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Cariad
25-02-2013, 09:52 PM
Hi
I remember registering last year but didn't hear anything from them after that. If it all went through ok, should I have heard something to confirm? When do they send stuff out? Does anyone know?
TIA

scottishlass
25-02-2013, 10:03 PM
Hi I have registered but not received anything yet - think is was maybe march time? X

Gemma Smithson
25-02-2013, 10:07 PM
What's the website to register on please?

Cariad
25-02-2013, 10:09 PM
ooh, I don't know off hand. I'll google it now and see if I can find it

Cariad
25-02-2013, 10:12 PM
Grow Your Own Potatoes | Potato Council (http://gyop.potato.org.uk/)

should have gone on that site for the answer before bothering you lot lol. It says that we should get deliveries soon (if registration went ok!) and chatting should begin by 26th Feb. Urm.. that's tomorrow!

scottishlass
25-02-2013, 10:18 PM
Grow Your Own Potatoes | Potato Council (http://gyop.potato.org.uk/)

should have gone on that site for the answer before bothering you lot lol. It says that we should get deliveries soon (if registration went ok!) and chatting should begin by 26th Feb. Urm.. that's tomorrow!

Oh well we will be running late then!! X

TAZ
25-02-2013, 10:34 PM
I've just registered - says I'll receive my kit Feb 2014 - guess I was too late for this year!!!
Thanks for the link though, I hadn't heard of this before.:clapping:

Samcat
25-02-2013, 11:10 PM
I registered last September and received my kit a couple of weeks ago. We start chitting them tomorrow!

rickysmiths
25-02-2013, 11:28 PM
I got my pack about a month ago. Potatoes have been chitting since Friday. This is our 4th year.

nikkiv
25-02-2013, 11:45 PM
I get very excited when my little pack comes through, even though we grow our own anyway very silly of me really!

jillplum
26-02-2013, 10:10 AM
I registered but havent received anything yet. Wonder if it depends on area?

Cariad
26-02-2013, 11:18 PM
Maybe my registration wasn't successful :( I hope that's not the case, i registered ages ago. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

mrstom
27-02-2013, 06:40 AM
I've not had mine either (and I'd completely forgotten about registering - almost bought some spuds at the garden centre at the weekend!)

Just checked my emails and I've definitely registered. My confirmation email was in September 2012 and says I'll receive my spuds in Feb 2013. Fingers crossed they come, still a couple of days left :D

LauraS
27-02-2013, 07:47 AM
I registered towards the end of last year but haven't received yet either :)

jep
27-02-2013, 10:37 AM
Hi i got mine last week........can someone tell me it says to put them on the windowsill to harden, does it mean inside or out ?

rickysmiths
27-02-2013, 11:09 AM
jep you have to 'Chit' them. This is the process of allowing the shoots to grow before you plant them. If you look at the box they came in there are a series of perforated holes. If you push out the discs and shut the lid of the box you sit the potatoes in the holes, make sure they don't fall through and then sit the box on the window sil inside so they get plenty of light. One the poster it gives the dates to do things and the potatoes need to chit until approx 16th March.

You then fill your bags up to about 1/4 with compost and put the potatoes in and cover them. There are three potatoes for each bag an an odd one to grow in a bottle so the children can see how they grow you won't eat this one it is for demonstration only! As the plants grow you gradually add more compost until the compost is nearly at the top of the bag.

lozzy23
27-02-2013, 11:22 AM
Just received mine today. Was just going to check if I had indeed registered this year when postman knocked.:thumbsup:

Zoomie
27-02-2013, 12:00 PM
Mine arrived today too.

Last year I didn't follow the dates stipulated and let mine grow for about a month longer. We got some decent sized potatoes :clapping::clapping:

mrstom
27-02-2013, 12:21 PM
Ooooo I'm all excited now. The postman hasn't been yet...

nikkiv
28-02-2013, 03:29 PM
Yeah my potatoes have come today :))))

tulip0803
28-02-2013, 04:14 PM
Mine arrived yesterday too:thumbsup:

mrstom
28-02-2013, 04:41 PM
No sign of mine. Boo hiss :(

snortlet
28-02-2013, 04:45 PM
no sign of mine either! i checked the registration email from back in september and im definatley registered!

maryp0ppins
28-02-2013, 04:56 PM
Me spuds have arrived :) last yr they were delish so cannot wait!!

supermumy
28-02-2013, 05:04 PM
Mine have come also :)

jep
28-02-2013, 05:21 PM
jep you have to 'Chit' them. This is the process of allowing the shoots to grow before you plant them. If you look at the box they came in there are a series of perforated holes. If you push out the discs and shut the lid of the box you sit the potatoes in the holes, make sure they don't fall through and then sit the box on the window sil inside so they get plenty of light. One the poster it gives the dates to do things and the potatoes need to chit until approx 16th March.

You then fill your bags up to about 1/4 with compost and put the potatoes in and cover them. There are three potatoes for each bag an an odd one to grow in a bottle so the children can see how they grow you won't eat this one it is for demonstration only! As the plants grow you gradually add more compost until the compost is nearly at the top of the bag.

Thanks for the info.........getting excited now, i have never grown anything before lol.

jackie 7
28-02-2013, 05:30 PM
Wish I had done this. Will register for next year.

Linda Mc
28-02-2013, 08:57 PM
Hi
I remember registering last year but didn't hear anything from them after that. If it all went through ok, should I have heard something to confirm? When do they send stuff out? Does anyone know?
TIA


Hi,

I registered as well & didn't hear anything from them .... but my box arrived today! :clapping:

scottishlass
01-03-2013, 10:27 AM
That's mine just arrived!! X

marie55
01-03-2013, 11:18 AM
Spuds are here too. Doesn't take much to excite me lol :clapping:

snortlet
01-03-2013, 12:19 PM
mine are here now too!!

FizzWizz
01-03-2013, 12:53 PM
Mine came this morning too, hope they grow better than my soggy ones from last year ;-)

Daisy1956
01-03-2013, 02:00 PM
Mine have just arrived. Plants yesterday, potatoes today it must be SPRING.:clapping:

mrstom
01-03-2013, 02:10 PM
Not fair. I'm still waiting for mine :(

Did they arrive by the normal postie or by the sorting office van?

Daisy1956
01-03-2013, 02:14 PM
Normal postman, he is used to me having strange things delivered.

lauren1979
01-03-2013, 02:29 PM
mine came today and yesterday I spent a load on seeds including Gourds that grow into a snake shape we can paint, so excited to get gardening again...come on Spring! :)

MagdalenaS
01-03-2013, 02:31 PM
I got mine yesterday :)

jillplum
01-03-2013, 02:34 PM
Mine came today :jump for joy:

pat75
01-03-2013, 02:40 PM
Got my yesterday. Can't wait to start on my garden. It's in a big need of some work done to it.

watgem
01-03-2013, 04:37 PM
it won't let me register! it won't recognise my postcode as being a school and won't let me put my address in manually-help pleaswe I want some spuds lol:clapping:

migimoo
01-03-2013, 05:11 PM
Mine came yesterday...mindees were super UNenthusiastic.

"but why can't we buy them at the shop like mummy???" :laughing:

bunyip
01-03-2013, 05:44 PM
If you didn't register in time, all is not lost.

1. Get yourself some seed potato. Ideally from a small local family seedsman or market stall that will let you buy a few. If you go to the garden centre, you'll probably be obliged to buy a kilo or more and they'll almost certainly be over-priced. Wilko's and some £-stores sometimes sell little bags of 5-6 tubers.

2. If really desperate, you could try growing some that are sold for kitchen use. This is not ideal, but can work. The reason it's best to grow from proper seed potato is that they are raised to be free of viruses, pests, etc. Kitchen potatoes can harbour disease which might reduce or destroy the quality or yield. If you grow them in open ground (garden/allotment soil) they could infect the soil for years to come. So, if you use kitchen potatoes, only grow them in pots/bags of compost and dispose of the compost afterwards - do not dig it into your soil. Some kitchen potatoes are treated with an anti-sprouting agent, to stop the eyes growing and so lengthen their useful storage life in the kitchen. That will make the treated ones hard or impossible to grow. There's no way of knowing if your potato have been treated so. The safer way (no guarantees) is to buy them loose from a proper greengrocer, rather than use supermarket pre-packs.

3. Use a '1st early' variety. These crop most quickly to give small boiling potatoes. Don't bother with the late or 'maincrop' types whcih give big tubers for jackets, etc. They need far more time and space and are susceptible to more diseases. Ideal varieties are 'Rocket' and 'Swift', which have the added benefit of very little top-growth, so the plants don't get top heavy and tip the containers over.

4. Potato growing bags are all the rage for the credulous middle classes with money to burn. If you really must have one, try Poundland (or Wilkos do them for about £3something.) The plastic-weave bags used by many councils for glass recycling collections are almost identical once you punch a few holes near the bottom. You can also use a big plantpot (at least 12" diameter) for 1 or 2 potatoes. Whatever you grow them in, you'll need compost which (amazing this) comes in a bag! I've successfully grown potatoes in a compost bag, turned inside-out so the black surface soaks up the sun, and a few holes punched near the base. The only thing with this is to make sure it doesn't get tipped over, as it's less stable than other containers. Whatever you use, don't forget the drainage holes.

5. Chitting. Don't worry if you don't have time for this. It seems to produce an earlier crop, but not necessarily a bigger one. I personally feel it's only necessary cos seed potato is sold way too early - and if you don't buy early, then the range and choice becomes limited. Place potatoes in egg boxes/trays in a cool, frost-free, airy, dry, light spot, out of direct sunlight. Findig such a place in modern centrally-heated homes is the hardest part of modern potato-growing.

6. Planting can be done anytime you like now, just so long as they aren't exposed to frost. I start mine in the greenhouse Feb-March then move them outside when the weather picks up. 1-2 in a 12" pot, 2-3 in a bag. About 6" of general-purpose compost under the potatoes. Place them sprouting-side up if you can tell, don't worry if you can't tell. Add more compost until potatoes are covered, but no need to fill the container at this point. Water gently, add more compost if the watering has exposed the potatoes. Chuck in a handful of general-purpose feed, such as Growmore - don't worry if you have none.

7. Keep the compost moist. Never wet. Never allow it to dry out. As the green leafy bits (haulms) grow, cover them almost but not quite completely with more compost until the container is almost but not quite full.

8. As a rough guide, 1st early potatoes should be ready to eat in about 13 weeks. Some varieties flower (and quite pretty they are, too) when the tubers have swollen sufficiently, but don't wait for this to happen as not all varieties will flower at all. You can feel around in the pot/bag to see if they've reached a decent size for boiling (ie. hen's egg sized approx.) Children love tipping the pots/bags out (preferable onto a plastic sheet) and rummaging for potatoes. Gloves are recommended. If your garden has an ant problem, stir the compost a little with a hand fork/trowel and take a close look: few things are worse than a child whose arm is covered in biting ants.

9. Eaten fresh, your potatoes should be lovely. They'll keep for a few days, but the early types are not there to be stored at all. Let the children take some home if there's enough, though the really fresh ones (straight from garden, into the plan) are what it's all about.

10. Consider yourself hooked. :D

bunyip
01-03-2013, 05:50 PM
Mine came yesterday...mindees were super UNenthusiastic.

"but why can't we buy them at the shop like mummy???" :laughing:

That's cos Mummy is a Philistine, darling. :rolleyes:

watgem
01-03-2013, 07:13 PM
thanks Bunyip I will give it a go

karens knippers
01-03-2013, 07:29 PM
ours arrived wednesday and children were very excited. got us in mood for planting different veg.

jayne
02-03-2013, 01:46 PM
Mine came on Thursday and started chitting them yesterday I had forgot I had registered the little ones can't wait to plant them this is our 4th year

mrstom
02-03-2013, 01:51 PM
Mine arrived today :D

Two boxes of them - they are now chitting!

<ridiculously excited at the prospect of growing my own potatoes>

jo.jo76
02-03-2013, 02:55 PM
Mine arrived too! :-) So lovely last year, being able to say "oh shall we have potatoes? I'll just go in the garden and get some!" :cool:

pinky33
02-03-2013, 03:43 PM
I'm seriously hopeless at growing anything so good luck all x

Carol
02-03-2013, 05:16 PM
Mine came last month then almost forgot to chit them, but they were chitting nicely in the box lol

This time had a box with holes on a lid to sit them on.
Got 3 little ones this time so not as excited about them, but bigger ones are!!

Good Luck everyone.

Carol

mushpea
02-03-2013, 05:32 PM
mine arrived Friday and are now 'chitting' never normally chit them for the allotment but as we are doing these with the kids I thought i had better follow the instructions with them.
I have just spent all morning barrowing 1 ton of top soil in to the borders of the greenhouse! not compost because I make my own from the rabbits waste and add to this , now I cant wait to start growing. I have also filled a pot each for each of the children and filled our hippo sand pit after my son drilled holes in the bottom of it so we can grow some lettuces in the him,,,, the hippo,,,, not my son :laughing:

Gemma Smithson
02-03-2013, 05:35 PM
Haven't got mine yet, but planted cress, sunflowers, beet root, peppers and tomatoes with lo during the week and spent today sorting garden and weeding etc, found loads of plants springing up yipee hope the sun stays with us now!

LauraS
02-03-2013, 09:14 PM
Gah, when will mine come?

We have chosen our seeds this week, children have chosen about five different.types of flowers, two types of sunflowers (giant and dwarf), plus parsnips, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, two types of pepper, two types of tomato, squash, pumpkin, cucumber onions caulis and beetroot. Some has gone in already, some not.

Just need the potatoes!

JulieA
03-03-2013, 01:01 PM
Mine arrived yesterday morning. waiting for the mindees to arrive tomorrow and then off to garden centre for some compost (it is an inset day so lots of big ones help!).

kellyskidz!
03-03-2013, 01:38 PM
Got mine, terrible at growing anything though so I'm not getting my hopes up :/