My First Potato (Gardening Part 1)

My First Potato (Gardening Part 1)

 Way back in March, I planted 6 plastic bags of potatoes, all mixed varieties from mail order and local garden centres. I can’t find any of the packets so I don’t know what they all are, but some have yellow flowers and some have purple ones.

I did all the earthing up and watering like you’re supposed to, remembering my last foray into potato growing, when I produced a hedge of enormous size but no tubers, and have been itching to harvest them, but frightened of what might (Not) be there. Having read that you can start to harvest from when the flowers appear, I rather cautiously shoved my hand down into one of the bags and being careful not to disturb anything groped around. Imagine my surprise when I found this little beauty, not the saucepan but the tuber.

It made my day but as I have meals for the next few days there is nothing to do with it, into the fridge with you! I will check them out again at the weekend. Curiosity did get the better of me and I found a few more, as long as I get more than 30 potatoes from all the bags I’ve got back more than I planted although at a cost of about £35 for the seeds and the compost and the bags I need about 3 tonnes of spuds to make it worthwhile. At least I can use the bags again, and the compost, soon as the pots are up I’m planting Lettuce and Chard. Perhaps this means that I’m a “Proper” Gardener now.

I do have Peas and Broad Beans showing,

These pix are on maximum zoom, but look promising, also my tomatoes have fruit forming and it’s only June 1^st.

Just put the straw under my strawberries, I thinned the plants out last year and moved them around, also got some in pots

Blackcurrants are coming on as well, and starting to turn

And the Grapes are forming nicely

I never had much success with veg before, it must be the soil, or perhaps I’m just more focused on technique, and I do mostly remember to water, even though we’re on a meter.

I will be back later with part 2 of this, but hunger calls, also I need to take more pix.