Evening,
Not sure if you can/do watch country file but the have just answered my question about taking sea weed, the documented that the growers of Jersey Royals take lots of "skank" sea weed they layer it on the fields for 4-5 weeks then turn it in and plant the seed potatoes, they also said that they "chit" the potatoes, when you chit potatoes you get a stem which you plant facing up, they break these off which "panics" the potato and they get a larger yeld!!!
Not sure if you can do this with all potatoes but thought i'd share this with you all, those of you whom know this thanks for reading :) for you newbees hope this helps ;)
Seaweed was widely used in potato beds in Western Ireland and the Scottish Isles too... not much around here.. :'(
There are many debates about chitting... reducing the number of sprouts tends to give fewer bigger spuds.. but a lower total yeild ( but if you are growing for market you don't want smaller 'outgrades') Overall it makes most difference with earlies.. :-\
I saw that programme too! Very interesting, sooo many potatoes in their chitting room!!! Weirdly I had just bought some international kidneys from the garden centre!
I loved the way they were using the slopes for planting- it looked almost like fun! One question I do have- do potato growers rotate? And if so, with what?
Quote from: gwynnethmary on January 25, 2010, 09:21:53
I loved the way they were using the slopes for planting- it looked almost like fun! One question I do have- do potato growers rotate? And if so, with what?
Those that supply the seed potatoes don't grow spuds in the same field again until after 7? years have passed. Scotland is our main supplier (?), perhaps they grow raspberries after the spuds?