Odsox]

Will be planting mine in the greenhouse soil this week. Have never done it before but am gonna give it a go!

I would STRONGLY advise you to rethink this Aggy, unless you can keep the interior of your greenhouse dry (no condensation or drips) you will get blight, which will transfer to the soil, which means you will have problems growing tomatoes ... not just next year, but forever
I made that mistake a few years ago, so I do speak from some experience.

Best way I've found, with or without a greenhouse, is to plant one or two in one of those black builders buckets. Easy to move indoors on frosty evenings.

[shell]

on another site i recently visited there is a post on growing your own new potatoes for christmas dinner,and i`m going to give it a go as it sounds really good advice,its on http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum ... =6053#6053
its simple enough even for me

[contadino]

I left two rows of potatoes in the ground in spring, with the express intention of letting them grow now and having another (small) crop in winter. My neighbour does it, and it seems to work for him.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[Green Aura]

My mother does this every year. Make sure you use spuds that are chitted, because some remain dormant for quite a few months. Bung them deep in a big bucket or bin and as others have said, put them somewhere they're not likely to get frostbite. Water them occasionally if necessary and dig up on xmas day - lovely.

[prison break fan]

I tried this on my allotment last year, with special potatoes from a catalogue and they got blight! so shall try them in the potting shed this year. pbf