Garden Doctor > Potatoes
Q Can I just plant a few potatoes that have started to sprout in my fridge?
A Potatoes are susceptible to a number of serious plant diseases so it is VERY important to plant tubers that are certified to be free of pests and diseases. The only way to guarantee this is to buy them from a reputable supplier like Unwins. Although potatoes that you have grown or saved from the vegetable drawer will probably grow they are unlikely to give very good results and lay your garden open to a range of potential problems that are simply not worth the risk.
Q I’m a bit confused by all the different types of seed potatoes, what’s best to grow?
A If you are new to growing potatoes then choose to grow one or two varieties that mature early. These are called First Earlies. Look out for the grass-green coded packs of seed potatoes from Unwins at your local garden centre. They are colour coded to help you choose potatoes that mature at the right time. If you are new to growing potatoes these are the most rewarding ones to grow as they will be ready when new potatoes are expensive in the shops and mature before many potential potato pest and disease problems, such as Potato Blight that can be troublesome in wet summers and in certain areas. Look out for First Early varieties such Rocket, Arran Pilot and Foremost.
First Earlies also tend to make smaller plants and so take up less space in the garden, an important consideration if growing space is limited.
Look out for the NEW ‘Try These for £1.99’ packs (1kg) of seed potatoes. Just one pack will give you a handsome crop and allow you to try growing spuds for the first time. It also enables you to choose a number of different potato varieties to mature at different times.
If you really can’t decide then choose Arran Pilot. It’s a great choice for the first new potatoes of the year. It’s quick to crop and is ideal to grow in large pots and containers or where space is limited. What’s more it’s resistant to common potato problems.
It’s also easy to prepare for cooking and makes a lovely salad potato. Arran Pilot has a delicious sweet, new potato flavour and firm white flesh. Plus, it’s the nation’s favourite garden variety.
Q Can I plant potatoes later in the summer?
A Yes you can, in fact if you plant a few tubers of a Maincrop potato during July, August or even early September you can have fresh new potatoes for Christmas. Save a few seed potatoes of a late maturing variety such as Juliette, Charlotte or Maris Peer and plant them into deep containers of West+ Advanced Compost for all plants. You need to choose a big container, but remember that these plants are not frost hardy so you will have to bring the planter into a frost-free greenhouse when the first frosts threaten. Plant three seed potatoes per container and cover with a generous layer of compost. As the foliage appears keep covering it up with fresh compost until the container is full. Keep well watered and feed regularly with Westland Organic Tomato & Vegetable Plant Food.
Q My potato foliage has gone very dark and spotty, what’s the problem?
A Unfortunately it sounds like your potatoes have succumbed to Potato Blight, which is a devastating fungal problem that also affects tomatoes. It is often a problem when the spring is very damp and humid as this encourages the disease to spread.
Once infected there is little you can do to save your crop. Remove affected foliage as soon as it shows sighs and this will slow the movement of the disease to the tubers and may save your crop. Some experts recommend removing all potato foliage in late June or early July where Blight is a problem. Affected foliage must be removed and destroyed before you harvest the potatoes.
It is essential to remove every tuber from the ground to prevent the disease overwintering to affect next year’s crop. Do not compost affected material, as it will spread the disease around the garden.
Next year choose potato varieties that show some resistance to potato blight and grow First early varieties that tend to mature before blight problems take hold.
Q My new potatoes are full of holes and have tiny little black slugs all over them, what can I do to stop this happening again?
A Slugs are a common pest of potatoes, especially in heavy soils. You can achieve fast and effective control of slugs by using Westland Slug Buster, a slug pellet that attracts and poisons these garden pests. Apply them sparingly around your potato plants in spring to prevent them attacking the developing tubers. In future grow first early potato varieties that are harvested in late spring and early summer and do not spend weeks in the soil risking attack from slugs.
Q Can I store new potatoes?
A New potatoes do not store well for long periods and will tend to sprout and turn green fairly quickly. It is better to dig them up as you need them and to leave the plants maturing in the soil. Next year grow a few different potato varieties that mature in succession so that you do not have a glut of one particular variety. Don’t be tempted to eat green potatoes as they can cause stomach upsets. Excess potatoes can be stored in hessian or paper sacks in a cool dark place.
For further information on growing potatoes check out these links;
