Potato

When to plant/sow in zone:

Requirements: Full sun position; medium water needs

Soil: Well-drained soil enriched with compost and/or well-rotted manure or organic pellets.

How to start: SEED: Buy certified seed potatoes, which are whole potatoes that are disease free. Similar to tomatoes, potatoes can be 'determinate' (growing to a set height) and 'indeterminate' (grows continuously, with potatoes forming along the stems). Plant as they are or sprout them first - this is known as 'chitting'. Keep them out of direct sunlight until they start sprouting. Prior to planting, when sprouts are 3-5cm long, remove all but 2 sprouts. IN GROUND: Create trenches 20cm deep and wide, spacing rows 30-35cm apart. Space potatoes 30cm apart and cover potatoes with 10-15cm of soil. IN POTS / BAGS: Add a 10-15cm layer of compost or potting mix mixed with a small handful of organic fertiliser pellets to the bottom. Place 3-4 potatoes on top and cover with potting mix. Water. As the shoots and leaves grow, cover them with more potting mix and/or compost, rolling up the sides of the bag. Continue this until the bag is full.

How to grow: Keep moist and mulch with straw. If growing indeterminate varieties, mound soil, compost or mulch around the plants as they grow. Potatoes will grow along the stems that are covered. If growing determinate varieties there's no need to cover the stems as they grow. Apply seaweed solution fortnightly.

When to harvest: Harvest when flowers appear, usually from about 12 weeks. Harvest the entire crop by digging carefully with a garden fork, or 'bandicoot' potatoes as you need them, leaving the rest of the plant intact.

Troubleshooting: Aphids; thrips; whitefly; scab; bacterial wilt