Imagine serving up your home-grown potatoes on Christmas Day – what could be more delicious?
Buy specially prepared autumn potato tubers, which don’t need to be “chitted “(sprouted) before planting as they will go into warm summer soil conditions. Plant potato tubers as soon as possible after purchase.
Follow our instructions so that you have early potatoes ready to eat 12 weeks after planting!
Growing Indoors (ideally in a greenhouse, frost-free conservatory or bright porch)
Keep adding compost as the new stems start growing, until the container is nearly full (leaving a couple of inches at the top so you can still water easily)
The potatoes should be ready to harvest around 12 weeks after planting (once they have flowered is a sign that they are ready)
You can leave the potatoes in the container until needed, for around a month, removing the foliage which will yellow and die and can be composted
Growing Outdoors
If planting in the open ground, dig in well-rotted organic matter and a general fertiliser such as Vitax Q4 or Growmore
Plant potatoes in a narrow trench 10-13cm (4-5”) deep, 20-23cm (8-9”) apart in a row, with rows 50cm (20”) apart
When the plants reach 10cm (4”) carefully draw earth up the sides of the plant to exclude light and encourage more potatoes to grow from the covered stems
When the leaves die down in September or October, remove and compost it
You can leave the potatoes in the ground until Christmas in sheltered areas or where soils are light – pile earth up over the rows of potatoes and cover with straw as added insulation
If your soil is heavy or you live in a colder area, lift the tubers by the end of October and store in coarse sand or soil in a frost-free place (like a shed or garage) until you need them
And that is it, it really is as simple as that! Know you know, be sure to take a look at our range of potatoes online by clicking here - happy growing!
