Just got an allotment and have no idea how things work

[frogwoman]

August is too late to sow potatoes. March to may in the UK. Harvest maincrops August/September. You're just feeding the slugs this time of year.

Potatoes

Get expert RHS advice on growing potatoes, including chitting, planting and problem-solving

www.rhs.org.uk

A lot of people do 'christmas potatoes' tho.

 

[contadino]

A lot of people do 'christmas potatoes' tho.

Indoors. And I think most people that try for Xmas potatoes fail.

 

[Epona]

Indoors. And I think most people that try for Xmas potatoes fail.

Hold on - sorry for the slight thread derail here - would it be technically possible for me to grow a potato plant or two indoors in something like builders' rubble buckets? Not for Xmas necessarily (I know whatever it is too late for this one regardless), just as a general thing during their growing season.

 

[contadino]

Hold on - sorry for the slight thread derail here - would it be technically possible for me to grow a potato plant or two indoors in something like builders' rubble buckets? Not for Xmas necessarily (I know whatever it is too late for this one regardless), just as a general thing during their growing season.

Yes. That's pretty much the Xmas potato thing. Spud in bucket/sack, keep adding more soil each time shoots appear. After 16 weeks, dig up and hopefully eat. The trick is keeping the temperature warm enough to grow but not so warm as to get blight.

 

[Epona]

Yes. That's pretty much the Xmas potato thing. Spud in bucket/sack, keep adding more soil each time shoots appear. After 16 weeks, dig up and hopefully eat. The trick is keeping the temperature warm enough to grow but not so warm as to get blight.

So probably a bit too warm in summer and a bit too cold in winter (not putting the heating on for spuds!) then, but autumn/spring thing maybe.
Will give it a go next year.
Thanks for the idea!

 

[frogwoman]

Yes. That's pretty much the Xmas potato thing. Spud in bucket/sack, keep adding more soil each time shoots appear. After 16 weeks, dig up and hopefully eat. The trick is keeping the temperature warm enough to grow but not so warm as to get blight.

I've seen people on YouTube in Wales growing them outside! If it's on YouTube it must be true obviously lol

 

[iona]

I do "xmas" potatoes outdoors without any issues and I know I'm not the only one

 

[frogwoman]

I do "xmas" potatoes outdoors without any issues and I know I'm not the only one

Yeah exactly!

 

[Epona]

Yeah exactly!

I tend to think about these things, if it doesn't work, you've not really lost much except a bit of effort and a few spuds (and you were putting in effort digging up that wasteland of an abandoned allotment to get it ready for next year anyway), if you get spuds this year then fucking brilliant If we get a really harsh November then it may not work out, but you can't control the weather.

 

[iona]

Yes. That's pretty much the Xmas potato thing. Spud in bucket/sack, keep adding more soil each time shoots appear. After 16 weeks, dig up and hopefully eat. The trick is keeping the temperature warm enough to grow but not so warm as to get blight.

And the Hutton criteria for blight is two days at minimum 10°C (plus humidity) so really not sure what you're talking about here tbh!

 

[Epona]

And the Hutton criteria for blight is two days at minimum 10°C (plus humidity) so really not sure what you're talking about here tbh!

Ah, does that mean I'd be likely to get blight with a couple of rubble buckets in my spare room?
Trying to turn it into a bit of a garden since not using it for anything else

 

[contadino]

I tend to think about these things, if it doesn't work, you've not really lost much except a bit of effort and a few spuds (and you were putting in effort digging up that wasteland of an abandoned allotment to get it ready for next year anyway), if you get spuds this year then fucking brilliant If we get a really harsh November then it may not work out, but you can't control the weather.

This, exactly. I've tried it twice, when I didn't grow other stuff in autumn. Spuds don't grow much below 15 degrees and stop completely at 10, and in Derbyshire that's mid-October onwards. So I failed twice and now have cicoria, spinach, alliums, etc queuing up for space so I no longer bother with spuds in autumn.

But for the sake of a couple of spare seed potatoes there's no harm trying.

 

[contadino]

And the Hutton criteria for blight is two days at minimum 10°C (plus humidity) so really not sure what you're talking about here tbh!

My unheated greenhouse was 30 degrees today and 80% humidity.

 

[iona]

My unheated greenhouse was 30 degrees today and 80% humidity.

Exactly

 

[contadino]

Exactly

So pretty much guaranteed blight if I was growing potatoes.

 

[iona]

So pretty much guaranteed blight if I was growing potatoes.

Ok. I'm really not sure what point you're trying to make but I can't be arsed arguing about it

 

[frogwoman]

I'm growing them outside, I guess it will be less chance of blight? Some other people on the allotment are also growing them about now.

 

[The39thStep]

I'm growing them outside, I guess it will be less chance of blight? Some other people on the allotment are also growing them about now.

Just leave them ,when the temp falls mulch them up more .You've got something nibbling the leaves which I'd be more bothered about at the moment .Most of this is trial and error tbh so just experiment .

 

[frogwoman]

Just checked on the potatoes, there are a few down there but really tiny and I pulled one of the plants up by mistake

 

[frogwoman]

Rabbits (or something) have eaten my garlic

 

[WouldBe]

Rabbits (or something) have eaten my garlic

Maybe you have vampire rabbits round your way.

 

[frogwoman]

Apparently rabbits don't eat garlic? But I don't know what else it could have been. The tops of the plants have been chewed off and some have been knocked over.

 

[Orang Utan]

Maybe you have vampire rabbits round your way.

A vampire rabbit would surely avoid garlic?

 

[WouldBe]

A vampire rabbit would surely avoid garlic?

Yes but the other rabbits might eat it for protection.

 

[Elpenor]

A vampire rabbit would surely avoid garlic?

Suicidal vampire rabbits

 

[iona]

Birds? I always net my garlic to start with because otherwise the fuckers dig it up before it's even started.

 

[8ball]

Rabbits (or something) have eaten my garlic

You have rabbits?

 

[frogwoman]

You have rabbits?

Not mine, on the allotment site

 

[8ball]

Not mine, on the allotment site

I know, but it means you’re just an air rifle and a recipe away from rabbit pie.

 

[heinous seamus]

I've bought some cheap cedar boards to use around my veg beds. Any suggestions as to what I should use to help preserve them? I was thinking a mixture of Stockholm tar and linseed oil but I see there are some wood preservatives on Amazon claiming to be ecologically friendly.