Growing Potatoes, Seed Potatoes and how to grow them |
Potatoes are best grown from certified seed potatoes.
Potatoes like to grow in a deep rich soil, plant seedling potatoes in a trench and as they grow pile the earth up around them. This stops the potatoes from being exposed to light and going green. (Green potatoes can upset the stomach, so avoid them) This process also helps produce more potatoes as they tend to form on roots near the surface, as you pile up the soil, new roots, new potatoes, more potatoes.... Try a good organic fertilizer, blood and bone, seaweed extract, fish or liquid comfrey. Keep the water up and away you go.
Potatoes can also be grown in stacks of old car tyres, plant the seed potatoes at the bottom, let them grow to about 50cm, place a tyre over the top and add 8cm of soil, let hem grow a little more, add some more soil, add another tyre and so on, in the end a stack of potatoes.Once the lower leaves start to die back its time to harvest the potatoes. You can harvest all of them at once or from the top down a tyre at a time. This process can aslo work with other tube like structures. If you plan to store your potatoes, cut off the foliage and let the potatoes rest in the ground for 3-4 weeks to allow the skin to 'set', they keep longer this way. Store in a dark, cool, well ventilated spot. For a great article on growing potatoes visit DPIW Tasmania
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Roasting Potatoes include: Arran, Royal Blue,
Cara,
Celine,
Desiree,
Maxine,
Picasso,
Ruby Lou,
Romano,
King Edward,
Kondor,
Maris Piper,
Stemster and
Valor.
For Chip Potatoes try: Nadine,Kestrel, King Edward, Desiree, Kennebec.
For Boiling Potatoes try: Nadine, Dutch Cream Kestrel, Desiree, King Edward.
For Mashing Potatoes try: Kestrel, Nadine, King Edward, Tasmanian Pinkeye.
For Salad Potatoes try: Nicola, Tasmanian Pinkeye, Ponfine.
For something different try: Sapphire, with purple flesh it looks great mashed and roasted. |
