Gardener's World with Paraic Horkan NDH

Top new potatoes from Horkans.

Potato varieties like epicure, Arran comet, pentland, rocket, Winston, maris peer and pentland crown are varieties which up until this season were admired in colourful catalogue's put impossible to get.
Thanks to Horkans Garden Centre in Castlebar many popular varieties will be added to this season.

Horkys tip: Select your early seed potatoes now to avoid disappointment in mid spring.

Some of the best.

Flavour is all-important when growing early varieties of seed potatoes. Freshly dug early varieties packed with flavour include " epicure " with its smooth white flesh, firm creamy flesh and that deliciously distinctive flavour.
" Pentland javelin " is another white fleshed potato with that well remembered first early potato flavour. Excellent cropper and resistant to eelworm.

Grow for taste.

Early potatoes are renowned for that new potato taste, full of flavour, and so easy to grow. The yield is lower than maincrop varieties but the flavour is superb and the space needed for a good return is far less. Early varieties are ready for lifting when traditionally potato prices are high.
There is no comparison in terms of flavour between freshly dug new potatoes and those, which are available in greengrocers. New potatoes lose their flavour very quickly after been dug, as they are not fully mature when lifting. The flavour is far better if cooked shortly after lifting from the garden.

Look this season for "Catriona" a second early packed with superb flavour. Catriona is an excellent choice to plant along side early varieties to prolong the season. The tuber is long and oval and the flesh is yellow.

Home made chips.

We all love home made chips but the best variety of chip potato is "Maris peer " an excellent second early with heavy yields and a super crisp skin when cooked. This variety has excellent disease resistance.

Soil preparation.

Potatoes are hungry feeders and appreciate ground that has been enriched with organic matter in the form of farmyard manure or garden compost.
Choose a sunny spot if possible and avoid frost pockets and sprinkle growmore fertiliser over the soil before planting out.

Horkys tip: If slug damage is a problem dress with draza slug killer when planting and add an extra dressing of draza in late April if wet weather persists.

Tried and tested varieties.

Duke of York has remained one of the most popular varieties; the flavour of this particular variety is one of the finest of all the first earlies.
Kidney shaped potatoes are produced from late June onwards with a yellow coloured flesh.

Horkys tip: Plant a series of salad crops including lettuce, cabbage, onions, radish and kohlrabi. Which will give plenty to cut in late summer.

Sharpes express is another good choice for the heavier soil type. Excellent flavour from the kidney shaped white fleshed potatoes. This variety is 100 years old and with its high dry matter its ideal for chips or roasties.

Sharpes express give a good return and the tubers store well for use over a longer period or can be used as baby potatoes by lifting early.

May queens are one of the oldest and most popular early varieties, super flavour and excellent return make this a popular variety every year.

Horkys tip: After planting your row of first earlies, cover the ridge with a layer of black polythene. Sprinkle draza slug pellets under the polythene, as the potatoes begin to grow cut slits to allow the stems to grow through. This avoids the need for earthing up, you can lift the developing tubers a few at a time. The polythene keeps the tubers warmer and moist which is all-important for early potatoes. Weeds will also be kept at bay. Give it a go this season.

Certified seed potatoes are now available for sprouting.

Remember Horkans Garden Centres in Sligo and Castlebar are open seven days Sunday 2 to 6pm. horky@iol.ie

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