Growing Potatoes

Potatoes are easy to grow, if you look at most compost heaps that have had potato peelings and scraps placed in them you will see shoots of new plants emerging. However what we are after is a few ideas on how to grow the best potatoes in the home garden.

The first point to be remembered when looking to plant potatoes is to use 'seed potatoes'. These are usually certified as 'virus free', they will usually grow to be a much healthier, better than taking chances with potato virus.

Secondly its a choice of what potatoes to grow. The choice is based on the type of potato, and the growing season.

When choosing the type of potato you wish to grow consider each varieties characteristics, some types are great for chips, others for mashing, some are better for baking and others for boiling and potato salads.

Potato Plants Growing in the Home Garden

Potatoes grow well in a deep rich soil where the potatoes can form without being restricted and they get lots of nutrients.

Seed potatoes can be planted in a shallow ditch in the vegetable garden and as they grow soil can be hilled up around them preventing the potatoes from being exposed to light and turning green. This is a great way to increase yield as potatoes form on roots near the surface,so as 'hill' the soil, you encourage new roots, new potatoes, more potatoes.

One popular method of growing potatoes is to gather some old care tires, start the potatoes in the ground in the center of 1 tire, as the plant grows add more soil, or even straw and then add another tire, the potatoes will send out new roots and form lots of potatoes.

You can use the tire technique in barrels, potato bags and lots of other structures.

Different Potato types have different qualities that make them 'better' for different cooking methods.

Roasting Potatoes include : Arran, Royal Blue, Cara, Celine, Desiree, Maxine, Roasting Potatoes, Bintje, Picasso, Ruby Lou, Russet Burbank, Romano, King Edward, Idaho, Long White, Kondor, Maris Piper, Stemster and Valor.

For Chip Potatoes try: Nadine,Kestrel, King Edward, Desiree, Kennebec.

For Boiling Potatoes try: Nadine, Red Pontiac, Dutch Cream Kestrel, Desiree, King Edward.

For Mashing Potatoes try: Kestrel, Nadine, King Edward.

For Salad Potatoes try: Nicola and Ponfine.

For something different try: Sapphire, with purple flesh it looks great mashed and roasted.

Pontiac Potato


Kipfler potatoes