FRUIT & VEG
FRUIT
At the present we have a range of Fruit Trees, Apples, Pears, Plumbs & Cherries.
These are available as Bush, 1/2 standard trees, & Fan trained espaliers for walls.
POTATOES 2012
We will again have SEED POTATOES from Irish Potatoe Marketing.
For detailed variety information and Recipes see www.ipm.ie
Growing instructions see www.ipm.ie/the-gardener
First early; Orla ~ Sharpe's Express ~ Duke of York ~ Home Guard
Second early/early maincrop; British Queen
Maincrop; Rooster ~ Cara ~ Druid ~ Setanta ~ Sarpo Mira
ORGANICS; The best varieties for organic production are, Orla ~ Setanta ~ Druid ~ Cara ~
Growing your own potatoes is remarkably satisfying and not at all much trouble. It is important not to take too much on.
Growing instructions.
Choose an open sunny site with good air movement but not too windy or exposed either, an enclosed area tends to hold damp air which increases disease. Choose a weed free area with good fertile soil, with well rotted manure dug in, too much manure will increase the slug population, and we dont want to encourage them.
Decide on your varieties First Earlies are worth sprouting, this will bring on the harvest as much as 3 weeks early.
First Earlies which are planted in March for harvesting in June and July. Second Earlies which are sown in april for harvesting in July and August. Main Crop which are planted in late April to early May and harvested in late August and through to October.
Planting is very easy the best way is to make a V shape trench to the depth of 15cm (6in). Space the seeds 30cm (12in) for First Earlies and 50cm (20in) for Second Earlies and Main Crop.
Cover the seed potatoes with the soil to make the drills. This is called "earthing up" this protects the shoots from frost and hungry slugs, and it will encourage new tubers to form. Keep "earthing up" while the shoots are growing until the mound is about 30cm (12in) high. Potatoes are hungry and thirsty plants so water in dry spells and use a good fertilizer that is high in potash every week or so. If the tubers dry out they will not grow to full size. Try and weed regularly. A good indicator of when they are ready to harvest is when they start to flower, this means the tubers have reached their maximum size and will not grow anymore.
Now all that is left is to harvest, take a fork and dig to the side of the drill and at the same time gently tug on the stem of the plant at the same time you dig this will help loosen the tubers from the soil. Remember the tubers can grow deep so always dig a little deeper to find the hidden baby potatoes.
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Gro-sure VEGETABLE SEEDS
This year we are offering offering the Gro-sure range of Vegetable Seeds from Unwins, which embrace the latest seed technology, to give better disease and pest resistance (club root resistant brassica's)
click this link link for details www.Gro-sure
