Put potatoes

When the potato weed comes out of the ground, you can start mounding. The purpose of this work is to promote the formation of tubers, loosen the soil and prevent weed growth. It also prevents new daughter tubers from growing out of the soil and then turning green and inedible due to exposure to light. Alternatively, the potato bed can be mulched.

The right time to harvest potatoes depends on many factors (variety, ripening group, soil, weather and plant health), but in turn has a great influence on the taste and storability of the potatoes - and not least, of course, on the yield. As a rule of thumb, harvest the potatoes about 14 days after the above-ground haulm has died.

Early March is the time to start forcing early potatoes. This measure brings the harvest forward by up to 14 days and also leads to higher yields, partly because the pre-sprouted potatoes already have thicker tubers than those that have not been pre-sprouted when late blight sets in - which is often unavoidable. The exact choice of date depends on the planned planting date and should be four to five weeks before it (usually the second week of April).