For best results, let the potato seed ‘sprout’ before planting. Purchase the seed from Orchard Park in late January. In mid February, place the seeds in boxes in a light airy position at a temperature of roughly 10°C / 50°F.
The potato seed should be positioned so that the sprouts are uppermost and the ‘stalk’ end (where they were severed from the parent plant) is at the bottom. Sometimes this is a bit difficult to judge, but if you get it wrong, and the potatoes sprout from the bottom end, simply rub off the sprouts and turn the potato to the correct position.
As the potato seed produce sprouts, remove all but the topmost four to ensure that they receive all the goodness of the seed potato. Make sure the sprouts are green and not white coloured. White sprouts are caused by not enough light.
If the sprouts appear too early for planting the potatoes outside, simply rub them off cleanly and they will re-sprout in a couple of week’s time.
Mid March is the ideal time to plant the sprouted potatoes in the open ground. Plant main crop potatoes about 35cm/15in apart, in rows which are 75cm/2ft 6in apart. Where you are planting more than one row, the rows should (ideally) run from North to South to allow each plant its full share of sun.
Dig a trench about 10cm / 4in deep, placing the potatoes in it with the sprouts pointing upwards. Hand fill the trench over the potatoes trying to avoid damaging any sprouts. Scatter lasting fertiliser over the top soil and rake it in.
