Yates Stories – Seed Potatoes
Yates Stories – Seed Potatoes
When you think of Irish cuisine, potatoes come to mind and home grown spuds always taste so much better than store bought ones. Best of all you can grow unique varieties that are harder to find at the shops.
Seed potatoes aren’t actually seeds but rather tubas, just like small potatoes. Always make it a rule to use certified seed potatoes and that way you will not get a build up of diseases.
If you live in a cooler region it is best to wait until late winter or early spring before you get stuck into your planting, that way it will reduce the risk of young shoots being damaged by frost.
The planting needs to be done in well prepared soil with some organic matter such as compost, well rotted manure and Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food to provide those slow release nutrients and promote good soil activity.
Dig holes 10-15cm deep and plant the tubas with the potato eyes pointing upwards. Apply a complete fertiliser such as Yates Thrive Granular All Purpose in liberal quantities, about 200g per plant to get them off to a great start. As the plants grow keep breaking the soil up around the tubas to form a mound. This prevents light reaching the tubas preventing them from turning green.
Make sure the water is kept up particularly during flowering and immediately after when the tubas are still developing. It also helps to give them a good layer of straw to help conserve moisture.
If you don’t have a lot of space you can grow spuds in containers. Fast maturing early varieties like Nicola are ideal and when it comes to a container you want at least 30cm wide and 30 cm deep with some really good drainage holes at the bottom. Use a good quality potting mix like Yates Thrive Premium Potting Mix that has great drainage and you may even want to add in some Yates Dynamic Lifter. You will be able to fit 2-3 seed potatoes in a pot of this size. Cover the tubas with at least 10-20cm of growing mix, as the potato shoots grow keep adding more potting mix to stop the light from reaching the young spuds. You can also give a good dose of liquid feed such as Yates Thrive Concentrate Tomato food.
In just a few months you will be enjoying your own fresh crop of potatoes!
Garden Express Offer
Certified seed potatoes save over 30%
1kg each of four great varieties Coliban, Sebago, Desiree and Nicola for $15. Order by Monday for free delivery call 1800 677 437 or visit www.gardenexpress.com.au
When you think of Irish cuisine, potatoes come to mind and home grown spuds always taste so much better than store bought ones. Best of all you can grow unique varieties that are harder to find at the shops.
Seed potatoes aren’t actually seeds but rather tubas, just like small potatoes. Always make it a rule to use certified seed potatoes and that way you will not get a build up of diseases.
If you live in a cooler region it is best to wait until late winter or early spring before you get stuck into your planting, that way it will reduce the risk of young shoots being damaged by frost.
The planting needs to be done in well prepared soil with some organic matter such as compost, well rotted manure and Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food to provide those slow release nutrients and promote good soil activity.
Dig holes 10-15cm deep and plant the tubas with the potato eyes pointing upwards. Apply a complete fertiliser such as Yates Thrive Granular All Purpose in liberal quantities, about 200g per plant to get them off to a great start. As the plants grow keep breaking the soil up around the tubas to form a mound. This prevents light reaching the tubas preventing them from turning green.
Make sure the water is kept up particularly during flowering and immediately after when the tubas are still developing. It also helps to give them a good layer of straw to help conserve moisture.
If you don’t have a lot of space you can grow spuds in containers. Fast maturing early varieties like Nicola are ideal and when it comes to a container you want at least 30cm wide and 30 cm deep with some really good drainage holes at the bottom. Use a good quality potting mix like Yates Thrive Premium Potting Mix that has great drainage and you may even want to add in some Yates Dynamic Lifter. You will be able to fit 2-3 seed potatoes in a pot of this size. Cover the tubas with at least 10-20cm of growing mix, as the potato shoots grow keep adding more potting mix to stop the light from reaching the young spuds. You can also give a good dose of liquid feed such as Yates Thrive Concentrate Tomato food.
In just a few months you will be enjoying your own fresh crop of potatoes!
Garden Express Offer
Certified seed potatoes save over 30%
1kg each of four great varieties Coliban, Sebago, Desiree and Nicola for $15. Order by Monday for free delivery call 1800 677 437 or visit www.gardenexpress.com.au
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