Tatties

[redskies]

Going to order the seed potatoes today. Anyone got any recommendations? We'll be using raised beds to plant - all the building rubble etc from when these houses were built was dumped in the gardens, which are, consequently, crap. Can't even get a fork in, never mind a spade!

[ynotshi]

when i ordered seeds to start to be self suficiant later in the year i asked my grandfather for help and what to get, one of my questions to him was how to grow potatoes and all he does is get the cheapest pots in tesco and leaves them in the shed until they sprout then cuts them into aprox three pieces and plants them about half a foot apart and thats all he does hope that helps

[redskies]

when i ordered seeds to start to be self suficiant later in the year i asked my grandfather for help and what to get, one of my questions to him was how to grow potatoes and all he does is get the cheapest pots in tesco and leaves them in the shed until they sprout then cuts them into aprox three pieces and plants them about half a foot apart and thats all he does hope that helps

That sounds like a fab idea! I'll get hubby to buy some extra next week

[The-Great-Nothing]

Hi

Although cheap and will probably work fine - the reason it is frowned upon to use supermarket spuds rather than seed potatoes is because the supermarket ones are not certified virus free, so can cause long term issues for crops in the area.

Many allotments really really don't like folk using normal spuds instead of certified virus free seed potatoes.

Cheers

Matt

[redskies]

Thanks Matt. Might be as well to order the seed then - they're a fiver, so not outrageously expensive.


I'm in herb heaven here; just found a site that specialises in stuff that will grow where I live, and it's bloody marvellous; got a lot of herbs I can dry for use but which are often really hard to find!

[12mp82]

we buy the ones we like to eat

[jansman]

Very first earlies you want to try "Rocket" or "Swift". Second earlies I like "Homeguard", they are somewhat drought resistant. For lates I like "Desiree".

[redskies]

I'm choosing from this list - http://www.tamarorganics.co.uk/pages/ca ... S&prod=585

I may well go into town with OH on Monday, see if the local place has any decent ones - main points for me are open pollinated, so I can save some for seed next year, organic and suitable to the conditions here. If I can buy them here, it'll save me some carriage.

I think I'm going to end up getting a bit carried away with the herb side of things. I've been a self taught healer for more than twenty years, and the website I've found has many herbs to grow that I've always had to buy in dried before. They have an amazing variety available, all of which should grow well where I am - http://www.poyntzfieldherbs.co.uk/catal ... al%20Herbs

[redskies]

PS. Drought is very rarely an issue here, rather the opposite. To borrow a phrase from Sir Terry, it often looks as if the sea is trying to reclaim the land by air drop. Sideways!

[Brambles]

I'm fond of Pink fir Apple, Home Guard and Ratte New Potatoes. Maincrops, has to be Wilja, Pentland Crown and Pentland Squire.