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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

im so excited - my potatoes are sprouting!

29 replies

shoptilidrop · 18/04/2009 10:01

daft as it sounds, ive never really grown much more than tomatoes and flowers before... and this morning my potatoes are sprouting! YAY. it is very exciting. My rubarb is doing really well as are my goosberrys. cant wait to get my other veg out in the next few weeks.

OP posts:
mumblecrumble · 18/04/2009 20:01

Yes yes YES!!!! Its very exciting!!!!

My rhubarb and gooseboerry are also doing well! Waiting for my spuds to sprout.... am trying to resist scraping around one to see if its ok...

What else are you growing? I find it really exciting!!

Original poster
shoptilidrop · 19/04/2009 19:55

LO. thats exacally what i had been doing, then one morning there they all were, felt a bit sad that i had to cover them up ( earth them).
Ive also got a blackcurrant in already.
In my mums greenhouse ive got:
Runner beans
toms
cucumber
peppers
sweetcorn
onions
brussel sprouts
leeks.

I cant wait till everything is actually in the garden and i can pick, cook and eat what i have grown muyself.

I think veg growing is pretty cool!

OP posts:
Original poster
shoptilidrop · 19/04/2009 19:55

soory,should have asked, what else are you growing?

OP posts:
moonmother · 19/04/2009 20:13

So are mine- I've not grown potatoes before so I'm really excited!

We're growing them in them potato bags, as we have the smallest veg patch, and grow a lot in containers.

This year we are growing

large tomatoes
cherry tomatoes
cucumbers
radishes
mangetout
fine beans
runner beans
sweetcorn
3 different types of lettuces
rocket
pepper
herbs

Last Year we grew llots of lettuce- some in the veg patch and some in containers, after waging war on the slugs in regards to the ones in the veg patch - this year all the lettuces will be grown in containers.

Really the only things going in the veg patch will be the sweetcorn, beans and, the mangetout .

I'm very tempted to try butternut squash, brussels and parsnips though.

MrsMuddle · 19/04/2009 20:40

I came on here to start a thread about my non-sprouting potatoes

When did you plant them? Did you do them in containers?

On a more positive note, my courgettes have all come through now.

I'm also planting:

Peppers
Tomatoes
Raspberries
Cucumbers
Beetroot
Salad leaves.

snorkle · 19/04/2009 21:19

It is exciting!!! I noticed my outdoor spuds (planted 1st April btw) were just breaking through the surface today (well a few of them at least). I have some in tubs in the conservatory that are about ready to harvest (preen) but they went in much earlier.

And my Jerusalem artichokes are up & my parsnips and beetroot too .

walkinthewoods · 19/04/2009 21:29

Can't remember when I planted my spuds (but pre 3rd April probably a week before) but nothing! How long does it take for them to sprout?

I have in the green house
stawberries
tomatoes
chilli peppers
courgettes
sweetcorn (should I move outside dp says greenhouse won't contain them)
and some other stuff from old seeds that haven't sprouted.

Outside I have (all yet to sprout!)
radishes
chard
rocket
aubergine
herbs

I have also planted marigolds and narstriums (SP?) apparently good for pest control.

They are my babies!

poopscoop · 19/04/2009 21:34

planted my spuds around 23rd march, and sprouting well.
am also doing them in the growing sack/bags this year for the first time,so will be interesting to se if you do get that 'bumper' harvest they all promise

snorkle · 19/04/2009 21:52

Yes my dustbin is just about ready to harvest I think (there is a small set of flowers and the stalks are beginning to flop over).

But, I've had a burrow around in the compost near the top & can't find any spuds at all. Just hoping they're all near the bottom.

Does anyone know when I can tell if it's time to harvest them?

poopscoop · 19/04/2009 22:10

when did you plant them snorkle. They are very early ones if they are almost ready now.
all rather exciting. Can just taste those warm new potatoes with mayonnaise and salad. uyum

walkinthewoods · 19/04/2009 22:13

ooooo bump

snorkle · 19/04/2009 22:35

The ones in the dustbin went in on 1st February. They are a variety called 'swift' which are one of the quickest to mature. I really, really hope there are some potatoes in there & I've done everything right, but it's just a normal dustbin - there's no access hole at the bottom to see what's ther. When I harvest it I'll have to empty the whole lot out at once.

snorkle · 19/04/2009 22:44

walkinthewoods, how long they take to sprout depends on things like:
a) how deep you plant them
b) how warm the soil is (neighbouring allotment holder planted some under fleece and some in the open at the same time and the fleeced ones came up much sooner)
c) how well chitted they were
d) what variety they are
e) other factors like rain etc.

But around 3-4 weeks seems normal.

moonmother · 20/04/2009 08:12

walkinthewoods

I also have mad sweetcorn, that really should be going outside, but after reading up on the net, apparently it shouldn't be planted out till mid May .

I have small dome cloches so I'm going to run the risk and put them out the first week of May, to harden them off, and hopefully they will survive.

Did you also know that you should plant your sweetcorn in blocks rather than rows- it helps with pollination and gives them protection from the wind apparently.

walkinthewoods · 20/04/2009 12:56

Thanks for the tips, I'll keep the sweetcorn inside for now.

Snorkle
I'm a complete novice at potatoes and read up on it. Dp persuaded me to give the tatties a miss (buying the proper seed tatties) but I still couldn't resist bunging in a couple of tatties that had sprouted in the cupboard (asda maris piper probably.) I know I should know what chitted means but.....

snorkle · 20/04/2009 13:43

It's my first year with pots too, but the old codgers at the allotment are telling me what to do as I go along. So... chitting potatoes is when you leave them in a tray somewhere light and let them sprout before you plant them. You don't have to chit them, but it's supposed to give them a bit of a headstart on the unsprouted ones.

walkinthewoods · 20/04/2009 20:07

I put mine in an old egg box and let them sprout but in the cupboard, guess this is not the same as chit?

MrsMuddle · 21/04/2009 21:44

Mine are through!

Walkinthewoods, think that is the same as chit.

MargaretMountford · 21/04/2009 21:45

ours are too ! and carrots !!!

thell · 22/04/2009 10:44

I've got a few Charlotte potatoes that have chitted in the bag - can I plant 3 or 4 in an ordinary bucket, or will that be way too small?
I've had loads of seedlings germinate (first time ever I've properly tried it!) and have caught the bug. I want to plant everything!

walkinthewoods · 22/04/2009 12:45

Pots still not thro' but I think my radishes are coming thro'!!!

I have planted 2 tomato plants and 2 courgette plants from my seedling tray into the greenhouse bed and they are going great guns.

It's exciting isn't it? I've caught the bug too thell and have planted way too much!

DuffyMoon · 23/04/2009 21:22

Does anyone know how high the leaves have to before you put more soil on - earthing up i believe is the technical term

MrsMuddle · 24/04/2009 16:02

Bump for DuffyMoon (and because I want to know, too!)

DuffyMoon · 24/04/2009 18:00
Grin
MrsMuddle · 24/04/2009 22:07

DuffyMoon, no-one's interested in our tatties!

Mine are about an inch high, so I'm going to cover them tomorrow.

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