Can my spuds go out now?

My spuds have been chitting happily away on the downstairs loo windowsill for about 6 weeks now. They have got some really good buds going, so can I plant them out now?

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Permalink Reply by Debbie on March 16, 2012 at 22:16

You don't say what they are but it sounds as though they could go out as long as you plant them in warmish soil and protect them from frost. Mine are in bags in the shed and are just popping up. I'll be bringing them outside during the day and putting them in if there's frost forecast. I've got others ready to be planted in the ground which has been covered for a month to warm it up. I'll pop them in this weekend and put the tarpaulin back on for a while.

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Permalink Reply by Donna C on March 16, 2012 at 22:18

I've got Arran Pilot, International Kidney and Desiree. I guess I could plant them and put fleece over the top until they come up.

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Permalink Reply by Fred Hogg on March 16, 2012 at 22:41

Keep the fleece over them when they come through, to protect from frost. My second earlies and main crops won't go in for another fortnight and I'm 200 miles south of you.

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Permalink Reply by John Martin on March 16, 2012 at 22:56

As the rest of the guys have said. I'd check the forecast as well and try to make sure the first couple of nights were not going to be too cold. Try and ensure you have plenty soil available to draw them up and as Fred & Debbie said if frost forecast put on some fleece.

Good Luck

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Permalink Reply by Fred Hogg on March 16, 2012 at 23:04

Frost is forecast for Sunday and Monday nights.

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Permalink Reply by Colin Robinson on March 16, 2012 at 23:11

Ditto what the others say. I have planted spuds outside in mid March but they've always needed fleecing. In this neck of the woods it tends to be late March or early April before the bulk of them go in.

We often get some quite hard frosts in April but if the spuds don't have much top growth by then it's easy to protect them overnight and remove the protection during the day.

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Permalink Reply by Fred Hogg on March 16, 2012 at 23:13

Not forgetting snow at Easter ??

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Permalink Reply by Donna C on March 17, 2012 at 0:35

Ok, so if I don't put them out, will they be ok where they are? One of them is starting to look quite shrivelled.

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Permalink Reply by John Martin on March 17, 2012 at 0:43

With out seeing them its hard to say but I'd think they will stand another week or so. I've only started 10 buckets in a cold greenhouse this week, wont be starting my earlies till 1st week in April and then I'll start my show spuds off in polypots. But as i've said before I'm a fair bit further North than most on this forum.