Topic: Early tatties are in.

[sawfish]

I suppose the only problem would be if they emerged from the soil and then the foliage got hit by frosts and turned brown. This happened to mine in april two years ago and I thought it was blight (in my naivety) but it wasn't and they regrew fine despite looking like they were dying.

Maybe you should earth up into high drills now so they take a bit longer to come through, plus you dont have to do it again. Thats what I do now.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Even if they get frosted, they've got a good start on root and shoot growth, and the foliage soon grows back. I don't think it does them much harm.

[cornykev]

They should all come up under large plastic bottles will this keep the frost off.  ???    ;D ;D ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Or use fleece. We're not talking about intense frost this late.

[theothermarg]

another thing about planting them so early is if it rains and then freezes the spuds might rot in the ground before even starting. it is freezing here at the moment and I just feel that mine are better off chitting away rather then being in the cold ground hope you get away with it
marg

[cornykev]

We've had no rain here marge since the fifth and had some very mild days, the top soil is very dry I had to water my peas,onions and shallots I've put in.  ;D ;D ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

I don't think there's much danger of them being frozen in the ground. If there was, there wouldn't be accidentals sprouting where they're not wanted every year. It would take a long period of continuous frost to do what you're suggesting, and there's no sign of that.

[kt.]

:o Well not all of them, after pondering at the weekend I finally decided to stick some earlies in.

No flies on you ;D ;D ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

We get one or two people putting earlies in this month every year, and they seem to get away with it. Fleecing will help.

[calendula]

what a difference a few days will make though to avoid rotting - it was -5 last night and is forecast again tonight and tomorrow night - patience is a virtue  :D

[grawrc]

Well in my case it's enforced patience: I'm busy decorating so the lottie and the garden will have to wait. My front garden is still full of the roofers' scaffolding anyway so I can 't do anything there even if I were free to do so.

On the plus side it wasn't dark until about 6 tonight so I'll soon be able to get out after work. The tatties are all chitting beautifully in the utility room alongside the cans of Dulux meantime.