How we Plant Potatoes on the Farm and Seasonal Recipe Ideas for Your Veggie Box
Choosing a potato variety We used to grow a lot of different varieties of potatoes. However now we grow one at a time, currently Nicola which is a great all-rounder. It also depends which seed potatoes we can easily get hold of in large enough quantities. It is important to only plant seed potatoes to ensure you don't introduce disease to your farm or garden. Planting potatoes We amend our soil with dolomite lime and add potash. Then we fork the soil with a garden fork to make a loose furrow and plant our potatoes 30cm apart, with 2 rows per bed. After the potatoes have come up we put a layer of compost on top as the first hilling, then if necessary we add more compost or sugarcane mulch as the potatoes grow. Potential problems Drainage is very important when growing potatoes, especially in our clay soil. We try not to plant when heavy rain is forecast, and we ensure that our beds are raised and any drainage ditches are clear. This ensures the potatoes don't rot in the soil before they have a chance to shoot. Another possible issue is failing to properly hill potatoes and keep weeds at bay. Un-hilled potatoes will turn green in the sun as they grow. Remember that potatoes produce new tubers from the stem that grows above the seed potato you plant, so you need to keep covering that stem, just leaving a few leaves above the soil. Weeds are a problem as they compete for nutrients and shade out growing spuds, as well as reducing airflow around the leaves causing fungal issues. Apart from this, potatoes are relatively pest and disease free in our climate and easy to grow. Still to come Next time I will talk about growing peas. This week's recipe links Lentil Tabbouleh from Lentils. Spanakopita Pasta from BlueZones. Pea & Leek Supergreen Tart from BBC Good Food. Kale Salad from Love & Lemons. More info To read more about what's happening on our local organic farm this week as we grow and care for veggies for our box delivery, check out this week's newsletter here.