My seed potato order arrived yesterday. These above are Charlotte. They are a second early potato, taking around 12-14 weeks to mature from planting. I usually put in a first early for the newest of new potatoes, and a second early to follow on. Charlotte is a favourite, not only for its taste and texture - wonderful in a salad or hot with a bit of naughty butter (ok, a LOT of butter!) but also because if you leave a few in the ground you will get some big enough for that great gourmet delicacy, new potato chips. We don't eat many chips but real home made chips made from Charlotte potatoes are a wonderful thing and a highlight of the growing year!
These are my first earlies - Lady Crystle. This is another favourite for its fantastic flavour. Yields are not bad either. In a couple of weeks time I'm going to put some of these in shrub tubs (3 to a tub) in the cold greenhouse. I'll start with about 4" of soil then add the potatoes and top up with another 2" of soil. I'll lag the tubs with bubble wrap and top them with fleece at night. I did this a couple of years ago on Feb 12th and was rewarded with a good quantity of new potatoes to eat in May. It's usually early July from a March planting in the ground. I have about 3 dozen tubers of each variety so there will be plenty for summer eating. I also have my own variety raised from true seed, some of which will also go into tubs. Can you tell I love potatoes?
My early January sowing of chillies are doing quite well. They are Cayenne. I think another couple of weeks will see them ready to pot into individual module cells.
8 comments:
I don't know whether to buy seed potatoes or take my chances with organic ones from the specialty store. Decisions, decisions. . .
You're so on with the peppers.
All those spuds, just lovely! Wish I had more space for potatoes. Nothing better then potatoes fresh from the ground.
Mmm, chilli plants look nice and strong. Given that however few plants you grow to maturity you will end up with a surfeit of fruits (how do I know that, giggle), did you know you can freeze them whole (store in a plastic box) and then use them directly out of the freezer for the rest of the year?
I know they can be frozen Bilbo, but I've never done it. I tend to make the glut into Chilli Jam (with tomatoes and ginger) or dry them.
Flummery, would appreciate advise (aka instruction) on drying the chili's.
I'm not always 100% comfortable with freezing surplus produce - something feels wrong with using so much electricity to keep the dratted stuff cold and that goes against the some of the ethic of GYOing, if that makes sense?
I can only tell you what I do! I select good ripe, firm chillies and thread them on cotton - you'll have no shortage of that I'm sure! Then I hang them in a sunny place - kitchen windowsill usually, but best to make sure it's a place that doesn't get damp - so don't steam your Christmas puds while they're drying! In a few weeks they go quite papery and are easy to crush if you want to store them in a glass jar. They look lovely!
Mmmmm, Charlotte pots, my favourite! Haven't grown potatoes for several years now, but you can't beat them straight out the ground. And that doesn't even count the excitement of mining for gold :o)
I really think it's like digging for treasure because you don't know what you've got till you push the fork in the ground!
Post a Comment