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Potatoes
Potatoes are grouped according to their season of harvest - earlies, second earlies and main crop. Early varieties are lower yielding, require less space, and escape many summer pests & diseases.

Planting Potatoes
Potatoes are one of the best crops for cleaning and improving poor soil.
In Autumn dig in plenty of well rotted manure or potato fertiliser. Stand the sets (tubers) for planting upright on a light cool windowsill to grow short green sprouts (shoots) during early March.
Plant early potatoes in April, 15" apart, 18" between rows.
Plant main crop later in the month 15" apart, 24" between rows. All 4" to 5" deep.
 

Chitting
Treat seed tubers carefully. Place them in a clean box or tray - old egg boxes are ideal - with the 'rose' end (the end where the tiny buds can be seen) upwards.
Keep in a dark, dry place until you see tiny shoots appearing, then move to a cool (8-10°C), light place. This process, known as 'chitting', encourages the tubers to produce strong, sturdy sprouts, and gives an earlier maturing crop. Tubers can safely stay in their trays until planting conditions are right.

Care

A dusting of fertiliser in the hole at planting time increases the crop.
When the haulm (plant) is 9" to 12" high, earth up soil around the plants as growth proceeds. This protects the tubers and prevents them from turning green, resulting in a bitter taste.
If there is a danger of frost when the shoots have begun to emerge draw a little soil over them for protection.
Water in dry weather, this is very important once the tubers have started to form.
Soil Types
Potatoes can be grown in practically any soil type, as well as potato barrels and potato buckets.
Choose a sunny spot if possible and avoid frost pockets.
Dig over the soil the previous autumn and add peat, compost, manure or potato fertiliser. Do not add lime.
Before planting rake in a wireworm insecticide, if you have this problem. This problem regularly occurs in newly dug grassland. Break down any large clods and sprinkle fertiliser over the top of the soil.

Harvesting
With early potatoes wait until the flowers are fully open. Carefully remove soil from a small part of the ridge and examine your tubers. They can be harvested as new potatoes when they are as big as hens eggs.
With main crops for storage cut off the haulm once the foliage has turned brown and the stems have withered. After removing the foliage wait for 10 days - then lift the roots and let the tubers dry for several hours. Place them in a wooden box or hessian sack and store in a dark, frost free, cool environment like your garage or shed. They should keep until spring.
When harvesting make sure all tubers are removed from the soil, this helps to prevent attack from pests & diseases. 
Kitchen & Storage Tips: When lifting in early October take care not to damage the tubers. Allow 2 hours to dry and store in a cool, ventilated area in the dark. Try cooking clean new potatoes whole with mint, salt and butter.

Seed Potatoes Available Online........
Accent Seed Potatoes Accent Seed Potatoes (First Early)
A firm favourite with many gardeners who appreciate its very tasty firm waxy flesh and smooth creamy skin. Accent is superb as a new potato hot or cold and does not crack as the tubers grow larger. Also resistant to eelworm and scab. Skin Colour - Light yellow. Flesh Colour - Light yellow. Uses - new, boil and steam. A very early variety.
Annabelle Seed Potatoes (Salad Type) Annabelle Seed Potatoes (Salad Type)
An early maturing salad variety that gives a good yield of attractive smallish oval tubers. The yellow flesh is very firm and waxy with a very fine taste. Water well in dry seasons.Skin Colour - Yellow. Flesh Colour - Yellow. Uses - new, boil, steam and saute.  Oval tubers with good disease resistance.
Anya Seed Potatoes (Salad Type) Anya Seed Potatoes (Salad Type)
A cross between Desiree and Pink Fir Apple which shares qualities of both parents. Anya has Pink Fir's fine nutty taste yet is 8 weeks earlier and the long tubers do not have the awkward branches that make preparation and storage difficult. Highly recommended. Skin Colour - Yellow. Flesh Colour - White. Uses - boil, steam and chips.  Excellent taste!
Cara Seed Potatoes (Maincrop) Cara Seed Potatoes (Maincrop)
Known as the 'king of the bakers' for its large round part coloured tubers which so suit this purpose. Good for most other purposes too and easy to grow with high yields and excellent resistance to disease. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - White. Uses - boil, mash, saute, baked and roast. Tolerant and resistant!
Charlotte Seed Potatoes (Salad Type) Charlotte Seed Potatoes (Salad Type)
Classic salad potato against which others are judged! Matures as a latish first early, producing good numbers of medium sized oval tubers with a very fine flavour. Very waxy when young and perfect hot or cold. Good blight and scab resistance. RHS Award of Garden Merit. Skin Colour - Yellow. Flesh Colour - Yellow. Uses - new, boil, steam, mash and saute. Nice texture and flavour.
Cherie Seed Potatoes (Salad Type) Cherie Seed Potatoes (Salad Type)
A very pretty deep rose pink salad variety from France which gives exceptional crops of oval yellow fleshed tubers which have a wonderful flavour. Skin Colour - Red. Flesh Colour - Pale yellow. Uses - new, boil, steam and saute. Exceptional crops of oval yellow fleshed tubers.
Desiree Seed Potatoes (Maincrop) Desiree Seed Potatoes (Maincrop)
Remains a firm favourite of many for its rosy skin and very finely flavoured pale yellow flesh. Tubers can become very large and slightly mis-shapen but that does not detract from this very versatile variety whether baked roasted or boiled. Skin Colour - Red. Flesh Colour - Light yellow. Uses - boil, mash, chips and saute. A good table variety!
Edzell Blue Seed Potatoes (Second Early) Edzell Blue Seed Potatoes (Second Early)
This very old variety is still held in high regards for its deep blue skin and excellent taste. The tubers are very floury when cooked and make lovely mash! they are best steamed to avoid disintegration. Skin Colour - Blue. Flesh Colour - White. Uses - steam, mash, chips, sauté and roast. A very tasty, white fleshed variety.
Estima Seed Potatoes (Second Early) Estima Seed Potatoes (Second Early)
Very widely grown variety that is appreciated for its moist yellow flesh. Stays firm on boiling and bakes very well too. Skin Colour - Light yellow. Flesh Colour - Light yellow. Uses - boil, steam, mash, saute and baked. Firm, moist texture.
Foremost Seed Potatoes (First Early) Foremost Seed Potatoes (First Early)
An old favourite that was actually introduced by Suttons over fifty years ago. The white round tubers are deliciously firm and waxy when young and retain their fine taste as the flesh dries a little on maturity. RHS Award of Garden Merit. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - White. Uses - new, boil, steam and saute. Excellent flavour!
Kestrel Seed Potatoes (Second Early) Kestrel Seed Potatoes (Second Early)
One of the best looking potatoes which always catches the show judges eye for its purple splashed tubers! Has a wonderful old fashioned taste and is particularly good for chips and roast potatoes as it absorbs less fat. Good resistance to slug damage. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - Cream. Uses - boil, steam, mash, chips, saute, baked and roast. Has a wonderful old fashioned taste.
King Edward Seed Potatoes (Maincrop) King Edward Seed Potatoes (Maincrop)
This old favourite needs good soil to do well and crops are more modest than some but it's well worth growing as it is unsurpassed for roasting and the floury flesh makes fine mash too when steamed. Skin Colour - Part red. Flesh Colour - Cream. Uses - boil, steam, mash, chips, saute, baked and roast. The floury flesh rarely discolours.
Lady Christl Seed Potatoes (First Early) Lady Christl Seed Potatoes (First Early)
An excellent first early variety that can be dug around 8 weeks from planting. The smooth creamy tubers are very attractive and are good for exhibition. Freshly dug and boiled there is no finer taste and tubers are firm and waxy. RHS Award of Garden Merit. Skin Colour - Yellow. Flesh Colour - Yellow. Uses - new, boil, steam and saute. High yielding with a great new potato flavour.
Maris Bard Seed Potatoes (First Early) Maris Bard Seed Potatoes (First Early)
A very well known early for digging after the very first potatoes have finished. Maris Bard has soft waxy creamy white flesh and a distinctive slightly earthy taste. High yielding and reliable. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - White. Uses - new, boil, steam, mash and saute. Very popular!
Maris Peer Seed Potatoes (Second Early) Maris Peer Seed Potatoes (Second Early)
A familiar second early that was originally bred for the canning trade and produces a large crop of regular round small to medium sized tubers. Good as a follow on to earlies and the tubers are waxy and tasty. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - White. Uses - new, boil, steam, chips and saute. Tasty and firm.
Maris Piper Seed Potatoes (Maincrop) Maris Piper Seed Potatoes (Maincrop)
Makes superb chips (as your local take-away will confirm) and is good too for mashing and baking. A reliable general purpose choice with good resistance to eelworm. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - Cream. Uses - boil, steam, mash, chips, saute, baked and roast. A reliable general purpose choice.
Maxine Seed Potatoes (Second Early) Maxine Seed Potatoes (Second Early)
Beautiful round, smooth rosy red tubers that are very popular with exhibitors. The white flesh is firm and waxy and boils and bakes well. Flavour is excellent. RHS Award of Garden Merit. Skin Colour - Red. Flesh Colour - Cream. Uses - boil, steam, saute and baked. Bright and white!
Melody Seed Potatoes (Maincrop) Melody Seed Potatoes (Maincrop)
Gives a very high yield of large oval tubers that will suit those who prefer a dryish textured potato. Good for baking and steaming for mash and has a good taste. Good resistance to virus. Skin Colour - Yellow. Flesh Colour - Light Yellow. Uses - boil, steam, mash, saute, baked and roast. Gives a high yield of large, oval tubers.
Nadine Seed Potatoes (Second Early) Nadine Seed Potatoes (Second Early)
A modern second early with strong overall disease resistance which is capable of exceptional yields of white oval tubers. Has firm waxy flesh which is particularly suitable for boiling. Very smooth skin and uniform shape make this a preferred exhibition choice. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - Cream. Uses - boil, steam, baked and roast. Yields of white oval tubers with a firm waxy flesh.
Pentland Javelin Seed Potatoes (First Early) Pentland Javelin Seed Potatoes (First Early)
Popular early that is favoured for its tasty, white waxy fleshed tubers with good flavour. Boils well and does not discolour when cold. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - White. Uses - new, boil, steam and saute. White and waxy!
Premiere Seed Potatoes (First Early) Premiere Seed Potatoes (First Early)
This early has good disease resistance particularly from scab and blight. Has creamy oval tubers with good flavour and bakes well as it ages. A good all rounder. Skin Colour - Light yellow. Flesh Colour - Light yellow. Uses - new, boil, steam, chips, saute and baked. A good all rounder!
Red Duke of York Potatoes (First Early) Red Duke of York Potatoes (First Early)
This heritage variety is one of the few red skinned earlies. Has a fine flavour at first digging and can get quite large as it matures when it bakes and chips well. RHS Award of Garden Merit. Skin Colour - Deep red. Flesh Colour - Light yellow. Uses - boil, steam, mash, chips, baked and roast. A heritage variety!
Rocket Seed Potatoes (First Early) Rocket Seed Potatoes (First Early)
Grow this very early variety for the first new potatoes of summer. Pure white flesh which is quite soft and waxy and gives heavy crops. Delicious with mint and a knob of butter! Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - White. Uses - new, boil, steam, and saute. The first new potatoes of summer.
Smile Seed Potatoes (Maincrop) Smile Seed Potatoes (Maincrop)
A very pretty and unusual 'reversed particolour' potato which withstands drought better than most and resists scab so likely to be good on light land. Versatile in the kitchen with a good taste. Skin Colour - Red. Flesh Colour - Light yellow. Uses - steam, mash, chips, saute, baked and roast. Has good resistance to Common Scab, drought and damage.
Valor Seed Potatoes (Maincrop) Valor Seed Potatoes (Maincrop)
One of the latest manicrops to mature but well worth the wait. Valor gives an excellent yield of large creamy white tubers that store well. Tubers have a dry firm texture and are good for baking and boiling. A vigorous grower with excellent all round disease resistance. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - Cream. Uses - boil, steam, mash, chips, saute, baked and roast. Cooking quality is very good.

Potato Products

Woven Kitchen Potato Basket Woven Kitchen Potato Basket
Traditional woven potato basket. It allows your potatoes to breathe whilst avoiding light exposure (thus preventing rotting and greening). Has lip at the bottom for easy retrieval of potatoes without removing the lid. Diameter 33cm, 46cm high.
Potato Barrel Planters Potato Barrel Planter
The complete system for growing potatoes on a patio or balcony. Space for 5 potatoes in 80 litres of compost (not included). Made from durable polypropylene for long life. Size: 60cm x 43cm
Potato Fertiliser Potato Fertiliser
An organic based granular fertiliser with a high Potash content (in the form of Sulphate of Potash to promote superior flavour and colour), plus added Magnesium which is ideally suited to the needs of both potatoes and fruit crops. The granules ensure a slow release effect which will result in higher quality crops
Potato Turbo Charger Raised Bed System
The bed warms quicker thanks in part to the heat absorbing black panels. plants develop quicker and crops are ready earlier. The sides are 25cm high and modular, so another unit can be added on top of the existing bed to raise the height if necessary. Each kit consists of four 1 metre panels plus corner pins and is injection moulded from 100% recycled material to give outstanding strength and durability.
Hessian Potato Sack Hessian Potato Sacks
Store your potatoes and other crops in the traditional way - in a hessian sack. They're robust enough to use time and time again, and have the advantage over plastic sacks that they let the contents breathe - helping to keep them in tip-top condition for much longer.
Potato Planter
Made in Holland, the potato planter is made from solid forged, top quality steel. It makes light work of potato planting thanks to its clever design. Simply push in to the soil, open the handles, pop in the potato and close the handles.
Giant Potato Bucket (Pack of 3) Giant Potato Buckets (Pack of 3)
Grow a bumper crop of potatoes - even on a patio! Potato Buckets are the perfect size, shape and colour (absorbing the sun's heat) to quickly produce a really heavy crop. Plant 2-3 tubers near the bottom and keep topping up the compost as they grow, then simply tip them out at the end of the season.
Potato Planter Bags - 3 Pack
Now everyone can grow delicious home-grown potatoes, whether or not they have a garden. The new Potato Patio Planters are designed specifically for use on patios and balconies, or in small gardens where there’s no space for a vegetable patch.

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