Hint for w/e 30th March
Planting potatoes
Timing
First and second early, early and late maincrop potatoes are different, not so much as when they are planted, but mainly as to how long they take before they are ready to harvest.
Traditionally, potato planting starts on St. Patrick's Day, but some commercial growers do not start planting until April, so you can choose your time to suit your needs.
How
Some gardeners plant in ridges whereas others plant on the flat making it easier to ridge up the growing plants later. Seed potatoes should be planted 4" down.
Many gardeners chit their potatoes in a cool light place to get 1-3cm. shoots before planting but this process is being questioned and is not absolutely necessary if you are short of time/space.
Early potatoes should be spaced about 12" apart and 24" between rows. Maincrops need a bit more space. Allow 15" between plants and 30" between rows.
Continuing care
As the plants come through draw earth up round them into ridges to protect them from the frost and give more space underground for potatoes to form.
Blight, a fungus that causes brown spots then kills off the leaves, is incurable. However, warnings of Blight conditions are advertised on the noticeboard, here on the website, or you can access the 'Blightwatch' website directly. Spraying Bordeaux mixture give some temporary protection but is not a cure.
If Blight strikes some advise you to cut off the top growth, wait a fortnight for the fungus spores to die off and then harvest whatever you have got.
Last year there was very little blight, but the year before was horrendous!
Good luck for 2014!
First and second early, early and late maincrop potatoes are different, not so much as when they are planted, but mainly as to how long they take before they are ready to harvest.
Traditionally, potato planting starts on St. Patrick's Day, but some commercial growers do not start planting until April, so you can choose your time to suit your needs.
How
Some gardeners plant in ridges whereas others plant on the flat making it easier to ridge up the growing plants later. Seed potatoes should be planted 4" down.
Many gardeners chit their potatoes in a cool light place to get 1-3cm. shoots before planting but this process is being questioned and is not absolutely necessary if you are short of time/space.
Early potatoes should be spaced about 12" apart and 24" between rows. Maincrops need a bit more space. Allow 15" between plants and 30" between rows.
Continuing care
As the plants come through draw earth up round them into ridges to protect them from the frost and give more space underground for potatoes to form.
Blight, a fungus that causes brown spots then kills off the leaves, is incurable. However, warnings of Blight conditions are advertised on the noticeboard, here on the website, or you can access the 'Blightwatch' website directly. Spraying Bordeaux mixture give some temporary protection but is not a cure.
If Blight strikes some advise you to cut off the top growth, wait a fortnight for the fungus spores to die off and then harvest whatever you have got.
Last year there was very little blight, but the year before was horrendous!
Good luck for 2014!
