Surprise Potatoes

[Annpan]

I have got photos but I'll try to get them up tomorrow - the camera is downstairs, and I'm lazy.

Anyway....

Today we were pottering around the garden, I was supposed to be taking it easy so I was doing little things (planning the chicken run, painting the chicken house, etc) and I decided to have a go at pulling out some of the weeds that covered last years potato plot.
We are trying to get nice beds put up around the 'allotment' part of the garden but last year some things missed their chance and got planted in open ground where we hadn't put in beds. The potatoes were one of those things. When it came time to harvest the potatoes weeds had crept in from all 4 sides of their plot and with the weeds had come the slugs, I harvested all my Maris Pipers and half my Desiree because they were so disgustingly full of slugs I was feeling physically sick.... I thought they were a lost cause and could no longer face the battle of the boalk . I decided to leave them and deal with the consequences when it came to planting another crop there.

So, as I say today I decided to tackle part of that plot, pull up the weeds and level the ground, ready for the peas that are going to be there this year (we hope to get all the beds in place this year) So... I was digging a little with the fork and low... what did I see but a red shiny potato... solid and beautiful.... so I kept digging..... another, and another, and another.... I dug out another dozen good-sized potatoes before stopping. We had them for dinner and they were so delicious (it has been a while since we had anything homegrown other than swede and onions)

I don't quite understand but the amount of leaf litter and weeds on the surface must have protected them from the frost where as that same frost must have done away with most of the slugs - we have had a really cold winter, and just 2 weeks ago we had 6 inches of snow.


So when we finish these ones I will be getting back out there and digging again, for my surprise winter crop of desiree potatoes

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Lucky you! What a nice surprise.

I think that you are right about their being protected from the frost by the vegetable matter on top of them. I seem to recall that "clamping" potatoes includes putting a layer of straw over the top of the bed then earthing over it. Same principle I suppose.

[sheena]

What a fantastic surprise, sounds like they must have been well insulated - lets hope that its a positive sign of having good crops this year

[Millymollymandy]

Lucky you - what a lovely surprise to find!

[bodrighy]

Makes me wonder. I produce a humongous amount of sawdust / wood chippings that are no good for the compost. Would this be good for clamping Iif so I am quids in
for next year.

pete

[dave45]

sawdust will rot down eventually won't it? I've mixed some into my heap

[Annpan]

It will, but it takes quite a while, especially if there is alot of it and no other soily things. It makes great firelighters though - mix with melted leftover candle wax until it is just holding together then set it in egg cartons - just rip off an egg when you need one

[Millymollymandy]

sawdust will rot down eventually won't it? I've mixed some into my heap

It's not a good idea to do this as it takes years to rot. I've got a 1.5m2 bin still rotting down after 2 years, even though we've mixed loads of green stuff in and it's been turned regularly. It will be OK for next winter for the veg patch but these days all my used sawdust goes to the tip.