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Growing Great Potatoes
Potatoes are so easy to grow in the no
dig, organic way. They are one of the top
three in vegetable growing due to their
popularity and versatility. Boil 'em,
mash 'em, fry 'em, bake 'em. It's hard to
go wrong with this staple in the diet.
They're also a great source of vitamins,
minerals and iron. Most of the goodness
lies just beneath the surface of the skin
though, so try to keep at least some of
the skin intact when preparing for
cooking.
To the growing!
Purchase some seed potatoes from a
nursery. You can use potatoes from the
supermarket, but seed potatoes will bring
better yields. You can 'chit' them first
(allowing them to start to grow) before
planting, simply by placing them in a
sunny spot.
There are many different types of
potatoes you can grow and it's important
that you grow one you like! So start at
the end...how do you like to eat them?
See the description of potato types below
to choose.
Once you decide what type to grow, place
your seed potatoes directly on the ground
about 30cm (12-14 inches) apart. Cover
them with a 50/50 blend of straw with old
manure, blood and bone and compost. Water
generously.
In a couple of weeks, the tops will
emerge through the straw. As they grow,
keep topping them up with the enriched
straw blend, making sure the tubers don't
get exposed to sunlight. This can turn
them green and make them toxic.
Potatoes take 14-16 weeks to mature. When
they flower, they are getting close to
maturity. When the plants begin to die
back and yellow, the crop is ready for
harvest.
The beauty with growing them under a
straw mat is that you take the guess work
out of the growing. You can actually lift
the corner of the straw and see your
potatoes developing. When you are close
to harvest, you simply pull out some of
the bigger ones for early eating, without
killing off the plant.
On the ground, in your no dig garden bed
or inside an old tire (for containment)
these things will grow anywhere given the
right conditions.
Whack some in. Very satisfying gardening!
Potato Types
There are dozens of types of potatoes you
can grow. Some are small with waxy flesh,
others are large with floury white flesh,
and there is everything in between. What
you grow will depend largely on how you
like to eat them. Not all potatoes are
created equal. Some are better for
boiling and some for baking.
Baking Potatoes
Baking potatoes are those higher in
starch than others. They generally have a
course skin and a firm flesh. These are
best for baking, mashing and frying. They
are light and fluffy inside once cooked
and are just brilliant.
It's impossible to name all of the types,
but some examples of good baking
varieties are Russet, Goldrush, Idaho,
Bintje and Norgold.
Boiling Potatoes
Boiling potatoes typically have less
starch and higher sugar content. This
means they will hold together when boiled
or used in soups, casseroles and salads.
Some good examples of boiling varieties
include Red Potato, La Soda, Bismark,
King Edward, Sequoia, Bronwell and
Pontiac.
Those that fall in the middle, the
all-rounders, include Kennebec, Yukon
Gold and Sebago.
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