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Seed potatoes - lots of questions?

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  • Seed potatoes - lots of questions?

    I have just got a bag of seed potatoes (first earlys) Pentland ?. There are 10 seeds in it. Can I space out the planting (when ready) by a few weeks to stagger the cropping period? Will I get a good crop from 5 + 5, ie enough for Me, OH and young son? When should I start with the preparation for the late varieties? I wasn't going to do anything with potatoes on my first attempt at a plot (I thought I could buy them just a cheap in the shops as we don't use that many) but thought I may as well give them a go if only to gain the experience.

  • #2
    Space them a foot apart in rows a foot apart so you can get along them to earth them up. Dig a 4" deep trench and lay it first with a a slow release fertiliser. then fill with Peat, plant potatos in this and it will keep the tubers clean. cover over and when the shoots are through earth up and add a top dressing of compost.

    If you want a heavy yield of big potatoes rub off all side eyes and just keep the top one. If you want lots of little ones keep all eyes on.

    You will get a good yield following this advice.

    Maincrop potatoes are very hungry and you should rough dig your plot now and add lots of a manure or compost. If you are on sandy soil, lay it on top and it will be drawn in naturally. If in Clay dig in as it will help the soil to break down. When planting follow the same rules as the earlies and spray with copper fungacide in July to stop Blight. If you do not spray you must dig maincrops up as the stems and leaves turn brown.

    When digging first earlies I take some as I need them after they have flowered you can keep them in the soil as long as you like so do not worry if you have a glut. I harvest mine from mid June to September.
    HTH
    Benacre.
    http://lowestoftnaturalist-benacre.blogspot.com/

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    • #3
      I would plant them all at the same time. I leave mine in the ground when they are ready and just dig up what we need for the next couple of meals.
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