Spud-I-like

Today I planted some of my seed potatoes which have been chitting on my kitchen windowsill for the last month. Chitting is basically exposing them to light so that they start to develop shoots before they are planted. This gives them a head start and is said to produce a heavier crop.

In the box are Epicure, Ulster Sceptre and Salad Blue. The first two are new potatoes, known as earlies because they mature faster. The third, as the name suggests, is a salad potato which has a blue/purple flesh.

I've been working out a planting plan for my plot and realised that the crops I have already selected fill all the beds I have prepared on the left side. So although I was intending to cultivate only half the plot this year I have decided to go ahead and use some of the right side too, I hope I'm not being too ambitious! I've been able to put in a few hours over the last week and dug over a large area for the potatoes (removing loads more bindweed - grrrr!).

My plot neighbour, who is the Allotment Association secretary, recommended preparing trenches for the potatoes similar to the method for runner beans. I've been warned before that the soil dries out in warm weather and she said this helps to retain water and nutrients and gives a much better crop.

So over the last two days I have dug five trenches, lined them with newspaper, then straw (free used bedding delivered by the local stables) and piled in compost from my bin on the plot.

Trenches in progress...

And today I finally got to plant the potatoes (helped by my son).