|
| |
1st Early |
2nd Early |
Early Main crop |
Late Main crop |
| Planting distance in row |
12in (30cm) |
15in (37cm) |
18in (45cm) |
18in (45cm) |
| Distance between rows |
2ft (60cm) |
2 ft 6in (75cm) |
2 ft 6in (75cm) |
2 ft 6in (75cm) |
| Plant |
From Mid March |
Early to Mid April |
Mid to Late April |
Mid to Late April |
| Rec. last planting date |
Late May |
Late May |
Late May |
Late May |
| Harvest from |
~10 weeks |
~13 weeks |
~15 weeks |
~20 weeks |
Potatoes can be planted any time
between March and May, depending on the weather. I have always planted mine on
or around Good Friday, this date was passed down to me by my Father and has
remained with me ever since, I am sure it was borne from tradition, it is a
holiday for the majority of workers and I can picture the scene from years ago, with people in their
back gardens and allotments all planting potatoes on the same day.
General
If you have the room, then grow earlier
varieties for the summer and main crop for storage over the winter. New potatoes
is always the favourite, not only for the taste, but grown for when the shop
prices are higher.
Buy good quality, certified seed potatoes (
order early / available ~February ) and chit them before planting. Don't grow
from your own stock, shop brought or exchanged from your fellow allotment
gardeners, it is important to avoid diseases where they could already be present
in the soil. Remember crop rotation is extremely important and try to use modern
cultivars which have disease resistance. Prevent
greening of the tubers by earthing up soil around the stem bases.
Chitting
When your seed potatoes arrive,
place them in egg trays with the 'eyes' upper most. Keep them in a light place
but not too sunny with a temperature of ~64 F ( 18 C ). When they start to shoot
( ~6 weeks ) move them to a cooler place.
Planting
Choose a sunny open site. They are
not frost hardy so delay planting if need be, but aim to plant your early
potatoes a month before the end of the frosts. The soil should of been well
manured last autumn. To plant potatoes, make a hole or trench / furrow 3 - 6
inches deep, plant, cover then add a little extra soil on top ( ~1 inch ).
Looking
after the crop
As they grow draw up soil to
prevent the tubers reaching the light and turning green. Excessive water can
bring on too much leaf growth, but they have to be kept moist.
Harvesting
Early varieties can be lifted when
the flowers have formed or the buds have dropped.
With main crop, cut off the stems
when the leaves have turned brown and the stems have withered, then wait a week
to 10 days before harvesting ( this ensures that blight spores on the leaves
have died ). Choose a sunny day to lift the tubers, and lay them on the ground
for a few hours to dry. Ensure all tubers are lifted however small to prevent
problems next year.
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