By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Many novice growers often wonder why they get small crops of potatoes in comparison to the experts and more often than not this is just down to lack of food for this hungry crop.
Potatoes want to eat before you eat them and thus they need lots of nutrition. You can achieve this in an organic away – and that is the way you should try to do all your growing as far as possible – by putting the first cut of comfrey laid in the trench under the potatoes will provide the nutrition to get potatoes off to a good start. If you plant in containers, as I do, then, well, bury it under the soil on which you put your “seed” potatoes.
On the subject of comfrey: If you make a comfrey tea it will help you to a great crop if you use it on your potatoes. The stuff is just one of the ultimate natural fertilizers for potatoes and other vegetables.
When I said “seed” potatoes earlier this does not mean those have to be specially purchased seeds. I get great results by simply planting cheap store potatoes – most of the time Sainsbury's Basics potatoes, in my case – once the have chitted somewhat. So far this method has worked well and this year I want to see how well it even works with just thick cut peelings that have eyes and sprouts.
Feeding of the potatoes is something that often gets neglected, and dare I say it, even by me. They don't just needs water and even if you have used good soil and added compost they can always do with another good mouthful of food.
© 2011
