Time to Grow Potatoes

This will be our third growing season. Seeds for this summer's crops have already been ordered, some of them from Garden Organic (www.gardenorganic.org.uk). They have been chosen by Stephen Mason our school gardener (www.greenspacemanagement.net.) The most unusual thing Steve has picked out is a pine berry, it's a white strawberry with red seeds that tastes intensely of pineapple.

We all love potatoes and they are one of first things you can plant even when the ground is still quite cold. Our seed potatoes are in the potting shed and ready for chitting.

Chitting means allowing sprouts to form in a dry frost free place. This helps the tubers (seed potatoes) get off to a good start. Just remember to plant them with the shoots pointing up not down! We will plant them in March and harvest them in June or July.

Digging up potatoes is like finding buried treasure under ground. Last year we grew enough potatoes to feed the whole school (well for one school dinner anyway).