Potatoes 2008

Well, Sophie kindly planted my potatoes for me while I was away in the UK. I had already been sprouting them for wayyyy too long and they were trying to grow out of the cupboard out of the sink. She planted the, in very nutrisious ground, although a bit shallow. Today they are looking very good plants.

Tui Certifified Seed Potatoes $9.50

Desiree - Early main crop, likes reasonably fertile soil. Oval shape with a red skin and distinctive yellow flesh. Good all yound cooking potatoe, excellent for chipping.

Feeding - potatoes are gross feeders, fertiliser should be mixed in the soil and watered in well

Maintenance - Carefully hoe around the shoots to keep the crop weed free. Mound up more soil as the plant grows which gives protection from the woind and frost and prevents light reaching the tubers and turning them green. When watering, water the soil not the foliage to avoid blight. if blight does occue, srpat\y the foliage regularly. aphids, potato tubers moth and wireworm and other insects you may need to spray for if found on the plants.

Harvesting - to harvest, gently move the soil away and then use a fork to carefully lift the tuber. Early varieties are ready to harvest when the flowers are fully opened, approx three months after planting.

Storage - being able to rub the skin off easily with your thumb means potatoes are not good for storing, so eat these first. Earlier varities are unsuitable for storing. As soon as potatoes have been dug, dry throughly and store tubers in sacks, paperbags or shallow boxes in a cook dark well ventilated position. if using boxes, cover with soil or dry sacks to stop light getting in. do not leave poattoes exposed to light. carefully stored poattes should last up to 6 months.