Dear Fellow Gardeners,
Just a quick note to let you know that our seed potatoes and onion sets are in stock now. There is only a limited quantity available on www.greenvegetableseeds.com.
Renvyle Gardening Weekend
I also just found out that the Renvyle House Gardening Weekend will take place again this spring. It’s my favourite weekend of the year. The course runs from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th March 2022. They haven’t advertised the course yet on their website. If you are interested you can call Renvyle House Hotel directly on [email protected] or 095 46100
Growing Potatoes
First Early:
Plant in tunnel in late January/February and harvest in late May/June
Plant outdoors in mid March and harvest July/August
Spacing: 25cm in drill (drills widely spaced so you can earth up)
Second Early:
Plant outdoors from mid March to mid April and harvest late August to October. These will also store for a couple of months
Spacing: 30cm in drill (drills widely spaced so you can earth up)
Maincrop:
Plant outdoors in mid April and harvest late September to October. These will store until March/April the following year
Spacing: 30cm in drill (drills widely spaced so you can earth up)
Note: There are around 10 to 17 tubers per kg depending on variety.
Varieties
BIM – Bio Impulse (Second Early)
Bio Impulse, or BIM 12-499-4 – this variety is so new it hasn’t even been properly named yet! It has purple skin and purple flesh and thus contains lots of anthocycanins, known for the positive health benefits. It has a great taste and is suitable for boiling, chipping and steaming. Good blight resistance.
It was developed from a cross with the excellent blight resistant variety Vitabella.
Premiere (First Earlies)
A first early potato which is very popular in Ireland. It has an excellent flavour and good scab and virus resistance. It has yellow skin and yellow flesh with a floury texture and excellent taste. One of my favourites.
A great all-rounder suitable for steaming, boiling, baking, mashing, roasting and frying.
Premiere potatoes can be planted in early February in a tunnel and harvested in May/June. Outdoors they can be planted from mid March to mid April and Harvested from July onwards.
Homeguard (First Earlies)
A tasty white-fleshed and white skinned variety with excellent resistance to scab. Flavour is excellent and texture is firm. Popular since the 1940’s
Homeguard potatoes can be planted in early February in a tunnel and harvested in May/June. Outdoors they can be planted from mid March to mid April and Harvested from July onwards.
Vitabella (maincrop)
A modern yellow skinned and yellow fleshed, waxy potato. Excellent flavour with great blight resistance. Ideal for roasting, boiling, chips. Not the typical Irish variety due to its waxy texture, but still one of my favourites.
Vitabella potatoes can be planted in mid April and harvest starts in September/October. Potatoes store well.
Arran Victory (maincrop)
A heritage variety from 1918 bred on the Arran Island on the West Coast of Scotland. It was named “Arran Victory” to celebrate the end of the First World War. It’s delicious steamed, roasted or mashed, but falls apart when boiled. The potatoes store well for many months and disease resistance is average, blight resistance is low but once blight hits, the foliage can be cut and removed.
Arran Victory potatoes can be planted in mid April and harvest starts in September/October. Potatoes store well.
Lily Rose (Second early)
A unique, oval-shaped, red-skinned and red-fleshed potato with a creamy texture and delicious taste. Very striking tubers. Developed in the Netherlands. Slightly susceptible to blight – so an early planting and early harvesting may be necessary.
Lily Rose potatoes can be planted from late March to mid April and harvested from July to September.
Onion Sets – Sturon
The standard variety for maincrop onions, producing high yields of medium-sized bulbs. Sturon has good resistance to bolting and stores well. Store onion sets in a dry place in a single layer until planting.
Planting: mid March to early April
Spacing: 10cm x 25cm
Onion Sets – Red Baron
The standard red variety producing large bulbs with blood-red colour skin and wonderful flavour. I would recommend to plant them only in early April as they are prone to bolting. Store onion sets in a dry place in a single layer until planting.
Planting: late March to mid April
Spacing: 10cm x 25cm
Happy Gardening,
Klaus
