Today I will talk about the potato in history, and how it spread to England, Ireland and the other countries of Europe. The potato belonged to a family called Solanum, and included in that family there was a wide range of food plants, particularly tomatoes, peppers and aubergines as well as the ...
A neat construction of a "lazy-bed" ridge - the ubiquitous traditional method that allowed enormous crops to be grown in often very hostile environments. It was soon discovered that potatoes thrived on seaweed and the potato soon became one of the main staple foods. The thin soil also prompted the invention of 'lazy beds': a potato is ...
We can now see the early potatoes lifted by rows, with their haulm taken to the compost heap. Before planting anything after them dig them over thoroughly to collect any stragglers, leaving them in will only encourage them to grow again and carry any blight spores into next years crop. Blight shows as rounded ...
The potatoes have once more been planted and it’s time to reflect on the humble spud as the first signs of the earlies appear, peeping their heads out of the beds in the gardens, scanning the horizon for any lurking frosts. Unlike many things, there is a completeness with potatoes that is easy to ...
I was asked for information on getting rid of an awful attack of Wireworm in a garden. I spoke with Steven Marsh (a potato grower) and he relayed this information.Get hold of some poor tubers, either those which have started to sprout in the bag, or left overs that were too small to plant. Cut these ...