National Potato Day – Grow Your Own

Grow your own potatoes with our easy tips

Here at The Q Cafe Company our Chairman, Donal Moore, is a bit of a legend when it comes to his garden and growing vegetables. His homegrown potatoes are something to behold. The potato has many health benefits containing vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, fibre and much more. Many people feel a bit intimidated at the prospect of growing their own vegetables but as Donal says, you can even grow the humble spud at home in a pot!

To commemorate National Potato Day and Donal’s delicious home grown produce, here are a few of his top tips for growing potatoes…

Spring time is the best time to grow potatoes however over the winter you can manure the area you intend growing them in. Come Spring (mid-March/early April) prepare the area, manure it again and apply some other fertiliser like chicken pellets. Sow the potatoes in drills approx. 2ft apart and then cover them. As the first shoots appear after about 8 weeks always ensure you cover the shoots with soil to protect them. Potatoes sown in March/April can be harvested mid-July onwards

There is a large variety of potato seed available and really it depends on personal preferences. Some people like floury ones and others prefer wax type ones. There are first earlies/second crops and main crops. First earlies are normally the small type of potato you get in June. Second crops such as British Queens (floury) appear in July and the main crop can be harvested from August onwards.

Once harvested the whole family, neighbours and friends will love the taste of your own organic home grown potatoes with a dollop of butter. Simple, delicious.

The  Bord Bia website is a great source of information on the benefits of eating potatoes.  Why not check out http://www.potato.ie for some great recipes using our beloved spud.