Gardener's World with Paraic Horkan NDH

Time for the main croppers.

The days of growing a year’s supply of eating potatoes is rapidly declining for rural dwellers both great interest still abounds for growing some early and maincrop potatoes.
The range of both early and maincrop potatoes is increasing each season with flavour and disease resistance to the fore.
Maincrop potatoes are grown for their heavy yields in late summer and autumn and many varieties are ideal for storing during the winter and spring months.

Horky’s choice.

Varieties like ‘kerrs pink’, ‘records’, ‘rooster’ and ‘golden wonders’ will always be sought out but consider growing something a little different this season with beautiful varieties like ‘Desiree’, ‘King Edwards’, ‘maris piper’, ‘Picassos’ and ‘Pentland Squire’.

‘Desiree’ is one of the world’s most popular red skinned potatoes; the growth is bushy on this variety which makes it ideal for windy locations. The tubers are large with waxy yellow-fleshed tubers, which are ideal for boiling.

‘Maris piper’ is the chipper spud with its large tubers and heavy yields once fried the flesh turns to a crispy finish with a super flavour. This is a second early and ideal to plant before the maincrop varieties.

‘Pentland squire’ is an early main cropper or can be eaten earlier when the tubers are smaller to get a sweet early potato taste.
The tubers are oval with white flesh.

Horkys tip: Plant your tubers directly into well prepared ground and cover the drills with black polythene, which will act as an insulator trapping the warm sunshine and encouraging stronger growth.
The polythene will also prevent greening of the tubers and remove the need to earth up the developing tubers. Weed control will also be provided by the polythene.
A word of warning add draza slug pellets under the polythene to kill off offending slugs.

‘King Edward’ still one of the most popular maincrop seed potatoes, the flesh is creamy white and floury a super eating variety and ideal for roasting.
The tubers are large when well grown.

Horkys tip: Apply a dressing of sulphate of potash during the late summer when the tubers are forming. Potash helps to give dryer matter to the tubers and helps the tubers store better through winter.

Maincrop potatoes should be planted now in well-prepared soil where composted farmyard manure or granulated fertiliser has been added.
Select a well-drained sunny site for your crop and keep an eye for blight warnings from June onwards.

Gardening tips for March.

Plant dwarf apple trees this month; look out for the excellent coronet varieties, which are Irish grown for our gardening climate. Coronet fruit as young trees and are available in many varieties.

Plant up patio planters, window boxes and grave planters with instant colour including pansies, primulas, polyanthus, spring heathers, and spring bulbs. All are now available for planting.

Summer flowering geraniums, petunias in mixed colours, busy lizzies, border and trailing lobelias are all available in strong plugs ready for planting.

Look for the beautiful yellow petunia called prism a real winner for patio tubs.

Trailing fuchsias, petunias, million bells and verbenas are all available for potting up now. All are ideal for hanging baskets, window boxes and patio tubs.

Look for new certified seed potatoes including king Edwards, Desiree, maris peer, rocket and Winston. All good reliable varieties for our soil type.

Sow vegetable and herb seed now and plant sturon onion sets and garlic directly into the garden.

Tackle lawn moss now with a dressing of lawn moss killer and apply levington lawn extra as a follow up treatment.

Plant up timber barrels or large patio planters with flowering camellias, flowering azaleas and dwarf rhododendrons.

Plant asparagus crowns into well manured soil now.

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

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