Planting Kestral potatoes

Easter Sunday, 8th April 2012.

Joe's draw hoe

Chitted potatoes

Planting stage 1

Planting stage 2

Having watched Gardeners' World earlier, I'm told that Easter is the time to plant potatoes, so today's the day! I decided to plant the Kestral 2nd earlies today, so I've put 8 into my square bed. Monty Don said he used a mattock (although it didn't look like what I'd call a mattock) to make his trenches, but I don't have one - instead I used another inheritance, Joe's draw hoe, and this did a great job. To allow room for earthing up, I actually removed a bit of the top soil before I started, otherwise I think the bed may have overflowed!

Planting plan

Amy has claimed Beds 1 and 4 as "hers" so these are likely to have strawberries, sweetcorn (lots!), potatoes, runner beans and the broad beans she planted at school.

Bed 2: Cabbage, Lupin, Sprout (but no Dumbledore ;-)
Bed 3: Beetroot, Parsnip, Carrot
Bed 5: Courgette, Onion, Lettuce, Spinach
Bed 6: Potato

I came up with this plan after consulting websites such as http://www.allotment.org.uk/ and the book "Reader's Digest - Food from you Garden" which I inherited from my maternal grandparents, published in 1977. I've used this book many, many times since I've had it as it has excellent, old-fashioned tips and recipes for cooking and preserving fruit and veg. I recently saw a reprint of it (available here) and would thoroughly recommend it to any would-be gardener or cook.