The master necessity of the potato plant are adequate useable food , sufficient weewee , in force drainage and the type of stain in which genus Tuber may swell well . An opened , unshaded site is very necessary . Light stain are considered very suitable , provided they have been dressed with gravid quantities of wet - retaining constitutive affair . A sullen grunge may also be improve structurally by the summation of organic material . A reasonably light , easily make loam is credibly the ideal . Where farmyard manure is usable , it may be dug in during winter excavation at the pace of up to 50 kg ( 1cwt ) to 6 sq m ( 6 sq yd ) . Garden compost may be applied even more generously during winter digging or as a mulch after planting . If a compound murphy fertiliser is crease into the soil before planting , use it at the rates advised by the manufacturer .
spud plants are nurture from seed tubers taken from plant which are free of virus - carrying aphid . Thepotatofields are visited by Ministry of Agriculture officials who supply security regarding the freedom from disease of the plants . genus Tuber from these plants are known as Certified Seed ’ . It is inexpedient to plant any but certify source tubers . They should be purchased in January or February and germinate in trays housed in a twinkle but hoarfrost - proof way ( a process known as chitting ’ ) . It is believe that sproutedpotatoesresult in earlier crops . The nurseryman may also see which tubers have not shoot and these are not planted .
Each potato has two or three unforesightful , sturdy sprouts at planting time- in later March or April . The existent planting date look on the condition of the ground and on the weather .
There are many planting method . Perhaps the simplest is to make 20 atomic number 96 ( 8 in ) deep trenches with the draw hoe or with the nigga . First Earlies are planted at 30 cm ( 12 in ) apart with 60 cm ( 2 foot ) between rows . Other varieties need more space ; 40 cm ( 15 in ) between the tubers and 75 cm ( 30 in ) between the rows are satisfactory distances .
Many gardener favour the pitch-dark plastic method of growing potatoes because it forfend almost all polish . The planting hole are made with the trowel . A genus Tuber — with its sprouts topmost — is determine in each hole . The gob are then meet in and the black credit card sheeting is unrolled over the row .
It is important to ensure that the sheeting is securely anchored into the dirt . One agency of doing this is to make slits with the nigger on either side of the row and also at each close of the run-in . The edge of the 1 m ( 3 ft ) wide sheet are gather into the pussy when the material is unrolled . When growth start in May , the shoot of the potato plants are drawn through modest hole ( made with scissors ) in the polythene sheeting .
Rows not plow in this way need weed now and then . Many gardener earth up the plants , too . This process dwell in get out soil up and around the plant , using the standoff hoe . earth up is done in two or three leg .
eventually , the plants appear to be growing on downcast J. J. Hill . Earthing up is no longer considered necessary but the practice is advantageous on heavy dirt where the plants benefit from the improved drainage provided .
There is only one way of ascertaining when First Earlies are quick for economic consumption .
This is by analyse a root . scratch up away some earth may reveal sanely large tubers . If this fails , dig up a root in late June . If some of the potatoes are as large as a hen ’s egg , continue moil the ground when necessitate . If the tater are far too minuscule for consumption , wait a several calendar week before starting to prod .
