Potatoes are grouped according to their time of harvest for example: earlies, second earlies and maincrop.
The earlies produce a smaller yield, take up less space and are less likely to be affected by diseases.
The main crop take up a lot more space, but their dense foliage does provide excellent ground cover, restricting
light to annoying annual weeds.
In a simple crop rotation system, potatoes with there root family precede the cabbage family, which appreciates
the clean, well turned conditions in which this crop leaves the soil. They prefer an open site not overshadowed by
trees, walls or buildings. An application of manure or seaweed in the previous autumn would benefit the plants.
Potatoes are cultivated from sterile last seasons potatoe tubers, make sure you use sterile quality tubers, if
you use ordinary potatoes you run the risk of introducing diseases to the plot. When you buy the tubers they
will be dormant, they have to go through a process known as chitting. Place them in a clean box or tray -
old egg boxes are ideal - with the 'rose' end (the end where the tiny buds can be seen) upwards. Keep in a dark,
dry place until you see tiny shoots appearing, then move to a cool (8-10°C), light place. This process encourages
the tubers to produce strong, sturdy sprouts, and gives an earlier maturing crop. Tubers can safely stay in their trays
until planting conditions are right.
As the potato seed produce sprouts, remove all but the topmost four to ensure that they receive all the goodness of the seed potato.
The ideal sprout length at planting time is 2.5cm although this is not critical. What is critical, is that the sprouts are green and not
white coloured. White sprouts are caused by not enough light.
Early to mid-March is the ideal time to plant the sprouted potatoes in the open ground. Plant 'earlies' about 30cm apart from each other,
in rows which are 60 cm apart. Plant maincrop potatoes about 35cm (15in) apart, in rows which are 75cm apart. Where you are
planting more than one row, the rows should run from North to South to allow each plant it's full share of sun.
Dig a trench about 10cm deep, placing the potatoes in it with the sprouts pointing upwards. Hand fill the trench over the potatoes trying to
avoid damaging any sprouts.
Beware of frost damage in the early stages. If shoots emerge above the soil level and frost threatens,
draw a little soil from the bed edges over them. After the potatoes plants have grown to about 20cm pull up
the soil in between the rows around the plants leaving a few centimetres still showing. Repeat the exercise in two
to three weeks time.
Early potatoes are harvested before the plants mature, inspect young tubers periodically to see if they are ready,
remembering to cover with soil after as any sunlight on the tuber will turn them green, making them poisonous.
Main crop potatoes can be harvested when the plants turn yellow and die off. Harvest the potatoes by using a fork,
making sure the fork is not inserted too close to the plant.
