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.

Growing potatoes

New Zealand sites which give advice on seed potatoes and growing them


http://www.palmers.co.nz/index.cfm?componentID=379

Potatoes are planted in furrows approximately 10cm deep. Early maturing varieties are spaced 25cm apart and main crop varieties 35cm apart. Space the rows 80-100cm apart. Cover the seed potatoes with soil taking care not to damage the shoots.
As soon as shoots appear through the ground, mound soil around them to protect the new growth. Mounding prevents developing potatoes from "greening" and prevents attack from the Potato Tuber Moth. Mounding is essential to produce abundant crops as potatoes form on the stems. Continue mounding until the potatoes start to flower and growth slows down. Mounds should be kept weed free.

http://www.tuigarden.co.nz/potatoes.php

Once you have your seeds spuds, you need to sprout the before you can plant them. You do this by laying them out in a single layer on a seed tray or box in a warm, dry and airy place. Sprouts appear from the "eyes", which are small buds. The "eyes" grow into shoots. When the shoots are 3-4cm long they are ready to plant out. Remove all but three of the strongest shoots for planting. Sprouting usually takes 4-6 weeks. Wood sheds, garages, under benches are all good spots. Once your spuds have sprouted and the threat of frosts has passed you can now plant out your crop.

Desiree

Good for all general cooking, great to microwave
Early main crop, approx 90-100 days

http://nzpotatoes.co.nz/seed_potato_certification.html
info on seed potato certification

http://www.mitre10.co.nz/how_to_guides/gardening/passionate_about_potatoes.cfm
If you want lovely waxy new potatoes (home grown) in time for Christmas dinner then you should plant seed potatoes in August / September.

Potatoes are “gross feeders” in that they require regular feeding throughout the growing season. Use a specially blended potato fertiliser at the recommended rate.