Posted: Fri Mar 16, 18 9:26 pm Post subject: My poor potatoes
I waited until the Beast from the East had passed before planting into warm (er) soil last week. Now it appears another freeze is coming. I could cover the surface over them in well rotted grass cuttings but whilst keeping the surface a fraction warmer, would it be bad for them in the longer term?.....The alternative would be a tarp over their bed. Answers on a postcard please
I haven't put mine in yet; they are still chitting happily in the spare room, which I am rather glad about. I wouldn't put them in until the beginning of April where we are. We are in the south on England, but the microclimate is at least a fortnight later than on the coast.
As long as the tops aren't above ground they will probably be all right as this cold weather shouldn't last for more than a couple of days, but if you are worried, put on extra protection. Snow will insulate them a bit too if you are expecting it where you are.
gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
Posted: Sat Mar 17, 18 10:44 am Post subject:
If they are through then get a length of polythene and make some hoops out of wire clothes hangers. Then put the wire over the potatoes and the polythene over the wire and secure with more wire over the polythene. Try to keep the polythene so that it doesn't touch the potatoes. This is a cheap makeshift cloche which I have used several times in the past when I was eager to get the first potatoes off the allotment. I have covered them over in the past in pyjamas at 12 at night, when they suddenly said a frost in the morning!
With any luck they will be all right. When it has warmed up again, just carefully scrape away the soil and see if the tubers seem all right. If they have gone mushy, I am afraid they froze and will be a lost cause, but if just soft, they should be all right.
gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
Posted: Sat Apr 28, 18 10:39 am Post subject:
dpack I have just got round to reading the potato cloche/ref Pyjamas ha. I had my wellies on so ok!
There is a more serious note; the wire coat hangers work well, (and are cheap, as is the polythene), and if you want the potatoes out of the cloche by day, it is a simple matter to leave the wire and pull the polythene up from left to right or right to left between the wires so all in place for the next frost.
i just noticed a deep bag of spuds that were too few and small to bother with in august and then got forgotten after the tops died back has sprouted and is looking rather healthy.
perhaps a fumble about will be worthwhile before long.
i was eyeing the bag with a view to repotting the big rosemary bush and was a bit surprised by the greenery.
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