Maincrop/Second Early
A good-looking potato with an equally excellent flavour, Potato ‘Blue Belle’ is a popular show bench variety. This ‘Smiling Spud’ features purple blotches on the eyes that often form into smile shapes. Forms large tubers with pale yellow flesh that have a medium dry matter content and an earthy flavour. They are best suited to boiling, mashing or baking. Excellent resistance to Potato Virus Y and splitting. Height and spread: 60cm (24″).
Useful links:
How to grow potatoes in the ground
Potato Selector Guide
How to grow potatoes in pots and containers
How to stop blight
Growing Information
Plant first early potato crops from the end of February. Prior to planting, ‘chit’ the seed potatoes by setting them out in a cool, bright position (10C/ 50F) to allow them to sprout.
When growing first early potatoes in the ground avoid planting in soil where potatoes have grown for two years in succession to reduce the risk of disease. Prepare the planting area in a sheltered position in full sun on moist well drained soil. Dig in plenty of well rotted manure. Plant potatoes in rows at a spacing of 30cm (12″). Rows should be set out 60cm (2′) apart. Place the seed potatoes into 10cm (4″) deep trenches and backfill the soil to refill the trenches. When shoots reach 20cm (8″), mound up soil around the shoots leaving just a few cm showing. Repeat this process after a further 3 weeks.
Where space is limited, try growing potatoes in potato bags on the patio. Fill an 8 litre potato bag to just below the top of the bag with good quality compost mixed with some well rotted manure. Carefully plunge a single chitted potato tuber into the compost with the shoots pointing upwards at a depth of 12cm (5″) from the soil surface. Place the bags in a sunny position and water regularly to keep the compost moist.
