Potato planting 2020, what is the current situation?

[Sonoftheheir]

How bad is it really?

I’m in the ‘dry’ east, can’t plough two fields due to wet holes. Currently ploughing a dry on top field, but in places am ploughing out water.

Normally would be looking to be marking out and putting fert on soon. This year still got several fields to plough.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

And it’s currently raining again!

 

[Mr chips]

And it’s currently raining again!

We are currently ploughing for potatoes and going well anything untouched stubble is fine. And paddled bits are heavy mostly where straw was led off after the rain started. Still a lot to lift around us.

 

[ridger]

Nothing done here, Easter Monday usually my first planting. Any earlier and I lose them in a frost in late may

 

[Trying]

All ploughed up as of yesterday. All sprayed off stubble untouched otherwise. The best to plough was one which hadn’t been ploughed for probably 7 years. Hoping to start end of the month like usual. ?for another good year.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Grower near Lincoln was on local itv news last week ,,he should be getting ready for first earlies except all of his land hasnt been touched since harvest ,,about 300 acre to go in with spuds but non of it is dry enough to walk on ,let alone take tractors over it

 

[Flat 10]

And it’s currently raining again!

That looks quite heavy for spuds, have all last years gone yet?

 

[ridger]

It will give old stock a longer season to clear up

 

[teslacoils]

Drove past quite a lot still in the ground, or with the odd row taken off, on the way back past March and Ely.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

That looks quite heavy for spuds, have all last years gone yet?

Looks heavier when wet. Would like to have of had it over wintered.

About halfway with selling last years.

 

[MikeNeaverson]

South Lincs, long term storage main-crop territory. All ploughed by December but I've never seen potato land sit wetter. Won't be planting till Mid April at the very earliest I wouldn't have thought, there will be a lot (most?!?) planted in May.

 

[Cloonpotatoes]

We haven't got an acre ploughed. We usually try to start around the 17th March. Not this year. None of the early guys have anything planted. On the bright side corona has increased sales in the supermarkets by 20% so plenty of grading out to do.

 

[Devil's advocate]

We are busy grading too. Lambing too, so barely looked at fields did harvest the last two ton on Saturday bit small up the field boundary but kept well no sprouting..

Unwashed reds in 25kg bags at the farm gate, demand up 50% maybe more. We have some spare this year due to high yeilds & wholesale sales a bit slow (not a regular sender of potatoes although supply brassica) but had request this morning for 10 ton over the next two weeks.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

Merchant had 4t of one variety Friday, has been having that amount every two weeks. Phoned this afternoon, they’ve all gone can I have some more!

 

[Honest john]

Merchant had 4t of one variety Friday, has been having that amount every two weeks. Phoned this afternoon, they’ve all gone can I have some more!

people stocking up ready for shut down I would say.

 

[Bogweevil]

people stocking up ready for shut down I would say.

Excellent panic buying/hoarding of spuds to be encouraged. Clear the old crop at a good price. Consumers can always go back to pot noodles once the general idiocy dies down. I have filled the bath with a very nice sample of Mozart - you can see the picture on Twitter, over 1340 retweets..

 

[Sonoftheheir]

They can panic buy spuds, but I bloody hope fish and chip shops don’t shut down!

 

[ridger]

They can panic but spuds, but I bloody hope fish and chip shops don’t shut down!

That is the problem. If they start shutting things down where is the line drawn?

 

[teslacoils]

What's the saying :

When times are good folk eat fish and chips.
When times are hard folk eat fish and chips.
Own a fish and chip shop and you'll never go hungry.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

Did Confucius say that?

I hope your right. The catering service is going to be hit big time though hey?