Time to sow spuds

excuse the grainy quality it was late!

Friday turned into an accidental spud sowing day, I actually hadn't planned to do it until Paddy's day next Saturday but when Seamus got back from work I had two spud beds cleared of old spinach, self seeded oregano, bronze fennel and verbascum. There were surprisingly few weeds! Its not often you get to say that.

chitting had gone well

So into the first bed went the first Earlie's using a good dollop of manure for each one and the leg of the pot system to get the most from the space available in each bed. It was lovely to get them out of the kitchen and into the ground and to be honest I look forward to new spuds more than any other crop, well why wouldn't I? I'm Irish!

The second bed is now full of second Earlie's. I know technically you wait two weeks after the first Earlie's before putting them in but to hell with it! I often lose track of time and end up putting them in much later.Both these beds are in the older part of the veg garden so they are 3.3 ft x 16.5 ft. Enough spuds to keep us going from June to August.

Mayan twilight seed potatoes

The main crops are in the fridge. I got so fed up of them sprouting in the bag that I had to put a stop to it! My main crops will be King Edward, Toluca and Tibet. I went through the last of my stored Mayan Twilight from last year and found some good sound seed potatoes that are just beginning to sprout. They are actually a very attractive piebald spud, if there is such a thing. Despite their being on every eel worms menu I will give them another go. They are definitely going in within 2 weeks as their yields last year were low and the spud sizes small, despite the excellent flavour. I think I put them in too late.

Now all that remains is to finish clearing spud bed no 3 of strawberries, chives and briers. The briers are proving surprising easy to remove but they are deadly to tangle with and I'm looking more wild woman of the woods than polished professional after wrestling with them on Friday. Still we plough on!!

Sprouting Mayan Twilight-good looking spuds!!