Thursday September 29, 2005

A sack of spuds

Well given the haums of my potatoes had died back it is time to dig the tubers up and see how this years crop has turned out. I did two rows of Desiree a red potato. Now you discover why you should leave a decent gap between each plant in the row. It is so easy to spike a fork through the potatoes. Here is how to avoid doing so. Pull all the haums off the row and any other weeds so you can see what you are doing. Put a cane or stick were each of the haums went into the ground. Clustered around the cane should be your crop. Start at one end of each row and carefully remove the mounded up soil but don't remove it by the cane. Then insert your fork into the mounded up soil halfway between the first and second cane and push the soil away from the cane. As you do so you should see your crop. Carefully remove them. You then need to excavate the soil carefully as a lot of the crop maybe be below where you have removed the soil. After doing this you then repeat the exercise on the second cane then work your way long the row. All this sounds complicated but basically you don't want to stab your fork into where the potatoes are. Having done this you need to dry them off in a darkened area and finally place them in a strong paper sack - like the ones you buy potatoes in. You also need to be aware of vermin who might like a tasty snack in the autumn/winter. The place also needs to be frost free. Finally never use your own crop for seed potatoes next year. At best you will have a reduced crop, at worst you will encourage disease into your ground and others nearby.