Versatile and easy to produce, potatoes are a great crop to start you off growing your own
For your veggie patch windowsill or in pots
Good old spuds are a kitchen staple, and growing your own lets you enjoy a better flavour and variety than anything you can buy in shops. As well as red and purple potatoes, there is a range of textures.
‘Earlies’ are new potatoes harvested in early summer that are lightly boiled or steamed. ‘Maincrops’ are larger spuds ready in late summer and autumn that can be cooked many different ways. ‘First earlies’ are planted in late March, and ‘second earlies’ in April.
Growing earlies is a good way to prevent disease, as is choosing a resilient variety. Reliable first earlies include Casablanca and Maris Bard; good second earlies include Charlotte and Kestrel; and Sunset and King Edward are excellent maincroppers. For moreish, nutty flavour, Ratte can be used as a second early or maincrop.
Order from a specialist supplier such as Tamar Organics or the Organic Gardening Catalogue for the best choice of seed potatoes.
If you want a very early crop, ‘chit’ earlies before planting. This involves sitting seed potatoes in egg trays on a bright, cool windowsill, with the ‘rose’ end (the end with the most dents) at the top, until they produce a few shoots.
Using the effective no-dig method, plant seed potatoes 5cm (2in) under the surface and 30-70cm (12-30in) apart, depending on the variety, rose ends (with the most shoots) at the top.
To protect potatoes, gradually ‘earth up’ through the growing season, which means heaping peat-free compost over the plants in a mound after they begin to shoot. This is important in cold regions or before a frost is forecast. Eventually, leave the top of the stems and foliage visible. You could further shield first earlies with fleece. Water regularly in summer.
Harvest earlies when the foliage pales or yellows, and harvest maincrops when the foliage dies back. Harvest on a dry day by gently pulling the stems; leave on the surface for a few hours to dry. Maincrops can be stored, but earlies are best eaten fresh, with lashings of butter.
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