Potato Tubers For Autumn & Christmas New Potatoes

Yes, we do it and so can you!

This is an easy way to produce out of season 'new' potatoes for use in the late Autumn, Christmas and even New Year. Retarding the harvest of a crop is nearly as satisfying and as much fun as forcing a crop - for those new to moving the traditional harvest time of a crop, potatoes are one of the easiest to start with.

We have selected from our seed potato stock sets ready to plant - no need for chitting. If a few shoots appear broken do not worry, these are invigorated sets that planted in tubs, a grow bag or potato bag will grow away fast to provide delicious 'new' potatoes October onwards (dependant on time of planting).

• The retarded planting sets will be showing a number of shoots ready to grow away fast. If some are damaged or broken do not worry, this will not prevent a worthwhile late crop of really tasty potatoes being produced in Autumn and for Christmas.
• The timing of this crop is important. Ideally the individual 'sets' or seed potatoes should be planted from mid June until mid August, no later otherwise the potatoes would be very tiny due to the shorter day length.
• Cropping takes approximately 12 weeks from planting. Earlier crops can be grown in the open ground or outside in containers.
• Where cropping is intended to be later than mid September it is imperative that they are grown in containers or similar ideally under protection (greenhouse, polytunnel or cloches)  - or at the very least moved under protection when temperatures drop and to avoid being exposed to damaging frosts.
• Open ground crops should be planted 15" (37.5 cm) apart in trenches 18" (45 cm) apart in the conventional way - in a 6" (15 cm) deep trench sprouting side up, then mound the soil over the top.

• You can also plant in grow bags (4 sets to a grow bag is fine) or specialist potato growing bags or containers.
• We plant for our own domestic use in plastic tubs around 2½ feet (75 cm) in diameter, spacing 3 or 4 sets to each tub. We use reclaimed growing compost recovered from 'spent seed' compost. It works well!
• If container growing, after covering the drainage holes with a few broken crocks half-fill with moist compost. Next, plant three 'seed' potato tubers inside and ensure any shoots are facing upwards. The tubers should be spaced an equal distance apart - 8" (20 cm) is ideal - and buried 2" (5 cm) below the surface.
• Stand the container in a sheltered, well-lit spot and do not let the compost dry out. When the leafy shoots are 3" (7.5 cm) tall, carefully surround them with more compost so only the tips are visible at the surface. As the shoots grow, repeat this process until the container is filled to just below the rim with compost.
• In the mid-autumn, move the container into a cool but frost-free greenhouse, polytunnel or conservatory.

• Around the third week of September outside (later under protection) leaves will start to yellow. Leave the foliage on until it dies right down. Leave the potatoes in the just moist compost / grow bags / tubs until you are ready to use; this way flavour is maintained, the skins do not set and remain soft and you lift ready for a quick rinse in a bowl of water with a light rub over with an 'old nail brush'.
• If you grew your potatoes outside these will need to be lifted by the third week of October and immediately re-buried in either course sand or soil in a frost free position until you are ready to use them. Only by this method is flavour retained.

• Top Tips
• If any tubers appear at the compost surface, cover them with a little compost, otherwise they will turn green (due to exposure to light) and become inedible. 
• To help avoid blight keep the leaves as dry as possible as the fungal spores are only produced on wet leaves so only water the compost with a watering can. For the same reason, if a rainy spell is forecast, pop the potato container temporarily under cover.