Potatoes – whether mashed, boiled, fried, or baked dauphinoise – are as much a part of Christmas as Santa’s snowy-white beard. Here’s how to plant your own in time for the festive feast.
Most potato varieties are planted in spring and harvested in midsummer, but a few special types can be sown now, ready to serve up in your Christmas roast or hearty winter stew.
‘Plant second early varieties like Charlotte and Maris Peer in early August,’ says Eve Kerrigan at British Garden Centres. ‘These will take 12 weeks to grow and mature and then can be harvested in perfect timing, ready for your Christmas dinner.’
How to care for potatoes planted in August
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The best method to get your spuds to grow from August onwards is to use containers or potato grow bags, suggests Eve. Make sure your pot is at least 30cm deep and wide and has drainage holes to prevent waterlogging.
‘Potatoes are hungry plants, so use a really rich compost and add a 10cm layer to the bottom of your pot,’ Eve says. Place one to three seed potatoes in the pot and cover them with a 15cm layer of soil, then water in well.
Typically, potatoes thrive if you keep them well-watered and in a sunny spot. Sun, however, is a scarce commodity in autumn, so you need to make sure that you have the means to amplify the little UV light we get.
‘If you’ve planted potatoes for your Christmas dinner, then make sure that you are able to move the plants in their pots into a frost-free greenhouse or porch when the frost hits in late October time,’ Eve stresses. ‘As the foliage of your potatoes grows, earth them up by covering the foliage with compost until your container is filled with soil.’
How to tell if your potatoes are ready to be harvested
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When 12 weeks have passed (a period well spent reading up on your favourite potato recipes), you will notice a change in your potato plant’s leaves.
‘Your potatoes are ready to harvest when the foliage has turned yellow and died down after a couple of months of growing,’ Eve explains.
‘If your potatoes are in the ground, use a fork to carefully lift your harvests, being careful to avoid spearing any of your crop. If you have grown your seed varieties in containers, then simply tip the pot up and pick out the crop by hand.’
All that’s left is to give them a good brush and wash, then prepare them however you like, ready to take pride of place at your Christmas dinner.
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