Planting Potatoes

Planting Potatoes in the garden


Growing potatoes in soil is still the most common and popular way to grow potatoes.



There are 5 different types of soil throughout the UK and some potatoes grow better in different soil types than others.



LOAM- A loamy soil is the ideal blend of clay and sand. It has the advantage of two types and none of their disadvantages. The presence of sand allows the water to percolate through quickly and the presence of the clay helps to keep the soil moist.



CLAY- This a smooth silky soil to touch and even when it is well drained it is inclined to be cold and wet. This type of soil should be worked in the autumn and left over the winter to break down.



SANDY- A sandy soil is light and easy to cultivate with a fork. It is a warm soilbecause it accepts the sun's rays much more easily. Sandy soils require plenty of organic matter as they are low in plant nutrients.



PEATY SOIL- Some times referred to as mossland peaty soil can become waterlogged and contain very little plant food but plenty organic matter. Fertilizers must be used with this soil type to maximise results.



LIMEY SOILS- Chalky or limey soil is usually shallow. It is lacking in humus and plant food, such soils are dry and sticky and unpleasant to cultivate when wet. Plants growing in these conditions can often suffer from stunted growth and lime induced chlorosis. Growing potatoes in limey soils is not highly recommended.



(See "Planting Potatoes")

To prepare your soil you should try and add organic matter in the back end of the previous year and this will give it time to break down over the winter and will add essential feeding to your soil.



Most potatoes are planted in the UK after mid March so as to avoid frosts, although this is not always the case. In the South of England it is possible to plant potatoes from the middle of February, whereas in the North of Scotland it is normal to plant potatoes in mid April.



To work out how many potatoes you will need for your garden or allotment, I would normally say for first earlies that you would give them a square foot per potato, and for second earlies and maincrops you should give them a square foot and a half per potato.



That should now make it easy for you to measure the area you wish to plant with potatoes and work out how many potatoes are needed.



Your potato bed should be turned over at least 1 week before you wish to plant your potatoes. A good garden fork can make this job a lot easier or maybe you can borrow or hire a rotovator.



Dig a simple trench the width of your shovel and 6inches deep before adding some fertilizer to the bottom of the trench. There are many good fertilizers that you can buy but make sure they are proper balanced potato fertilizers, as a general purpose fertilizer will not do the job.



Once you have added the fertilizer to the trench then simply fork the fertilizer into the bottom of the trench so that the soil is nice and loose below where the potatoes will be situated. Now that the trench is prepared you can add the potatoes to the trench.



Space your first earlies about 8-10 inches apart. Second earlies can be space 10-12 inches apart. Maincrops can be planted 12-15inches apart. Once you have planted your potatoes you can simply back fill the trench until the soil is level once again.



As the potato haulms grow you can ridge up the sides of the trench so that it forms a peak. This will allow the potatoes to grow upwards and prevent them from turning green and inedible.

Potato Day 2011 At Gardenwise

We will again be holding our annual potato day at Gardenwise of Dumfries. Gardenwise is one of the top garden centres in the area and offers everything you could need for your garden. They will have the biggest display of varieties in the Region on Sunday the 6th of March.

Medwyn Williams MBE and 11 times gold medal winner at Chelsea will again be attending on the Sunday to give a talk about how to grow top quality vegetables.

It should be another great day there and we are all looking forward to it.

The doors open at 10am and there will be talks going on through the day and you will be able to ask any of us any questions that you may have.

My Favourite Potatoes

Here are a list of my favourite potatoes. You might never of heard of some of these but they are well worth a try.
http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/express-shopping-list/arran-pilot-p22.html
http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/express-shopping-list/blue-belle-p243.html
http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/express-shopping-list/british-queen-p119.html
http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/express-shopping-list/blue-kestrel-p282.html
http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/express-shopping-list/charlotte-p34.html
http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/express-shopping-list/dunluce-p17.html
http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/express-shopping-list/harlequin-p342.html
http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/express-shopping-list/purple-eyed-seedling-p279.html
http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/express-shopping-list/ulster-classic-p205.html

I will be growing these potatoes this year in my garden and I am looking forward to the results.

Seed Potato Catalogue - Boiling Potatoes

Seed Potato Catalogue - Boiling Potatoes

Boiling potatoes is still the main use for any potato. All first earlies are suited to boiling straight from your garden. Here are a selection hand picked by us for you to grow in your garden. Read our guide about boiling potatoes. More info...
Wash your potatoes and give them a good scrub so that you remove all dirt from the skins. If there are any skin imperfections then you can remove them with your nail or a sharp knife.
Place your potatoes into a pan and fill the pan with cold water so that the potatoes are just covered over by the water.
Place the potatoes onto a hot oven ring and bring to the boil. Once your water is boiling then you should reduce the heat and allow the potatoes to simmer in the pan. Keep an eye on your potatoes and check every 5 minutes with a fork to see if they are ready. It normally takes 25 minutes for medium sized potatoes to boil and can take upto 40 minutes for larger potatoes.
Use your fork to jab the potatoes and if the potatoes are easy to get the fork into then they are ready to be removed from the pan and served.
You now have the choice to serve the potatoes with the skins on which contain all the good nutrients of the potato or to serve them skinless.

Seed Potato Catalogue - Baked potatoes

Seed Potato Catalogue - Baked potatoes

Jamieson Brothers have selected a great selection of potatoes for you to grow in your garden that will make excellent baking potatoes. The ideal potato for baking should be a large floury variety that grows easily to a large size. Nothing beats the smell and taste of a baked potato when served with a touch of salt and lashings of butter. More info...
To make perfect baked or jacket potatoes you will need to use some large potatoes. You will also need some vegetable oil, some butter and a small amount of salt.
The first thing you should do is pre-heat your oven to approx 180c as this will help speed up the process.
Give your potatoes a good clean under a running tap of cold water so that you remove all traces of soil and then gently dry them with some kitchen towel.
The next important step is to pierce the potatoes several times all over with a fork to stop the potatoes going soft and soggy. This allows moisture to escape during the cooking process and keeps the potatoe dry and fluffy inside.
You can now either brush your vegetable oil onto your potatoes or place them in a bowl and roll the potatoes in the oil before adding a sprinkle of salt to the skin of each potato you wish to bake.
Now that you have added the oil and salt you can place then into your oven on a wire rack. Most people have a cooking tray lined with tin foil place below the potatoes so that any drippings that occur during baking are caught in the tray below.
It will take approx 1 hour for your potatoes to bake in the oven and you will soon see that they have gone lovely and crispy golden brown. At this stage you should remove them from the oven to prepare them for serving.
You can now slit the potatoes length wise and width wise to make a cross shape in the potatoes before serving them with anything you like to add to them. Most people like to add cheese or butter to their baked jacket potatoes.
You have now made perfect baked potatoes to serve to your friends and family.