Quick Tips on Growing Early Potatoes

• Aim for crops of new potatoes to lift  in May-July from the varieties list below.
• Buy small tubers of seed potato from your garden centre or mail order
• Encourage sprouting,  ‘chitting’, by placing the potatoes in a cool light place with the bud eyes facing upwards. For a small number you can stand them in old egg boxes. You are aiming to get short, strong shoots at the rose end. If there are too many shoots I rub off some of the surplus to channel energy.
• Plant out in mid February- March into organically rich, fertilised soil about a foot apart.
• You may wish to try growing in a special potato sack or barrel where you can add soil as the plant grows to save earthing up.
• Choose varieties that have a subtle flavour and a good waxy texture such as ‘Accent’
• For a floury potato try ‘Red Duke of York’ or old varieties Pentland Javelin, Maris Bard or Arran Pilot
• Untried very early varieties include Rocket, Winston and Lady Christl for more varieties try Top Veg
• Eat new potatoes as soon as they are picked and take care they do not go into the water.

Potatoes at Amazon