Potatoes from your plot….

With the shortage of potatoes having driven the prices up in the shops, it makes sense to grow a few spuds yourself this year!  They are easy and rewarding to grow and it’s good exercise too!  Here are a few tips to getting started;

• Choosing seed potatoes from the garden centre (on sale now!)  These are certified as being pest and disease free which is key to getting a good healthy crop.  The seed potatoes are clearly marked on the packs:
• First early – choose these varieties if you want new potatoes early in the season.  Plant mid to end of March to crop mid to late June
• Second early – plant these varieties early to mid April to crop late July to early August
• Maincrop – Plant mid April to crop early – mid August.  These can also be stored fro autumn and winter use.
• Chitting – Just means encouraging the seed potatoes to produce sturdy green shoots before planting.  Place in trays or egg boxes with the end with most buds uppermost somewhere light and cool (and frost free) until you’re ready to plant.
• Soil – Potatoes love an enriched soil – lots of home made compost or bagged rotted manure or similar.  A general fertilizer is a good idea too but avoid using lime with potatoes. (more…)

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.

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