By Melissa Corkhill
07th January 2009
Home grown potatoes are delicious and well worth a little time invested in growing them. You can plant them in the ground (and they’ll helpfully break up the soil in preparation for the following crop) or try growing them in a container such as a half barrel, bucket, butler’s sink etc.
What to do
Chit the potatoes first – place them in a egg box with the ends sporting the most sprouts uppermost. Keep in a cool light place and wait for the shoots to grow. To grow large bakers, remove all but 2 or 3 of the shoots. Put a layer of broken crockery or stones in the bottom of a container. Place a layer of compost on top, about halfway up the sides. Lay the sprouting potatoes on top, cover lightly with more compost and sit back and wait.
Nurturing the plants
When the start to sprout up and grow leaves, earth them up, or cover with more soil. Keep doing this every week or so as they grow until the earth nearly reaches to the top of the container. Water well and give them a dose of nettle tea or some seaweed extract. Earlies are ready with the first flowers, maincrop when the stem starts to brown and the plant withers. Enjoy your harvest!
