Potato Tubers Mark Start of Spring!

February 8, 2019 / Emma Emmerson

The new gardening season has now officially started! How do I know? Because our delivery of seed potatoes has arrived.

It may seem very early but many potatoes can be planted in March – May, and even earlier if you are growing in a polytunnel or in a greenhouse.

Chitting potatoes (encouraging them to sprout before planting) can lead to an earlier harvest than planting directly into the ground. This is done by placing the seed potatoes into an open container such as an egg box, in a light, airy and frost free position.

Traditionally potatoes have been planted in the garden around Easter time, by chitting the potatoes they will grow shoots and be ready for planting out from late March or earlier if in a frost free environment.

Tips for planting;

  • Dig 5″ deep trenches
  • Enriched with well-rotted manure, chicken manure pellets or other potato fertiliser
  • Taking care not to damage the chitted shoots
  • When the leaves start to emerge draw the earth up the sides of the plants using a draw hoe (covering the leaves)
  • This will protect against late frosts and prevent light from reaching the growing potato tubers, and will encourage a higher yield
  • Remember to water the plants regularly during dry spells
  • Potatoes are ready for harvest in around 10 weeks

Scottish Grown First Early Potatoes available are:

Arran Pilot – A white fleshed variety with a firm waxy texture which holds together when cooked, making it a good “new” potato variety. Plant in March to harvest in July.

Athlete – Good crops of small pale yellow fleshed potatoes. A good salad potato with excellent flavour. Plant in March/April to harvest in July/August.

Duke of York – A popular variety in the Borders with a dry mealy texture and is excellent for baking. Plant in March/April to harvest in July/August.

Epicure – The original “Ayrshire new potato” and has a deep cream skin and white flesh. Great for boiling or for baking. Plant in March/April to harvest in July/August.

International Kidney – When grown on Jersey this potato is known around the world as the Jersey Royal, and is one of the best flavoured new potatoes. Quick to mature, this potato should be planted in March/April to harvest from June.

Maris Bard – A popular and widely grown variety with white waxy flesh. A good all rounder variety suitable for boiling, chipping, mashing, roasting and baking. Plant in March/April to harvest in July/August.

Pentland Javelin – A white skinned, white waxy fleshed potato which makes a good boiled potato and great for salad use. Plant in March/April to harvest in July/August.

Rocket – A quick maturing variety suited to growing in containers or in potato bags, which reliably produces high yields. Good for boiling. Plant in March/April for harvest in June/July.

Sharpes Express – A pale yellow fleshed potato with a mealy texture which holds its shape well when cooked. An excellent potato for mashing. Plant in March/April for harvest in July/August.

Organic Colleen – Excellent blight resistance makes this a suitable variety for organic gardeners. A good all rounder, suitable for boiling, chipping and baking. Plant in March/April for harvest in July/August.

Scottish Grown Second Early Potatoes available are:

Catriona – A firm mealy textured potato good for chips and baking. Plant in March/April to harvest in August/September.

Charlotte – Our best selling variety which boils well to make an outstanding salad potato. Also makes a surprisingly good baked potato if left to grow bigger. Plant in March/April to harvest in August/September.

Nadine – With cream flesh and a moist waxy texture, producing high yields. Good for boiling and for baking, and stores right through the winter. Good blight resistance. Plant in March/April to harvest in August/September. (One of our personal favourites).

Wilja – A firm, dry textured all rounder suitable for all cooking uses, but particularly useful as a baking potato. Plant in March/April to harvest in August/September.

MORE SECOND EARLY VARIETIES WILL BE AVAILABLE IN MARCH

The Scottish grown maincrop variety currently available are:

Pink Fir Apple – Producing bumper crops of knobbly long tubers with a firm flesh and strong flavour. Good drought resistance. Excellent new and salad potato that stores well. Great for chips, although they can be strangely shaped! Plant in March/April to harvest in September/October. (Another firm favourite).

Please note that we sell all the above varieties in nets, and we can also sell them as individual tubers, meaning you can buy as many, or as few as you like. Also, we will have more maincrop varieties available in March.

There are also “Taster Packs” available (in packs of 10 tubers), of the following varieties for you to try:

Carlingford – This is a second early variety which is suitable for all round use in the kitchen. It has good disease resistance and is an excellent variety for containers or potato bag planting. Plant in March/April to harvest July/September.

Inca Bella – A maincrop variety with a creamy texture and a nutty flavour, and with a speckled red skin. Good for baking and roasting. Plant in March/April to harvest August/September.

Sarpo Kifli – A maincrop variety from the Sarpo breeding programme which has excellent blight resistance. Unusually for a maincrop type it cooks fine new and salad potatoes. Plant in March/April and harvest July/September (8 tubers per pack).

Highland Burgundy – A maincrop variety with red skin and red flesh inside a white ring. Good for mashing and for chips. Plant in March/April to harvest in September/October.

There’s nothing like home grown potatoes and as always we are happy to offer our expert advice.