Archive for the ‘Potato Varieties’ Category

Development of Disease- and Pest-Resistant Potatoes

by Annette Welsford No Comments
USDA potatoes1

All living organisms are prone to certain diseases, not least of which is the humble potato which, by the way, is the fourth largest crop in the world after wheat, rice and corn! In fact the potato is prone to so many different diseases, and is attacked by so many lethal pests, that horticulturists have ...

Why You Should Grow Disease Resistant Potatoes

by Annette Welsford 2 Comments
01 12potdig400x276

The great Irish famine of the mid-19th century shows us how vulnerable potatoes can be when it comes to disease. Potato blight, caused by a rampant fungus caused a massive crop failure throughout Ireland, leading to famine and starvation. Many of those who survived the famine decided to emigrate to far-off lands like North America and ...

Growing and Cooking the Best Mashed Potatoes

by Annette Welsford No Comments
Mashed potato

Potatoes are a staple and potentially delicious food, although a large number of people are surprisingly unimaginative and uninventive when it comes to cooking processes.   Mashed potato is a perfect example of a dish that may be totally mundane, or marvellously cordon bleu!   At its most mundane, mashed potato is made by boiling the tuber and then ...

Grow Different Coloured Potatoes

by Annette Welsford No Comments
coloured potatoes1

Many people think of potatoes as being dull-looking, brown-skinned vegetables that you can bake, boil or fry. But not only are there numerous ways to cook the common potato, there are also a multitude of different types of potato – more than 5,000 varieties in all. Perhaps even more surprisingly, potatoes come in a myriad ...

The Best Climate for Potatoes

by Annette Welsford No Comments
coloured potatoescoloured potatoes

While potatoes are grown all over the world, some do better in some climatic conditions than in others. The sad part though is that in most parts of the world, the potatoes that we immediately recognise are limited to the few types that commercial growers have chosen.

Review of Potato Varieties

by Annette Welsford No Comments
Potato varieties

It is amazing to discover that the humble potato comes in many varieties and colours. The sad part though is that if you aren't aware of the possibilities, you may find yourself severely limited in terms of choice when it comes to seed and stock possibilities to plant in your home veggie garden. Depending where ...

Potato Greens are Poisonous

by Annette Welsford No Comments
Potato Greens are Poisonous

NEVER eat potato greens. It may not seem obvious, but the green leaves of potatoes that grow above the ground are poisonous. Even eating small quantities of what we call "potato greens" can make a person very sick. Indigenous to parts of South America, including Peru, Chile and Bolivia, the potato has been grown ...

The Difference Between Irish Potatoes And Sweet Potatoes

by Annette Welsford No Comments
Sweet Potatoes and Irish Potatoes

Home gardeners who know nothing about horticulture are often amazed to discover that everyday potatoes and sweet potatoes not only taste different, but come from different families – even though they have a common "surname" (potato). Solanum tuberosum is a potato that the Irish, more than any other nationality, have produced for centuries, which is why ...

New Potato Salad from your Garden

by Annette Welsford No Comments
baby potato

There is something immensely satisfying about picking food from your own garden. But then the challenge is to cook or prepare it in a way that makes it even more special. While surprisingly few people grow potatoes in their home vegetable gardens, you will find that this is an easy and gratifying vegetable to grow. Not ...

Choosing potatoes for planting

by Annette Welsford No Comments
Seed Potato

  Planting potatoes is a wonderfully rewarding past time, and something which children love to be involved in, particularly when it comes to harvesting.      Do you plant old sprouted potatoes? You can, but you are much better off buying certified disease-free seed potatoes.  These are widely available from nurseries and produce stores.  Certified seed potatoes  are a far ...