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Written by Day Lily on 2007/02/11 | Permalink to this article
The humble potato originates from the Andes Mountains and was a staple food for the Inca’s as far back as 400BC. It is now the staple food for over 60% of the world’s population and contains more protein than Soya beans and eggs and is our best-known source of nutrition. It provides more yield per acre than grain and can be grown in variable soil and climatic conditions. In some instances a crop return can be achieved within 90 days of planting.
The potato has not always been loved by all and has had a very chequered past. It was given unfair treatment by the peasants of Prussia when handed out in 1774 by Frederick the Great, to save his country from famine. It saved Ireland from famine in 1740 and became its main crop until blight spread throughout Europe in 1845 and was considered by the French to have caused leprosy.
There are now over 4000 varieties of potato classified. Some of these varieties are now extinct with only a small amount of these being available to the domestic grower. These are divided into three main categories based on the time it takes from planting to harvest. The earliest performing potatoes are ‘first earlies’ and are what we refer to as ‘new potatoes’. They are planted in early spring depending on geographical location and can be harvested after about 3 months. ‘Second earlies’ are generally planted in mid spring and harvested after 3-4 months providing ‘late’ new potatoes. The latest crop is ‘maincrop’ and is planted in late spring to provide a crop anytime after 4 months and is best for storing. Though there are officially recognised times and methods by which to plant potatoes, they are very adaptable and fool proof. The more you follow the traditional ways and methods the higher your crop yield is likely to be, but you can just shove them in the ground and still get an acceptable crop of potatoes so don’t let the rules put you off.
Written by Dan W on 2006/11/08 | Permalink to this article
As with all plants and vegetables, potatoes are susceptible to certain pests and diseases. This doesn’t mean it’s going to happen to you so don’t be put off growing them, as they are very little work for a lot in return.
To reduce the risk of soil-borne problems, you should rotate your crops every year so that they are never grown in the same soil year after year.
Potatoes can be affected by blight, cutworms, slugs, eelworms, blackleg and violet root rot. Earlies are less likely to suffer from blight and there are several varieties of Maincrop potato that claim to be resistant. Good suppliers of seed potatoes provide information on they’re packaging of disease and slug resistance, so take the time to go through all the varieties on offer and select what is best for you.
Written by Day Lily on 2006/12/04 | Permalink to this article