New potatoes ~ what utter deliciousness but at one point I thought that I might be counting my 2010 harvest on one hand. I thought that the potatoes were going to be the equivalent of last year's tomato failure. I have not grown potatoes in the ground before but this year having extra growing space at the allotment, I made the decision to plant two raised beds up with potatoes. My earlies are the tasty 'Lady Crystl' which I was introduced to last year by my lottie neighbours. The first disaster that befell them was when they were caught by the late frost we had in May. Oh how sad they looked having previously looked most healthy and vigorous. More experienced lottie neighbours advised that they would perk up and catch up but they have not flourished since. They limped along, did not gain much height and never flowered. Some of this may well be down to the drought we experienced in June and my haphazard watering regime.
All the tomes I read advised that you can start harvesting once the flowers are done and dusted. What if you never get flowers? There is no advice for those for those of whose who are in this predicament. Still I had a rummage or two and to my surprise have unearthed quite a few tubers which have proved more than edible. The good news is that there are still more to come and although there are certainly not enough to see us through the winter or to fill the hessian sack I bought in anticipation, there are more than I thought there would be. In the meantime I am pleased to say that the other bed, planted with the maincrop' 'Pink Fir Apple', is faring much better and I am looking forward to the tasting thereof.
The post title is a reference to a chidhood counting rhyme which some of you may be familiar with. I wonder it is known outside the U.K.
"One potato, two potato, three potato, four
Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more
One potato, two potato, three potato, four
Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more"
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