Planting Swift potatoes involves preparing a suitable trench, enriching the soil, and carefully positioning the tubers to encourage robust growth.
Preparing Your Planting Site
To successfully plant swift potatoes, the first step is to prepare the ground properly. This includes creating a trench of the correct depth and ensuring the soil is nutrient-rich from the start.
- Digging the Trench: Begin by digging a trench that is 8 - 13cm (3 - 5in) deep. This depth provides sufficient room for the tubers to establish themselves and for future hilling.
- Fertilizing the Trench: After digging, add a general purpose fertiliser to the bottom of the trench. This provides essential nutrients directly to the root zone, giving your swift potato plants a strong start. Ensure the fertilizer is evenly distributed.
Planting the Swift Potato Tubers
Once your trench is prepared, the next crucial step is the careful placement of the potato tubers themselves.
- Spacing: Plant the potato tubers in the trenches about 30cm (12in) apart. Adequate spacing is vital for air circulation, disease prevention, and to allow each plant enough room to develop a good yield of potatoes.
- Shoot Orientation: When placing the tubers, be extremely careful not to knock the shoots off. These shoots are the beginnings of the potato plant's stems. It's also important to ensure these shoots are facing upwards in the trench. This allows them to grow directly towards the soil surface and sunlight efficiently.
- Covering with Soil: Finally, lightly cover the planted tubers with soil. The initial covering doesn't need to be deep, as you will gradually add more soil as the plant grows through a process called "hilling."
Key Steps for Successful Planting
For a quick reference, here are the essential steps for planting Swift potatoes:
- Dig Trench: Create a trench 8 - 13cm (3 - 5in) deep.
- Add Fertilizer: Apply a general purpose fertiliser to the trench bottom.
- Place Tubers: Plant tubers 30cm (12in) apart.
- Orient Shoots: Ensure shoots face upwards and handle carefully.
- Cover Lightly: Lightly cover the tubers with soil.
Planting Swift Potatoes at a Glance
For an easy overview of the key dimensions and considerations when planting:
Aspect | Detail |
---|---|
Trench Depth | 8 - 13cm (3 - 5in) |
Tuber Spacing | Approximately 30cm (12in) |
Fertilizer | General purpose, at trench bottom |
Shoot Handling | Keep shoots facing upwards; do not knock off |
Initial Cover | Lightly with soil |
Post-Planting Care
While the question focuses on planting, it's worth noting that after planting, consistent watering, protection from pests, and regular "hilling" (gradually adding more soil around the stems as they grow) are crucial for a bountiful harvest of Swift potatoes. Hilling protects the developing tubers from sunlight, which can turn them green and inedible, and encourages more tubers to form.