Go Potty about Potatoes!

You don't need lots of space to grow your own food. In fact to grow your very own, melt in your mouth, new potatoes all you need is a large pot (approximately 30cm x 30 cms). Any pot or container will do just as long as it's easily transportable as you may need to lift it in and out the house. Capture the imagination of your children by planting in a pot that they can customise themselves by painting, covering it brightly coloured stickers or even just wrapping it up in themed gift paper which can then be painted with a thin layer of varnish (by an adult) to make it water and weather proof.

Here's what to do next .....

• Fill a third of the container[ at least 75-100 mm ] with a multi-purpose compost onto this place two or three seed potatoes, eyes up.
• Keep in a warm well lit room, watering sparsely, when the shoots have grown to 75-100 mm almost cover with the same multi-purpose compost, just leave the top growing point exposed.
• Repeat this procedure until there is only 25-50 mm left at the top without compost, now you can soak the pot and start to feed.
• When you water now [ possibly weekly ] add a high potash fertilizer to the water at half strength.
• Tomato feeds are high potash and are suitable.
• As the weather warms up and the threat of frost is over place the pot outside for the day, bringing it in if frost threatens, Once your plants have flowered you can search for the new potatoes, teasing away the compost with your fingers.
• Finally, your potatoes will be ready to harvest about 10 weeks. Let your children dig for them. You'll be amazed how excited they can get every time they find another golden nugget hidden in the soil!

Nigel's Top Tip:
Humax, a company who sell Horticultural sundries and composts have created a range of organic composts tailored to the needs of a particular vegetable; potatoes, tomatoes, sweetcorn, salads, onions, peppers and chillies, carrot and other root crops, marrows and cucumbers. The idea is that the compost will give you just the right mixture of nutrients to ensure success , you add the plants, water and tender loving care. These composts come in handy sized bags (to use you simply place the bags on your patio and plant with the featured variety) and should be available in garden centres from this month.

Visit www.humax.co.uk

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Gearing up For Growing ...
Whether you are planning on attempting to create a full on vegetable patch or simply thinking about potting up a few herbs for your windowsill no self respecting gardener should be without a stylish pair of gloves and these little beauties available from www.sogifted.co.uk priced £24.99 are just that! The long gauntlets prevent soil slipping inside the gloves and also arms from being scratched or stung when pruning or weeding so as well as looking great they are highly practical too. For slightly cheaper yet equally eye catching adult gardening gloves visit http://www.cathkidston.co.uk and for a range of gloves for children visit www.younggardener.com

For the Heald Farm Gardening Challenge, click here