I must admit it has been wet, but my raised vegetable gardens help with drainage, and I have already planted my early potatoes.
Early-crop potatoes usually take 90 – 100 days before they’re ready to harvest.
While I prefer to plant Swift for my early crop, I have used Rocket and Cliff Kidney.
I am lucky I don’t get frosts where I live, and I have great soil, so I do look forward to lovely freshly dug potatoes come December!
I have had remarkable success with Swift, so I just stick to planting what I know likes my garden conditions and produces well.
Rocket, which seems to be another favourite with gardeners, is the fastest-growing potato, ready to harvest at about 90 days.
It is a great potato to grow in containers and is good for boiling.
It is early to plant my potatoes, I know, but I like to have them close to harvest before the chance of psyllid (a tiny sap-sucking insect) attacking them.
Last week, I wrote about keeping a journal or diary to keep track of the varieties you try.
This is an ideal time to try planting some new varieties of potatoes for your main crop, keeping notes in your journal of successes, along with failures.
Why not try a few different varieties and colours of potatoes, such as some of the Māori potatoes (Taewa)?
These potatoes are generally smaller and more knobbly, but come in the most gorgeous colours, from soft pink to dark purple.
Taewa are potatoes that have been grown by Māori for at least 200 years, as they are easy to grow in all areas of New Zealand.
Some of the varieties were chosen due to their prolonged storage life, which was once a key factor in deciding what was to be grown and stored in the pātaka (storage house).
I am seeing more becoming available and many of my friends are trying them for the first time.
Many of these are specific traditional varieties including Moemoe, Huakaroro and Karuparera.
Harvest time for these is about 120 days.
Plant in September for a Christmas harvest.
When the foliage starts to die down, it is time for the harvest to begin.
A few varieties you might like to try:
Whataroa
This is an early variety of potato that can be harvested at 110 days.
Light brown to purple skin with creamy-purple flesh.
Great to be used as wedges, chips or oven-baked.
Urenika
A long, yam-like potato with thin purple skin and deep purple flesh, which contains higher levels of phytonutrients than normal potatoes.
The thin skin makes them perfect for boiling and steaming.
Moemoe
Great all-purpose potato, fantastic for chipping, boiling, and baking.
Its firmer texture means it keeps its shape after being boiled.
Light purple-pink skin with creamy flesh.
This potato has a prolonged storage life.
Huakaroro
This is a cream-coloured potato with creamy flesh and an oval, round shape.
Perfect for boiling, and it can be stored for a prolonged period.
Karuparera
This is an ideal potato for salads and boiling.
It is round in shape with dark purple skin, white eyes, and cream flesh.
About 120 days to harvest.
Potatoes are such a good staple to have in the house and are well worth growing.
Nothing is nicer than the taste of a freshly harvested garden potato.
Happy gardening.
