Hot potatoes
Whether you live in a flat or on a farm, one of the most rewarding things you can do this spring is to plant potatoes
Text Laurian Brown Photography © The Science Photo Library/Gallo images
Said Beatrix Potter’s Pigling Bland: “I wish I could have a little garden and grow potatoes.” The good news is that these days you don’t need even a little garden to experience the taste, the texture – and the sheer triumph – of potatoes lifted fresh from the soil to the pot. You can grow them in a raised box bed in a paved courtyard or a container, which could be anything from a hessian sack to a dustbin, as well as in a traditional patch or bed, which need be no bigger than a door.
Whichever method you choose, you need certified seed potatoes (which are dry, disease-free tubers). A range of varieties – waxy, floury, all-purpose, heirloom – is available from nurseries and online heritage seed suppliers.
Put them in light shade to sprout. If the air is very dry, spritz them with water occasionally. When the sprouts are about 1cm long, the tubers will be ready for planting.
The next thing you need is good soil enriched with lots of compost, plus well-rotted manure if possible, as a planting base. For earthing up, add some mulch (straw or dry grass clippings are good) and mix a pile or fill a couple of bags or a bin to keep handy. For balconies, two plastic bins are a neat idea: one for planting, one for storing your topping-up mix.