Perfect Potatoes:

If you are quick you can still plant your potatoes now for Christmas dinner, there is nothing more scrumptious than freshly dug new potatoes from your own garden, boiled with mint and drenched with melted butter, cracked black pepper and rock salt, or try "beurre noisette" (butter that is cooked over a high heat, stiring constantly, untill the milk solids turn golden-brown) pour the butter over the cooked potatoes in the serving bowl, this gives a wonderful nutty flavour to the butter.
What a wonderful Christmas gift idea also, beautiful baskets of freshly dug potatoes from your own garden.... truly a gift from your heart that everyone will love!
Potatoes can be planted once the weather starts to warm the soil, or in northern regions any time of the year.

Notes from our Kings Growing Guide:

History:

The history of the potato can be traced back 1800 years to the remote Sierras of the high Peruvian Andes. It was successfully grown as a staple food by the Incas at altitudes of 4500 metres. The potato was brought to Europe in the 1500's where it became a valued staple food. Potatoes have been blamed for causing leprosy, fevers, and mass migrations following the failure of the Irish potato crop. In recent years the culinary value of potato has risen, with chefs and the general public becoming more discerning about their varieties and uses.

Growing Your Own Potatoes:

If you want the best choice of the freshest potatoes, you really need to grow your own. Potatoes are grown from small tubers known as 'seed potatoes' As soon as you purchase your seed potatoes, place them in a dark position
(a cupboard) for a week or two to allow young shoots to form.

Planting & Feeding:

When it is time to plant, work in lots of compost with the soil to at least a spade depth, this improves soil structure. Plant seed potatoes 5 cm deep and 30 cm apart, in rows about 75 cm apart.
Dig your trenches about 15cm deep, mounding the removed soil between the trenches.
Fertilise using Burnet’s Potato Food, spreading it along the trench at about 1/4 of a cup (100grm) per mt and covering it with about 5cm of soil from the sides. Place the tubers about 30cm apart and cover with soil, then adding a further 100grm of fertiliser per mt along the planting row.
As sprouts emerge, rake soil up around the stem of the potato to prevent greening. Early crops should mature in 3-4 months, and are ready when the potatoes are about the size of an egg.
Potatoes can also be grown in pots and grow bags. Be sure to water and feed them well.
In the vege garden, old tires can be stacked up to create mounds for you potatoes.

Varieties:

(note that potatoes are subject to seasonal availability, however in Auckland potatoes can be grown all year round.)

First Early Varieties

Cliffs Kidney
A lovely waxy potato available pre-Christmas. Suited to boiling.
Jersey Bennes
An old English variety, pre-Christmas, waxy, suitable for boiling.
Maris Anchor
Another early potato available pre-Christmas. Waxy, suited to boiling.
Rocket
The quickest to mature - a mere 60 days to harvest. Waxy and best boiled.

Second Early

Arran Banner
Best dug when young. Suitable for boiling, mashing and roasting.
Ilam Hardy
A good all round potato. Harvested
Pre - Christmas this variety is waxy and suited only to boiling. Allow to mature for longer for roasting and baking.
Karaka
A Pukekohe Crop Research variety bred for resistance against nematodes. Produces from February to September. A good all round potato for all kinds of cooking.
Red King
A traditional Southland potato of very fine
quality. Prefers cooler conditions and is best for boiling.

Maincrop varieties

Desiree
A good all round red potato.
Available all year. Good for baking, roasting, boiling.
Mondial
Can be planted in October, and held in to ground until the following October. High yield, suitable for boiling, mashing and baking.
Nadine
Produces from February onwards.
It is mild flavoured with a waxy texture and most suited to boiling.
Pentland Dell
Slightly firm after cooking, suitable for chips, stores well.
Red Rascal
Red skin with yellow flesh with full flavour. Floury, best for baking, roasting, mashing, and wedges.
Rua
Pleasant flavour, firm texture. Suitable for
boiling, French fries, roasting, mashing, and stores well.

Growing Tips:

Watering
Plants need to be kept well watered for the development of good potatoes, especially when the plant is flowering.
Feeding
If the soil structure is good, and well fertilised at planting time, no extra fertiliser should be needed.
Pest & Disease Control
Potatoes are most susceptible to fungal attack during wet weather. Late blight can attack in spring and autumn. If weather conditions are wet and humid then preventative spraying with a fungicide such as Yates Bravo is advisable. Rotating potato crops also helps prevent fungal diseases and nematodes. Aphids and potato moth are common insect pests of the potato, and can be controlled with a general insecticide.
Harvesting & Storing
Early crop potatoes should be eaten very soon after harvest. If you wish to store other varieties, they need to be dried, and then stored in the dark. When harvesting and drying, do not leave out overnight.
If the skin rubs off easily, the potato is not yet ready to be harvested.
Potatoes are rich in Vitamins C and B, and contain more protein and iron than other vegetables.
Cooking them in their skins prevents the loss of nutrients.

Happy Gardening