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[Campo Girl]

Hola

Does anyone here have any tips for growing potatoes, I would love to give them a go but don't know where to start!

Do I start from seed or do I wait for sprouts to appear on the potatoes I have and stick them in the ground?

Cheers

Campo Girl

[Alec]

Hola CG,

First decide what sort of potatoes you want to grow. The waxy salad type for boiling can go in now, and maincrop (for mashing, roasting etc) can follow in a couple of weeks.

It's best to wait until some small shoots appear. Stand them up with the "eyes" uppermost in egg boxes, in a place indoors that's well lit but not in direct sunlight. It will take a week or two for the shoots to appear.

Dig the ground well and try to incorporate some good, well-rotted manure - the bags of dried horse manure from garden centres are ideal. Allow about a good bucketfull of manure per square metre, and dig it well in. Then pop the seed potatoes three or four inches below the ground, using a trowel, in rows two feet apart and about a foot between each potato. You can cut down on watering (and weeding) if you like by covering with sheets of black plastic, planting the potatoes through small crosses cut with a knife.

As soon as the shoots show above ground, draw the soil up to them, to encourage a better crop and protect them from cold winds. Do this two or three times until the rows appear raised.

After that it's just a matter of keeping them weed-free and watered (especially after the flowers appear). Lift the first ones when the first flowers have died, which will be in early spring here.

Good luck - let us all know how you get on!

Alec

[Campo Girl]

Hola Alec

Wow!

That is brilliant that you have sent me that. I can't wait to start them this weekend, it is my first time so I am slightly nervous but your instructions are clear and concise so I will give it my best shot.

I will definitely let you know how I get on.

How would you suggest I keep the black plastic down on the groun, with big stones or something? Is a black bin liner any good or do I have to buy special black plastic?

Anything to stop from having to weed gets my vote!

Campo Girl

[yoyohh]

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[Campo Girl]

@yoyohh not sure what this has to do with growing potatoes, although you will notice that your links have been removed due to spamming!

So, might as well not bother innit