Grow
Potatoes
Originally from South America, potatoes were adopted so enthusiastically in Europe that they became the staple food of many European peasant populations. And, up to fifty years ago, potatoes made up a substantial proportion of the Australian diet. Their dominance only began to fade after World War Two.
Potatoes were first brought to Australia in 1788 on the First Fleet. By the early 1800s they were being grown in abundance in the young colony.
In 1830 the first shipment of Tasmanian potatoes arrived in New South Wales. The island state quickly established itself as the premier supplier of superior spuds.
Potatoes used to be grown in just about every Australian backyard but their popularity in the garden has waned, just as it has in the kitchen. This is a shame because potatoes are easy to grow and fun to try. And, if you’re establishing a new garden, it’s worth reviving the old custom of planting potatoes to break up the soil.
In the first Yates Garden Guide (1895), Arthur Yates supplied a full page of instructions on potato culture. "Few crops require so much potash as potatoes,’ he wrote, subsequently recommending adding ‘wood ashes or other potash manure’ to the bed.
Fortunately these days we don’t have to resort to spreading ashes. We can keep potatoes growing happily by adding Thrive Complete Fertiliser to the soil before planting, then watering plants regularly with Thrive Soluble Flower & Fruit. Thrive Flower & Fruit is ideal because it has a high potash content that’s balanced with nitrogen, phosphorus and minor nutrients.
It’s best to buy the certified disease-free seed potatoes that are available at this time of year, but you can choose healthy potatoes from your vegie drawer. Leave small tubers intact but cut larger ones into two or three pieces, each with at least two buds (called ‘eyes’). Harden off the pieces in a shady spot for a week or two before planting.
Potato plants need very little care but, as the plants grow, the soil can be mounded up around the base. Some experts instead recommend mulching heavily with organic compost.
Watch out for sap-sucking aphids on the young growth. They can be controlled with low toxic Confidor. Yates organic Natrasoap will treat most other insect pests.
Fungal blights are most likely to attack in damp weather. They start off as leaf spots and can lead to rotting of the entire tuber. Treat with Yates Leaf Curl Copper Fungicide (Copper oxychloride).
‘Bandicooting’ – extracting small tubers from under the plants – will produce enough baby spuds for a few meals, but potatoes for storage should be dug after the plants have died down at the end of the season. Discard any with green skins – they may contain a poison.
After flowering, potatoes sometimes develop small, tomato-like fruits. These aren’t edible, so should be removed and discarded.
Don’t have room for a potato bed? Try growing your spuds in a large pot or a four-high stack of old tyres.
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