Xela's Garden

Potato maincrop [V]

Planted 04.12 Vistabile yew bed
Bought 01.12 ;Cara' at Studley Grn G.C. for £2.75 a net .... tubers [V,B]
02.12 'Maris Piper' atHenry Street G.C. 24 @ 1Kg for £ .
The potato has been grown in South America for 7000 years and was brought over to Europe in the 16th century by Spanish explorers. It was not until the 18th century that it began to be accepted as a nutritious staple food item and people began to learn how to grow potatoes.

The humble potato has had to battle against many prejudices over the years - it was not eaten by some because it wasn't mentioned in the Bible, others blamed potatoes for causing leprosy and tuberculosis. The English even thought it led to lust, currently many blame this vegetable for causing obesity.

How to Grow Potatoes

The only question you need to ask yourself when deciding on how to grow potatoes is, "which type should I grow." The choice is between 'Earlies' and 'Maincrops'. Earlies will provide new potatoes in summer and Maincrop varieties will provide tubers for storage during the winter months.

A good rule-of-thumb, if space is limited plant the Earlies variety of potato for summer eating and where you have plenty of space then grow Earlies and Maincrop varieties for summer eating and winter storage.

How to Grow Potatoes - Soil Details

Choose a sunny position with as little shade as possible and is free from frost pockets.

Potatoes can be grown in virtually all soil types. Dig in plenty of well rotted compost or manure in the autumn if none has been added for a previous crop. This will lighten heavy soils and give body to lighter ones helping to prevent the leaching of nutrients.

Rake in a general fertilizer 2 weeks before planting potatoes. Do not add lime - growing potatoes like a soil pH of just under 6... slightly acidic.

Experienced gardeners who know how to grow potatoes don't plant them in the same ground in successive years but leave 2-3 seasons before planting potatoes again. This stops the build-up of pests and diseases which can affect the crop badly. This also applies to growing potatoes where tomatoes have been planted - the potato belongs to the same family.

How to Grow Potatoes - Chitting

Before planting your potatoes - 'chit' them - It`s a simple process of allowing shoots to grow from the 'rose' end where the most 'eyes' are situated... usually the widest end - the seed potatoes need to be about the size of How to Grow Potatoesa hens egg.

The eyes being the point where the shoots will emerge. This is how to grow potatoes to effectively add a few weeks to the growing season (and is vital for Early potatoes) and will benefit Maincrop potatoes.

Set out the potato tubers in egg trays or, if you have a large number, into shallow boxes with about 25mm(1") of dry peat in the base - rose end pointing upwards.

Don't worry if you set them out wrong way up and the shoots look a bit distorted and weak - just rub off the shoots with your finger and place them back again the correct way up, and these vegetables will sprout again. Research has shown that the sprouts can be removed several times and the sprouts will grow back.

Carrying out this process means you will need to buy your seed potatoes early - 6 weeks before planting time. Place the boxes in a light (not sunny) but frost-free room.

The room should not be warm as your aim is to grow sturdy shoots about 25mm(1") long and not weak, spindly growth. Once your potatoes have chitted and are ready for planting do not remove any of these sprouted shoots.

How to Grow Potatoes - Planting Out -

The usual method of planting potatoes is to dig a V-shaped trench or drill about 13cm(5") deep in your prepared seed bed. Alternatively if the soil is reasonably light it may save you time to make a hole with a dibber or some such tool and carefully drop the potato in.

Plant maincrop varieties in mid to late April.

For Maincrop varieties the drills need to be 75cm(30") apart - they make more top and root growth. Along the drills, maincrop potatoes are spaced 38cm(15") apart.

Carefully plant the seed potatoes with the rose-end uppermost - rejecting and destroying any diseased vegetables. After planting out the potatoes along the drill, cover each one with a handful of peat or fine soil to protect the shoots - they snap off easily - as you fill in the drill or hole. The seed potatoes should end up with a covering of approximately 8cm(3") of soil.
[Source: http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com/how-to-grow-potatoes.html ]