This Potato Kit is perfect for first-time growers looking to start growing their own potatoes without needing much space. Potatoes are an excellent choice for those looking to fill gaps in their growing season and add to their pantry staples. The kit includes 1kg of Potato Charlotte, 1kg of Potato Vivaldi, and 5 potato growing bags, ideal for patio gardening! Potato Charlotte: A late-first early variety that yields medium-sized, oval tubers. These potatoes have a waxy texture when young, making them perfect for serving hot or cold. Known for their good resistance to blight and scab, they are a fantastic choice for beginners. Colour: Pale yellow. Shape: Long oval. Best for boiling, steaming, or sautéing. Salad Type. Potato Vivaldi: This variety produces high yields of potatoes that are lower in carbohydrates and calories, making them ideal for those watching their waistlines. With a unique texture, they are incredibly versatile. Colour: White. Shape: Oval. Great for boiling, steaming, mashing, sautéing, baking, or roasting. Second Early. Our potato growing bags offer a simple and space-saving way to grow potatoes on your patio. These sturdy black/grey bags hold 8 liters of compost and can be reused year after year, folding flat for easy storage over the winter. The dark colouring keeps light away from developing tubers, promoting healthy growth, and helps absorb heat to give your potatoes a strong start in the spring. After trials, we now recommend planting a single tuber per 8-litre bag, which has shown a 186% increase in yield! Bag dimensions: 8" x 11". We ensure the freshest, earliest-lifted tubers are shipped starting in December, providing top-quality stock for our customers. We suggest storing your potatoes in a cool, dark place until you're ready to chit them.
Planting Potatoes are easy! They will yield a worthwhile crop under a wide range of conditions. Traditional winter digging incorporating well-rotted farmyard manure and trenching in more manure or fertiliser in spring undoubtedly produces the best crop but is very hard work! Why not try for reasonable yields with less effort? Loams and light soils don’t need digging. Natural organic manures or composts can be placed in contact with the seed potatoes in a shallow trench. High potash chemical fertiliser can be placed on the surface after the tubers have been buried using a trowel or a bulb planter. A potato fertiliser can be raked into the soil during seed bed preparations. Plant early varieties 7–10cm (3–4") deep, 30cm (12") apart, and about 45cm (18") between rows. Second earlies generally need a little more space while main crop varieties are traditionally planted 37cm (15") apart with 67cm (27") between rows. Large varieties like King Edward benefit from even more room, up to 45cm (18") apart. Lightly fork between the rows to loosen the soil. If planting salads and you like a lot of smaller potatoes then plant closer together, only 25cm (10") apart. For high yielding maincrop potatoes a wider drill of approximately 75cm (30") will ensure minimal exposure to light and consequential greening.
Growing - Earth up the rows 2 or 3 times using a rake or draw hoe before the foliage gets too extensive. This provides enough soil cover to prevent tuber greening and is very effective in controlling weeds. Water well in long dry spells this is especially important when the tubers are swelling. If you water 10 days after emergence when the tubers are forming you minimise the risk of blight. It is important not to over water.
Harvesting - Earlies are ready 9–12 weeks from planting. Open flowers, if present, indicate that the first tubers are present underneath. Main crops take 14 weeks or more to mature. After natural die-back (or the removal of the foliage if blight has taken hold) leave the potatoes for 2–3 weeks in the ground to set firm skin ready for storage. As soon as skin is set lift the crop because the underground slugs are usually at their most active at the end of the season. The best test for size is to scrape away some soil. Start using when small for the delicious early potato flavour. Kids love small potatoes!
