Our Maris Bard potatoes are showing the benefits of planting early under polythene.
maris-bard-9wks-after-plant
- The soil warmed up under the polythene and the seed potatoes emerged quickly.
- Once the leaf was out the plants grew more quickly.
- These potatoes were planted with only a shallow covering of soil, so that they warmed up more quickly, and emerged sooner.
new-potato-developing
- This early initial development promises an early harvest! Potatoes are already the size of a marble!
Maris Bard Potatoes
The potatoes are covered over if there is a chance of frost. The leaves can be severely damaged or killed by frost, which would reduce the benefits achieved of early planting under polythene.
Each vegetable has an ideal time for planting .
* It’s *biological clock* will encourage it to germinate at this time.
* The *temperature* of the soil will also have an affect. If it is
an early spring, and the soil has warmed up, planting can be
earlier than normal.
* The *dampness* of the soil is important. If it is very wet, the
soil will tend to glue together when the seeds are planted. The
air will be squeezed out of the soil & the seed will be unhappy.
Wet soil is also colder.
* The planting *location* should be considered. A windy spot will be
colder, and therefore later. A protected walled garden will be
warmer, so sowing can be earlier.
* *Frost* pockets should be considered.
Click the image below to see a chart of vegetable planting dates.
- veg-planting-dates
The chart shows:
* planting dates
* weeks between sowing & harvest
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