Grow your own - Seed Potatoes
Growing your own Potatoes is really easy and super satisfying. They also taste amazing!
Ever fancied growing your own potatoes? Well now is your chance. Here at Stonefield Farm Shop, we have two types of seed potatoes available for you to buy. Don't know how to grow potatoes? Let us tell you how.
Prepare your seed potatoes
Place your potatoes in a tray lined with newspaper with the "rose" end of each potato pointing upwards. The "rose" end is where you see a group of eyes or shoots. If you have an old egg tray, this is ideal to keep them upright. Alternatively, roll up newspaper to place in between to keep potatoes upright and from touching each other.
Place in an airy position, with a temperature of around 10 degrees C.
When the potatoes produce shoots, remove all but the top 4 (just rub them off with your fingers). Shoots should be dark in colour as this indicates strong growth. Ideal sprout length for planting is around 2.5cm/1 inch, but this isn't essential.
Planting your seed potatoes
Dig a row 6" deep, preferably running north-south for maximum sun. For "earlies" plant your potatoes 12" apart. For "mains" plant 15" apart. We prepare our rows with some manure mixed with slug pellets with a sprinkling of soil on top. Then the potato, then cover with soil. As the plants appear through the soil, keep covering up with soil, called "earthing up".
Harvesting your potatoes
Earlies are ready around 10-12 weeks from the time of planting, Second Earlies around 13 weeks and Main Crop 15 weeks. My granddad used to say they were usually ready around 2 weeks after the plant flowered. Grab your fork and dig up the whole plant and surrounding area to make sure you get all your crop.
Containers for potatoes
Can potatoes be grown in containers? Yes they can. I've done them in potato bags, old compost bags, but they can also be grown in bottomless wooden boxes. There is a great blog from Good Housekeeping on different ways to grow potatoes - here.
Where to buy seed potatoes?
Here at Stonefield Farm Shop, we have two different varieties of First Early seed potatoes. Both are Scottish varieties.
Casablanca (white) - This produces a clean, smooth white potato which is very versatile being able to chip, boil, mash or roast!
Red Duke of York (red) - This is a heritage potato bred in 1942 with an excellent flavour. It is a good all rounder, but stand out when boiled or in a potato salad. It has a deep red skin, with yellow fluffy interior.
Pop in and grab yourself some seed potatoes today while stocks last...
