Plant Type

First thing you need to decide is what kind of potato you want grow. The easiest way to do that is by deciding what kind of potato you want to be eating. There are different varieties.

Timing

Potatoes can be planted once the risk of frost has passed.

There are 3 main types of potato. Early, Main Crop, and Salad – and when they’re ready is variety dependent. For example, Early Crops and Salad potatoes should mature within 3 months, and Main Crops within 6 months.

Location

Potatoes grow best in a warm sunny position. They won’t grow in the shade, or anywhere they need to compete for light and moisture. Shelter from strong wind is also good. The size of your potato garden depends on how many hungry mouths you’re feeding.

Soil

When it comes to soil – rich fertile soil is good. The richer the soil – the larger your potatoes.

To make sure your soil is fertile, you can add in some vegetable mix. Potatoes are really hungry plants so add a lot of it and also top up with some potato food – this’ll make sure you give them the best start.

Planting

You’ll be planting seed potatoes. Choose the variety you’d like to grow.

• Sprout your potatoes before planting. This is called ‘chitting’, and normally takes about a month. Place the seed potatoes in a warm dry, airy spot away from direct sunlight to start the growing process. When the sprouts turn dark purple, they’re ready for planting.
• Dig a trench about 45cm deep to prepare the soil. The length will depend on how many seed potatoes you’re planting, and they’ll need to be spaced about 45cm apart.
• Fill the trench with vegetable mix to the soil and mix it through well.
• Now clear the trench of your prepared soil.
• Sprinkle potato food into the trench.
• Place the seed potatoes 45cm apart in the bottom of the trench.
• Cover each seed potato with a mound of your soil, being careful not to damage the sprouts.
• As the plant grows, keep mounding the soil over the emerging leaves for as long as you can. Your trench will be filling up with more soil as you do this.
• This mounding helps produce abundant crops because new potatoes form on the underground stem, just above the seed potato that you planted.

Watering

Potatoes can tolerate reasonably dry conditions, but in very dry weather they’ll need regular watering.

Feeding

Feed every 3-4 weeks with potato food - it’s formulated with the right NPK ratio. Nitrogen (N) for foliage, Phosphorous (P) for root growth, and Potassium (K) for fruit and flowering. Potato food has a higher mix of P & K for healthy tuber production and plant growth. If fed regularly, with the right mix, your plants will produce more fruit, and be more disease resistant.

Pests & Disease

Look out for the below pests or diseases. If you spot any of these just head in store and we’ll sort you out with the right product. If you’re not sure what you’ve looking at – just take a photo, and bring it in.

Harvesting

• Early Crops will be ready as soon as the first flowers appear, and your Main Crops will be ready when the foliage dies off.
• To dig them up, gently use a fork and your hands to lift the plants and potatoes – being really careful not to damage them. Because damaged potatoes won’t store well.
• Store in a cool, dark place like a sack or paper bag - away from light. Don’t store them in the fridge, as they’ll lose their flavour.