I really need to get the rest of my potatoes in but as I write it's raining hard outside. I have got 2 varieties in.....Kestrel (coloured)and Winston (white) but still need to get Amour (coloured)/Nadine (white) and Maxine (coloured) in. We're away next weekend so if I don't manage it this coming week they'll never go in.
As I've mentioned before I grow my spuds in large pots or special bags (see pic). Each bag is filled to the top with sieved peat to which I add a sprinkle of seaweed meal and dried blood. The bags are then placed into a trench in the soil and soil is pushed around the sides of each bag to keep it in place. 2 potatoes are pushed down into the bottom of the bag and the whole lot watered well.
The idea is that the roots of the potato grow through the holes in the bottom of the bag into the soil, thereby benefitting from the soil nutrients also. As the actual swelling 'new' potatoes never come into contact with the soil as such, they will come out of the bag with superb, clean skins that require the minimum amount of washing for the show bench. As the haulms grow they'll need supporting with canes and string and any flowers that are produced will be pinched out so that all the plants energies go into producing large, shapely tubers.
Before planting each seed spud, I reduce the number of chitted shoots on each dependant on the variety. Maxine for instance always struggles to produce large spuds so I only leave one shoot on each. I leave all shoots on Winston as this produces large tubers quite easily.
As I've mentioned before I grow my spuds in large pots or special bags (see pic). Each bag is filled to the top with sieved peat to which I add a sprinkle of seaweed meal and dried blood. The bags are then placed into a trench in the soil and soil is pushed around the sides of each bag to keep it in place. 2 potatoes are pushed down into the bottom of the bag and the whole lot watered well.
The idea is that the roots of the potato grow through the holes in the bottom of the bag into the soil, thereby benefitting from the soil nutrients also. As the actual swelling 'new' potatoes never come into contact with the soil as such, they will come out of the bag with superb, clean skins that require the minimum amount of washing for the show bench. As the haulms grow they'll need supporting with canes and string and any flowers that are produced will be pinched out so that all the plants energies go into producing large, shapely tubers.
Before planting each seed spud, I reduce the number of chitted shoots on each dependant on the variety. Maxine for instance always struggles to produce large spuds so I only leave one shoot on each. I leave all shoots on Winston as this produces large tubers quite easily.
No comments:
Post a Comment