how to grow potatoes

​Now is the perfect time to start thinking about whether you’d like to grow potatoes in the garden this spring.  They’re not hard to grow and everyone loves potatoes.  It takes awhile for seed potatoes to “chit”, that is, develop sprouts so they are ready for planting.  By obtaining the varieties you wish to plant this year now, there will be enough time to allow for this before planting them in spring.  If all goes well, you’ll be harvesting your own freshly dug potatoes for your table on Christmas day.  What could be better than that?

Growing tips

•          Always grow potatoes from certified seed potatoes purchased from your garden centre or via mail order catalogue companies such as Bulbs Direct and Awapuni, never from leftover potatoes in your pantry which have started to sprout.  Using certified seed potatoes ensures that potatoes will be true to type and most importantly free of diseases.  For peace of mind, it’s worth spending a bit of money to purchase seed potatoes
•          To ensure a continuous supply of potatoes throughout spring and summer, grow both early and main varieties if space permits.  Early varieties are generally ready in 60-90 days.  They are best boiled as baby new potatoes.  Early varieties don’t store well.  Main varieties take a bit longer to mature, generally 100-150 days.  They are suitable for roasting and baking.    Main varieties are suitable for storing.  If you want to store potatoes, leave them in the ground until the tops die down and then lift them.
•          My favourite early varieties are Swift, Liseta, Jersey Benne and Heather, all of which I am growing this year.   In particular, Liseta is notable for being a high yielder.  It’s possible to get 20g from planting a 1kg bag of seed potatoes.  For main crop varieties, you can’t go past the dependable Agria which has reliably high yields of large yellow potatoes.  I’m growing Summer Delight from Tui for the first time this year and will report back on how this fares later in the season
•          If it interests you, it is possible to find Maori and heritage potatoes such as the highly sought after Urenika and Pink Fir.  It’s best to source these early on as they tend to sell out quickly
•          If the TPP (Tomato Potato Psyllid)  is a problem in your area, it’s best to plant your potatoes early in the season so they are harvested by December, which is when the weather really warms up and the TPP becomes more of a problem in the garden
•          Select a sunny site for growing spuds.  Potatoes do best in full sun (at least 6 hours per day)
•          Potatoes are a great crop for breaking up the soil, making them ideal for growing in new garden beds where the soil is hard. 
•          Make sure you prepare the soil well.  I like to mix lots of compost, sheep pellets and general garden fertiliser into the ground prior to planting
•          Plant potatoes in long trenches.  Sprinkle a little granular potato fertiliser in the ground at the time of planting
•          You can line the trenches with comfrey leaves prior to planting potatoes.  It’s an organic method to prevent damage caused by the potato worm
•          I don’t normally mulch around potatoes as they grow but you can do so if you wish.  If you do, I strongly recommend using pea straw.  It’s a good way to add nitrogen to the soil and helps keep the weeds down
•          Liquid feed potatoes weekly as they grow.  You can either use a seaweed tonic such as Seasol or a soluble plant food such as Yates Thrive.  For best results, I like alternating between both
•          It’s a good idea to note when you plant potatoes on a calendar so you’ll know when they will be ready for harvesting.  You need not dig up all your plants at once if you don’t want to.  Something I like doing is “bandicooting” just enough potatoes for dinner from the sides of the plants to ensure we’re eating fresh potatoes.  You can do this by gently scratching around the plants when your potatoes reach maturity.  Just be careful that you don’t damage the plant or other potatoes in the process or they won’t continue to grow.
•          Lift potatoes carefully with a garden fork, not a spade.  Put aside any speared potatoes for consuming first
•          To store potatoes, let them dry in trays in the shade first. I normally leave them in the garage like this for a few days.  I like to use hessian sacks for storing potatoes to keep them fresh and cool.  Whatever you do, don’t wash potatoes you intend to store otherwise they will turn green!
•          Grow mint in your herb garden.  It’s the perfect accompaniment to fresh baby new potatoes from your garden.  For tips on growing mint, see page 3 of Issue 3 of my gardening newsletter.
•          Don’t grow tomatoes where your potatoes have been, because they are in the same family and doing so can cause disease.  If you practice crop rotation (highly recommended), consider planting a leafy crop like lettuce in the area where potatoes have grown.