Your garden, your place, your patch…
Welcome to the first edition of “The Potato Patch Paper” so called because of the nice alliteration P:P:P 😊
The idea of publishing advice and information is something my team and I have been mulling over for some time. It’s developed out of the regular requests for information and advice I get from gardeners just like you. And that situation had been encouraged even more by the results and comments from our recent survey.
I’m Alex McCreight, a second-generation potato farmer working with my father. Together, we have 65 years of experience growing seed and table potatoes, both on the farm and in home gardens. This new venture aims to keep us connected. I hope each issue will provide fresh ideas, news, advice on growing potatoes, and new recipes for enjoying your harvest. Don’t worry, it will only be sent out once a month! Each issue will also be added to a blog area on the website for you to visit anytime.
You asked, we listened
First, I would like to thank everyone who completed the short survey. It has provided some really useful insights into what you like and don’t like. It’s given me lots of ideas about what you’re gardening interests are, what advice you’re most interested in and how we can improve our Patch Potato offer!
The search for healthier, sustainable and tastier food choices, have prompted us
to make some immediate changes. Already we’ve introduced some new organic veg seed varieties added thanks to your suggestions! You can find them here
And one lucky participant in our research has received £50 to spend on the Patch website. Congratulations to Sylvia Graham who may have already received my email with her voucher.
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Alex’s Advice
The first question that most of you ask me is, “When do I plant my seed potatoes?” I realise that many of you will say that this is obvious, you’ve planted potatoes for many years so why do you need me to tell you now, especially as the time for planting has already started?
Well, to state the obvious I have to start somewhere and to paraphrase one of the golfing greats, Gary Player, “The more I practise the luckier I get.” Likewise the more that advice is repeated the more success that can be achieved and less left to chance.
However, as I write, it’s 4th June, a bit late for potato planting advice for many of you, but plenty of people are still just getting around to putting in their seed potatoes – including me!
Plus, if you’re wanting a Christmas crop you’ve plenty time for that as maincrop varieties can be planted late July – end August. I’d recommend Charlotte, Irish Gold or Vitabella. Christmas cropping seed will be available on the website towards the end of June.
From a growing perspective, potatoes can be grouped into one of three types with many varieties such as those below that are available from Patch Potato:
- 1st Earlies – Sharpe’s Express, Francis, Duke of York
- 2nd Earlies – British Queen, Charlotte, Vitabella, Purple Rain
- Maincrop – Foxton, Ramos, Maris Piper, Golden Wonder
First Earlies are varieties that are the first ones to be planted from late February in 24″ rows. They can be harvested in June or early July, typically after 10-12 weeks after planting. They tend to be smaller than other varieties although fully mature.
Second Earlies are planted a few weeks later than First Earlies and take longer to mature 15-27 weeks. They too are planted in 24″ rows yet produce a heavier crop during July-August.
Maincrop again planted later in the season, usually 3-4 weeks later than Second Earlies The are the largest and latest maturing potatoes, taking 15-20 weeks to grow. That also means they need more space to grow so rows need to be 30″ apart. They can be harvested in late summer (August). through or early autumn (October) an they can be stored longer through the year.
If you’re new to growing potatoes, then you might want to think about improving your success by limiting your choice to Maincrop varieties initially, then you can be more certain of a good crop.
Each group is planted at different times and mature at different times. All maturing times being dependent on your location, soil, variety the weather. That said, I often advise, especially trying out potatoes from a different group(s), to plant them all at the same time, and the natural maturity of each variety will allow for succession anyway. First earlies should be ready in 11-13 weeks, your second earlies will be ready in approx. 13-15 weeks, and maincrop in about 20-22 weeks.
There is a growing guide on the website, found here. It’s a deliberately short guide and will prompt more questions. If so, I’ll answer them in future issues of the Patch Paper. If you have a question and you can’t wait for a reply, please email me at alex@mccreightpotatoes.com
It’s a deliberately short guide and will prompt more questions. If so, I’ll answer them in future issues of the Patch Paper. If you have a question and you can’t wait for a reply, please email me at alex@mccreightpotatoes.com
2025 – A dry start for gardeners
Note 1 The MET office’s May report is that …’the most striking statistic is rainfall, or lack thereof. With just 80.6mm recorded so far for the UK, Spring 2025 is, so far, currently ranking at the driest Spring in over a century. The previous record low for the full season was 100.7mm, set in 1852.’
Note 2 A late February start to the season ordinarily means that the further north your garden the more rain, cold, frost and heat may affect your crop. Delays of 2-3 weeks in your planting should usually be recommended. You may need to adjust your usual crop management accordingly. It may be worth asking other, local gardeners about their experience.
The implications for us gardeners are that we need to ensure that we water potatoes sufficiently and correctly. Potatoes require around 1″ of water per week on average. That will vary according to the weather conditions, your location and your soil. That makes specific advice difficult to give.
The best rules of thumb are:
🌱 do water regularly to ensure that your potatoes thrive throughout the growing season to produce a good crop
🌱 do rely on touch and observation to decide when to water
🌱 don’t let soil dry before watering
🌱 don’t over-water as you risk rotting
🌱 do check for blight pressure, known as a Smith Period. A useful website for this is https://blightspy.huttonltd.com/#/ you can enter your details, and receive alerts when the criteria is met for blight in your area. Check the “alerts” tab
Note 3 Our research study indicate that many of you are reluctant to use artificial disease and pest control solutions. Our blight control is organic and so avoiding those concerns. You can find it on our website here and if you use code PPPCURA10 you will get 10% discount!.
Experiment
No we’re not in the lab just yet. One of the satisfactions in gardening as a whole as well as with growing potatoes is the opportunity to try something different. You don’t have to devote a large space in your veg patch for this. Potato grow bags are an ideal solution.
Potato grow bags are available on the Patch Potato website https://www.patchseedpotatoes.co.uk/product/potato-grow-bag/
I’m experimenting too. I normally grow a few choice varieties each year, usually in grow bags at home – simply to test out new varieties, see how they grow, and taste! If they meet the Patch Potato standards, I can offer them in confidence to our home gardeners.
This year I’m focusing on Kelly, Oscar and Mayan Gold.
🌱 Kelly will be my first time growing it.
🌱 Oscar I want to grow for a second year as it has been so successful with growers entering veg competitions – I want to try to get the perfect spud!
🌱 Mayan Gold – just because we got some potatoes given to us and it is one of the best tasting varieties around!
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From pot to plate
It’s a statement of the obvious that growing potatoes is only half of the satisfaction and sense of achievement for gardeners. Afterall what else would you do other than eat them given that unlicensed distilling them into traditional Irish Poitín is illegal?
Eating a plateful of roast potatoes is far more palatable all round. Here’s a link to what’s claimed to be the perfect roast potato. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/perfect_roast_potatoes
Yet I can’t recall even a handful of gardening books that talk about how to cook what you’ve grown. That may come as a surprise to you since, with well over 5,000 varieties of potato worldwide, there’s ample scope for ways to explore their flavours and textures.
I can’t say that too loudly as my wonderful wife will be handing me an apron.
Smash potato salad
I thought I’d start by sharing this recipe we my wife made last week. And a photo of how it turned out, just taken on my phone at the dinner table! It’s a smash potato salad using roast potatoes… absolutely delicious and highly recommend as a warm potato salad perfect with some BBQ’d meat or fish!
It’s been a viral sensation, not sure where it originates from, but the recipe can be found here, definitely worth a try! https://hungryhappens.net/crispy-smashed-potato-salad/
Patch Potato Paper Forum
The Patch Potato Paper is a forum for the exchange of ideas and questions that interest you. They may be comments or questions about what you’ve read here. Hou may want to suggest a topic that want me to write about in future issues or something else again.
Whatever’s on your mind. please contact me here alex@mccreightpotatoes.com