Planting Praeties Time.

Yes its that time of the year folks.  We bought six small net bags of seed potatoes  from our local German (Lidl) garden centre for fifteen Euros.  That's about twelve Pounds fifty if you live in Blighty.  We are growing Sharpes Express and British Queens this year.  My Irish grandfather always grew the British Queens.  We only grow a few rows of early potatoes.  

Here's some pictures for you:

 Its been lovely weather (until last night and today) and we managed to plant the seed potatoes.  You can see the bay in the distance and my two cold frames.  I showed you the brick made construction last week.  The one furthest way is made from old 3x2 lengths of woods.  There are approximately 300 rooted cuttings in there and to use McDonald's theme: "I'm (their) loving it!"  

I was reading that commercially bought potting composts could have chemical fertilizers in them.  Anybody know?  Do you make your own potting compost mix?  Any compost recipes most gratefully welcome!

We always plant sticks at the end of the rows for markers.  I plant Dogwood or Cornus because they root and you get a new shrub or ten for nothing.  See the plastic baths?  I use to grow veg in them but now I put my perennials in pots in them.

I always plant in a north to south direction.  My trusty Azada hoe dug the trenches for me.  I helped a bit though.  Then we covered them up with the Azada and the four prong pike.  
I am going to mulch the potatoes with grass cuttings.  Not fresh though because it could burn the stalks.  I mulched my Japanese onions recently with grass clippings and they love the grass.  It works like a natural fertilizer and mulch and keeps the weeds at bay.  Does anybody else use grass for a mulch?  

I put some grass clippings in my garden tea barrel last week along with the nettles and pillow of cow poo.  I needed no tomato fertilizer last year when I used my magic garden brew.  You have to dilute it 10-1 though.

Have you planted your spudatoes yet?  What varieties are you growing?  The potatoes we planted in the polystyrene box in the polytunnel have pushed their stalks through the soil.