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[suzy]

After 3 plus years in Spain I am still experimenting with spuds from a cooking point of view.  Any help would be appreciated on the different varieties, although in my experience this is hard to find on the potatoes available to buy as they are just "Don somebody´s patatas".

[LizzyProust]

Hi Suzy,

I ve planted some spuds, just some I got in the supermarket. they seem to be progressing well, I'll keep you posted!

[terry]

I have found here (in the Alicante region) that seed potatoes are hard to find unless you want to purchase them in 100kg sacks. So I started to use potatoes from the supermarket. I hunt for a bag that has small potatoes and then lay them out to chit. When ready slice them into pieces (about the size of a large egg) with at least two chits on each piece. Let the cut area dry off for a few days before planting chit side up and about 5 inches in the soil. If you can, put some well rotted manure into the soil before planting. As the potatoes do not have any information on variety, your only choice is white or red. I have found that the whites do much better in this part of Spain but the only way to know is to try both varieties. I have six rows growing at the moment and I should be digging new potatoes for Christmas. They should compliment my parnips, carrots and broccoli (heads have just started forming). You never know what you can grow unless you try. Says he; just waiting for heavy rain to flatten everything.

[Campo Girl]

LOL Terry, can you show us some shots of your garden patch?

Simone

[terry]

Will do as soon as I have finished clearing up from the summer. I have spent the last two week pruning trees and grinding it up for compost unfortunately I have not finished yet as I had a sharp nispero leaf cut the inside of my eye lid. My own fault I should have been wearing safety glasses. On the mend now though. The world is full of coloured stripes, is'nt it.

[suzy]

Gosh Terry, hope you are okay, I´ll respect my nispera a bit more now. Thanks for the advice on spuds.  I am not planning on growing any here as the ground is too stony, my query was more for advice on types for cooking.  I´m sure you are aware there are no labelled brands here, such as Marie Piper, King Edward, Lincolnshire, Cornish, etc. etc. like we are used to in the UK and I find it very frustrating when cooking that my spuds either take ages or no time at all to roast, etc.  and so cannot time the rest of the meal.  Although I am very proud of my pobre patatas, have just perfected them in a big paella pan, slow, slow, quick, quick, slow!!

[Campo Girl]

Ouch Terry, are you OK now? I cannot do eyes at the bets of times, never mind scratching one - eeek!

And no, the world is not full of coloured stripes

How are your potatoes getting on? I have not planted anything like that this year, just not had the time to focus on the garden but as we have almost completed our "to do" list I think we will eventually get round to planting other stuff, the chickens happily ate all my strawberries, and oddly enough I have some strawberries still growing!

Simone

[terry]

Sorry for the long delay, I did post an answer some time ago but it got an error. The eye problem turned into something a little more problematic so after lots of eye drops and a surgeons table I am back into the land of the seeing. I have just managed to put some sort of order back into the garden and dig the potatoes which were starting to regrow in some cases. I let some of these continue and for lunch I had new small potatoes which were lovely. I think my wife is happy I am out of the house and back in the mud. Things are late but I have tomatoes in and fruiting with cuandalucia gardening bers - melons - peppers (red and green) and aubergine in seed trays for planting out. Beetroot is already sown and poking their heads up.

[Campo Girl]

Glad to hear that Terry and what you have planted sounds awesome - I have rented my home in Monda after the death of my husband and I am missing gardening a lot!

I am in the UK at the moment and although my parents have a lovely garden they are not into growing quite as much as I was

Speak soon and glad you are back outside

Simone x

[Scooter]

Oh Simone, so sorry to hear that.  Will you return to Spain?

Please can someone explain "Chit" to this dummy?

Thanks

[terry]

Hi Scooter

'Please can someone explain "Chit" to this dummy?'


No problem. To get potatoes to root best you leave out the a selection of potatoes generally in an area that does not get to much light. The potatoes will then start to grow feeding off of the potato tuber. This growth is called a 'chit'. Planting them with a chit growth gives the potato a good head start and promotes the formation of new tubers (potatoes).

Terry

[Scooter]

Oh I see, so that would be the little white shoots that appear on a potato that has been in the cupboard for too long then.

A chap told me the other day that he cuts the potato into sections so it  has one 'chit' on each piece and they still grow well but he gets more pots from one seed.  Do you know if this is right and what are the downsides to this? 

[Campo Girl]

Hi Scooter

I always used to plant my potatoes from the ones out of my cupboard that had sprouted some growth, worked well for me

Simone