Long Term Weather Forecast
The long term brings changeable weather conditions as Atlantic frontal systems are spreading across the British isles, though drier and brighter interludes will be expected. The rainfall will typically be heaviest in the northwest, with less likely rain in sheltered eastern areas. Some parts of the southeast may stay dry. On high ground in the north, some snow is possible at times. Winds will probably be strong at times, with some risk of gales. Temperatures are likely to be above average.
How to Grow Spuds Biodynamically
There is nothing better than growing your spuds yourself biodynamically to get that axtra bonus of flavour and nutrition out of them, particularly if you chose rarer and more original varieties.
Have you ever had anybody say: “those taste like the potatoes I ate at my grandmothers when I was a child!” when they ate your homegrown potatoes?
I had that experience often, even when growing them, in a wet climate in Wales.
Origin of Potatoes
The Potato slowly evolved into its current form in the South American Andean highlands between Peru and Bolivia.
The climate of the Andes is light-filled, with hot days and cool nights and very low humidity.
Their soils on the side of the hills are well drained often volcanic with a very balanced nutrient supply.
It’s said that the most flavoursome, nutritious and disease resistant potatoes are grown in sandy soils, rich in silica, perfectly imitating the climate of the potato’s original environment.
You might ask, how can we emulate the same in a wetter, dull and less sunny climate in Britain, particularly if you were on a heavier soil?
The most challenging soils are the silty soils, as they act like clay, but are poor in nutrients and very temperamental concerning getting too wet or too dry.
Improving Growing Conditions
In any heavy soils, drainage is essential. I usually grow the potatoes in raised beds, rich in humus. Humus is a clay, silicate complex, which derives its silica from compost made from materials rich in lignins and cellulose (brown, carbonatious materials).
Beds, conditioned with compost treated with biodynamic preparations or Mäusdorfer, rich in stable, base saturated humus (Stains hands black when you touch it), are ideal to grow healthy potatoes. This compost tempers the soil, avoiding extreme conditions and provides therefore the best growing conditions for potatoes also concerning their need for good nutrition.
The best organic material to make compost for potato tubers and root crops is kitchen waste, leaves and hedge prunings, hoof and horn meal or pig manure, rich in potassium (K) and phosphorous and relatively low in nitrogen.
The aim in growing healthy and nutritious potatoes is to keep nitrogen rich materials to a minimum, except in early spring, when we want to grow them on fast.
Preparing Potatoes for Planting
For our first early and second early potatoes planted end of February and middle of March, it is highly recommendable to chit the potatoes. Chitting potatoes means to sprout them in a warm place in the house for a couple of weeks before planting them.
Put them in an open crate in a warm, lightfilled environment, placing them “rose end” up (part with most of the shoots ).
The main season potatoes don’t need chitting in my experience as they will grow on very fast the earth having warmed up sufficiently.
Use ideally healthy potatoes of a medium size egg (1oz=28grams of weight).
If you have bigger potatoes, before planting, cut them down the middle and dip the flesh in a mix of woodash and soot or basalt powder.
To condition the soil, add some fresh woodash or slaked (hydraulidsed lime) at a rate of 150-200 grams/m2 (1-2 handful) into the furrows, which were filled with a bucket/m2 of a half-rotted compost (see above) and spray the soil activator (500), when planting.
Types and Varieties of Potatoes
When planting the potatoes consider if they are determinate or indeterminate potatoes.
Determinate potatoes tend to produce a single layer of tubers, which develop just under the surface layer of the soil. Generally, and because they grow close to the surface, it’s best if a mulch is applied around the base of the plants to prevent the tubers from “greening”. Although they don’t really need to be “earthed up” as such, being close to the surface can expose the potatoes to sunlight, causing them to produce chlorophyll, which in turn makes them toxic and unsafe to eat.
The plants are also much shorter than Indeterminate varieties and have sturdier stems. Other distinct differences include their growing time frame. Determinate potatoes produce much earlier crops, some varieties maturing in as little as 65-70 days from planting the seed potatoes. However, not all early potato varieties are classified as Determinate. These fast growing plants are ideal for climates, which may have a short growing season. Another distinguishing factor is the potatoes tend to be smaller than Indeterminate varieties and produce fewer tubers.
List of some of the most popular determinate potatoes
- Rocket
- Pentland Javelin
- Premiere
- Estima
- Kestrel
- Vivaldi
- Marfona
- Wilja
- Carlingford
- Anya
Indeterminate potatoes will form tubers at several levels. The tubers will generally be larger than determinate varieties and are much heavier cropping. As the plants grow, soil will need to be drawn up around the stems to encourage the production of more tubers and to protect them from exposure to sunlight. This process of “earthing up” also helps to provide support to the long flimsy stems, which are taller and more prone to collapse than their determinate counterparts.
The growing period for Indeterminate potato varieties is quite long in comparison to Determinate. The full time period from seed potato planting to harvesting is more likely to be around 90-120 days. However, some mid-season varieties will mature at around 70-90 days. Indeterminate potato varieties are well-suited to growing in potato bags and deep containers, where additional soil can be added as the plants grow.
List of some of the most popular indeterminate potatoes
- Cara
- Desiree
- King Edward
- Maris Piper
- Picasso
- Rooster
- Valor
- Nicola
- Pentland Squire
Planting Potatoes
When planting chitted potatoes cover shoots with the compost and the surrounding soil to protect from potential frosts.
The earliest planting is traditionally end of February to end of March, followed by second early planting end of March until middle of April. Plant maincrops from mid April to late April.
You can get now varieties, which you can plant in July to harvest as small potatoes for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
Plant when the moon is in a light/air constellation of the Gemini (Twins), the Libra (Scales) or with the moon Apogee, furthest away from the Earth. Best results for tasty and more disease resistant potatoes.
Potatoes are flowers under the Earth, botanically speaking. They are not roots but they are tubers.
I’d suggest you experiment to grow and earth up potatoes with woodchips or finely chipped prunings.
I had very good results with that method last year and it built soil.
Maintenance
Spray 2-3 days before full moon with horsetail preparation (508) and earth up the potatoes every two to three weeks.
Spray the Horn Silica preparation (501) when the first flowers develop. When they are the flowering, is the time the formation of the tubers happens in the soil.
Pick the flowers every few days to increase the growth of the tubers rather than fruit.
Spray the Horn Silica preparation a 2. time 2 weeks before harvesting, when the haulms are starting to brown.
Storage
Only maincrop potatoes can be stored either in a clamp or a root cellar.
Grow Your Own Seed Potatoes
If you want to grow your own seed potatoes take a 1 ½ oz (40gram) potato and cut out 3- 4 triangles, each one with a bud or two and dip in the mix (see above) and plant in rows 1 ½ foot apart and 1 ft distance in the row. This will produce perfect seed potatoes for the next year.
Treat them with the biodynamic preparations like you would do for your eating potatoes.
Enjoy them in the form mashed, baked, cooked and air fried potatoes.
Health advice given by nutritionisst. Moderate or reduce the consumption of potatoes, if you have tendencies to develop auto immune diseases or have disposition for cellular overgrowth and are prone to rheumatoid arthritis.
Happy Lent and gardening
Hans-Günther
