Ireland has a long history with potatoes but we haven't lost any of our love for the humble spud and we go through a whopping 455,000 tonnes of them each year. We chip them, mash them, cube them, roast them and pretty much will find any excuse to put them in a meal. They are also one of the most easy things to grow as a beginner gardener as they need very little maintenance and can be grown nearly anywhere that there is enough soil.
January is a time for chitting potatoes. What this means is getting your seed potatoes ready to go in the ground and is a very simple task.
Firstly choose which type you want to grow. We have earlies and maincrops. Earlies will take about 14 weeks to mature after planting whereas maincrops take a little longer at around 18 to 20 weeks. A few of the earliest varieties that should be available for chitting now are, Orla, Solist and Home Guard.
Once you have chosen your variety simply place them in open egg cartons in a light and cool place where they can remain undisturbed for around 4-5 weeks. They should get little root shoots sprouting out all over. Once they reach around 4-5cm in length they are ready for planting.
Try not to plant them before the main frost has passed. The range of places you can plant potatoes is massive. As long as you have a patch of soil at least a foot deep they will thrive. The main thing to be aware of is to not plant them in water logged soil and you will be fine. Even a bucket will do! Once you have tilled your soil and removed any weeds you can place your chitted potatoes about 10-15cm down and around 30cm apart. Be aware if you are using a bucket you may only get a couple in there. As they grow they may rise up out of the soil a bit so just keep topping them up as needed.
If you plant them now you can expect your first crop to be ready towards the end of March or mid April. Salad potatoes are perfect for this and you can't quite beat the excitement of digging up and finding your first spring spud!
As a general guide here are some varieties and what their strengths are;
Records maincrop are one of the most popular potato varieties grown in Ireland. They can be planted in late April and harvested from August to October. Records are a popular choice for making crisps and frying because of their high dry matter.
Kerrs pinks are resistant to diseases. They give good yields, sown from April onwards and harvested late into Autumn. They are a versatile all rounder that are great for boiling, steaming, mashing, roasting and baking.
British queen seed potatoes are grown for their floury texture and high yields. Perfect for boiling, mashing and roasting, they are a good all rounder in the kitchen.
So start now and get those potatoes in the ground, the pride you will feel when harvesting and eating your own cannot be beaten, not to mention the piece of mind you get from knowing exactly where your food is coming from :)
Sophie X
