Saturday 6 February 2010

Heaving A Sigh Of Relief

They're here! My seed potatoes were delivered on Wednesday, and I received all my first choices. I placed my order this year with Thomson and Morgan, though I have heard of some people receiving substitutes from them in the past as they had run out of the ones on their order. I have set them out in egg boxes to chit and they have been placed in my conservatory which isn't heated, so they're in a light, cool place. This year I will be growing Sharpes Express for my first early, International Kidney for my second early, and Lady Balfour and Blue Danube for my maincrop.

My hubby is out shopping today looking for the drainage pipe which will be laid at the allotment to aid the drainage there. I didn't notice any drainage issues last year, but this is the first winter I have had the allotment and I can now see why it needs to be laid. It's a good job really that I wasn't growing crops there during the winter months otherwise I would have lost them all.

We had snow again on Wednesday evening but it had disappeared by Thursday evening. Thankfully there has been little rain so I'm hoping that the allotment will dry out so that we can get on with laying the pipe and some serious digging.

25 comments:

  1. Hoope it stays dry for you guys, its a bit claggy down my way but I hope it also stays rain free so I can get to the plot this week.

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  2. They look very happy in their little boxes Jo! Good luck with the chitting. I remember when we chitted some potatoes - it was so funny, they were all over the house! I will make a note of your choices and attempt to grow some in a pot or sack - do you think they will be suitable?

    Jeanne x

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  3. I have always used T&M until this year. Last year they sent them WAY too early! Unfortunately though they are the only place that seem to sell Mimi - my fave first early.

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  4. Yaaaaaay! Glad that they arrived safely Jo and that your order was met in full.

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  5. Hi, Jo, Thank you so much for the Happiness Award! I am honored to be the only US blogger you picked. I posted about it today. I envy you your early start with seeds and potatoes.... We are still buried beneath a big snowfall. You are very knowledgeable. I wish you the best of luck with your crop this year.

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  6. They look good. I've never grown Sharpes Express, International Kidney, Lady Balfour or and Blue Danube, so will be curious to read how they turn out and most importantly how they taste. This year I will be growing potatoes in large pots in the garden. I did this well before I got an allotment plot, so I know it can be done. The yield just won't be as much, but hey, at least I can still grow some veg at home. I'll get an allotment again some-day. Got to stay postive.

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  7. We have never done this with potatoes. We usually just cut them in half (so we get more of them) and plant them in the garden...
    Does chitting get you more yield?
    How long do you keep them this way, I guess until its planting time?

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  8. glad you got all your potatoes safely..now we just need the weather to warm up!!

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  9. Oh! I must get mine. Time is getting on already!

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  10. Ours came last week too but not from T & M - weather needs to improve before we plant though!

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  11. Glad the spuds are there - think we're not going to grow any this year - we don't really have that much space, so we're going to grow more salads this year....and feed everyone at work, the rate my dads planning the beds!

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  12. Great news that your spuds have arrived, I ordered mine from Thomson and Morgan and I also recieved all the choices i'd requested.

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  13. I haven't got an allotment yet - but have some potatoes ready to go in buckets in my yard. They did quite well last year.

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  14. I am SO glad they arrived. I was warned off T&M by a few people, so I was worried that you might not get what you wanted.

    I've moved mine to the shed, to keep them cool, and have rubbed off the thin chits. Now it's in the hands of the Spud Lords!

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  15. So wonderful to think the new year is now underway! The most exciting point in the year when the new crops are starting off. It will be rhubarb next!

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  16. Yep, time to get chitting. You've inspired me to get mine out of the sack and organise mine today!

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  17. Hope it is warming up for you, Jo. Another use for egg boxes! I use mine as little seed pots. I confess I didn't know about "chitting" potatoes, that's thegreat thing about blogging, you're always learning.

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  18. I'm still waiting for my seed potato but didn't order until a while after you. I seem to remember from chasing my order last year that they won't send seed potatoes if cold weather is forecast incase they get frosted in transit, but in saying that I don't think it was that warm when I did receive

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  19. The weather isn't doing too well, Kella. It's been raining again, and now it's starting to snow. I hope you've had better luck where you are.

    I'm pleased that you're going to grow some potatoes at home, Jeanne. I haven't tried these varieties before, I like to try something new each year, so I can't really comment on them. Before I had the allotment I used to grow Pentland Javelin in containers and they were tasty and gave a good crop. I would say go for an early variety though, rather than a maincrop.

    This is the first year I have used T&M, Rachael. I had heard reports about them sending substitutes but hadn't heard anything about them sending the order too early before. I hope you manage to source some Mimi elsewhere.

    Thanks, Anna. I've been on tenderhooks waiting for them to arrive.

    You're welcome, Pam. I enjoyed your follow up post. I'm really not very knowledgeable at all, there's always something to learn with gardening. I hope your snow has gone, we're getting more at the moment.

    Definitely stay positive, Mangocheeks. You will have an allotment again one day. I used to grow my potatoes in containers before I had the allotment and they turned out fine. I haven't grown these varieties before so I will be interested to see how they do too.

    The potatoes are chitted until it's time to plant them out, Vrtlarica. It encourages them to form healthy sprouts and is supposed to increase the yield, though there have been trials done with mixed results.

    Thanks, Tanya. The weather isn't looking good, it's snowing again.

    Thank you for popping by, Mark. There's still plenty of time to get your potatoes, they don't have to be planted out yet.

    Thank you for visiting, Green Lane Allotments. I'll be visiting your blog to find out which varieties you have chosen. The weather certainly does need to improve, it's so cold at the moment.

    You must grow a few, Cat, even if it's just a few earlies in containers. You can't beat the taste of freshly dug new potatoes.

    Glad you got your first choices from Thomson and Morgan too, Happy Plotter. I've heard of so many people who have received substitutes.

    I used to grow my potatoes in containers too, Lynda, and they always did well. I think the secret is to ensure they get well watered.

    I was worried too, The Idiot Gardener. I'm sure your potatoes will be fine now they're somewhere cool and light.

    This time of year is so exciting, Reapwhatyougrow. I can't wait to start my seeds off, but I'm waiting just a little longer.

    Thank you for visiting, Mandycharlie. I hope you got your potatoes organised too.

    It's not warming up yet, Yan. You should see my shed throughout the year, it's full of toilet roll inners and egg boxes. We gardeners are a resourceful lot.

    I had an email off Thomson and Morgan a little while ago, Poppy, saying that they had a backlog of orders due to the snow, so you could be right.

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  20. I never bother to chit my earlies Jo as I was told by a fellow lottie holder it makes no difference to the yield. I did chit my first year and honestly couldn't see any difference. My mains I always chit :0)

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  21. It's funny how we all do things differently, Dee. I have never planted my potatoes without chitting them first, but only do it really as it's traditional. There have been many trials done, but there have never been any concrete results. It's good to know that if I got my potatoes late it wouldn't make a huge amount of difference though.

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  22. Jo

    Strongly recommend ditching T&M and using either Alan Romans or Tucker's seeds. Both more reliable. I've never been sent 'second choice' by either, and spuds always good quality.

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  23. I have my potatoes chitting, don't see any harm in doing it otherwise they are sat in a box waiting to be planted.
    We've experimented with chitting, not chitting and just using the shoots and discarding the potato seed (popular in America I believe), and all work similarly well. Just blogged about ours recently too.
    I like to buy ours from the organic catalouge (Chase organics) - never let us down and do the varieties we like.
    Hope your weather picks up soon.

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  24. Thanks for the recommendations, Soilman. This is the first year I have used Thomson and Morgan, but have heard of other people receiving substitutes, so it's always good to know of companies which other people use and recommend.

    That's true, Dawn. I've never experimented with chitting and not chitting, but as you say, if you don't bother then they're only sat in the box anyway.

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  25. Sorry, Rony, but I don't know anyone in Goa.

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