Growing tips for crops

POTATOES

Buy healthy seed potatoes in spring (not from a supermarket) or the cold-stored ones available in August that give you delicious new potatoes for Christmas dinner. Plant three tubers in a large pot on top of 10cm of compost, cover with a 5cm layer and, as the stems and leaves appear, cover with more compost until you reach the top of the pot. They are ready to crop once they have flowered. If hit by blight, remove and destroy the foliage immediately; the tubers will still be edible. Christmas potatoes in pots will need to be kept in a sheltered place.

SALAD LEAVES

Sow directly into a trough of highquality potting compost rich in organic matter, thinning out to 2.5cm apart. Two or three sowings of cut-and-come-again salad leaves can keep you going all summer. Will survive in a semi-shady spot.

STRAWBERRIES

The ‘Toscana’ variety has pretty pink flowers – a 35cm basket will hold four plants. Refresh the compost and feed in early spring and remove any runners that appear. For tasty fruit, crop in the cool of the morning.

TOMATOES

Decide if you prefer a bush or cordon type and look for blight-resistant varieties. ‘Gardener’s Delight’ and ‘Golden Sunrise’ are popular and tasty. Plant two per grow bag or one in a 45cm pot and feed every 10 to 14 days with a high-potash fertiliser once the fruits have set.