Growing Seed Potatoes with McGaughs

Choosing The Right Variety 

Growing your own potatoes is a rewarding endeavour, offering fresh, flavourful tubers right from your garden. At McGaughs, we provide a vast selection of seed potatoes, available by the kilo or in 25kg bags, allowing you to mix and match varieties to suit your culinary preferences and garden space.

Understanding Potato Varieties

Potatoes are categorized based on their planting and harvesting times:

• First Earlies: These are the earliest to plant and harvest, typically sown from late February and ready in about 10-12 weeks. They yield smaller, 'new' potatoes ideal for salads and early summer dishes.

• Second Earlies: Planted from mid-March, these varieties mature in approximately 14-16 weeks, offering slightly larger tubers than first earlies, perfect for a variety of recipes.

• Main Crop: Sown from March to mid-May, main crop potatoes take about 15-20 weeks to mature. They produce larger tubers suitable for baking, roasting, and long-term storage.

Popular Varieties at McGaughs

We take pride in offering a diverse range of seed potatoes, including some customer favourites:

• Golden Wonder: A late main crop variety, Golden Wonder is renowned for its floury texture, making it excellent for baking and roasting.

• Record: This versatile main crop potato is appreciated for its high dry matter content, ideal for fluffy mash and crispy chips.

• Duke of York: An early variety introduced in 1891, Duke of York provides delicious, waxy-textured potatoes perfect for boiling and salads.

• Foxton: Similar to the popular Rooster variety, Foxton offers red-skinned tubers with creamy flesh, suitable for various cooking methods, including roasting and mashing.

• Maris Piper: A main crop potato, loved for its fluffy texture and versatility. Ideal for roasting, mashing, and chipping, it delivers crispy results every time. With high yields and great flavour, it's a kitchen essential!

Why Choose McGaughs for Your Seed Potatoes?

At McGaughs, we understand that every gardener has unique needs. That's why we offer our seed potatoes by the kilo, allowing you to mix and match different varieties to find your perfect match. Whether you're a small-scale gardener or planning a larger cultivation, our flexible purchasing options cater to all.

Tips for Successful Potato Cultivation

1. Chitting: Before planting, encourage seed potatoes to sprout by placing them in a cool, light area until shoots emerge. This process, known as chitting, can lead to an earlier and more abundant harvest.

2. Soil Preparation: Potatoes thrive in well-drained, fertile soil. Incorporate organic matter to enhance soil structure and fertility.

3. Planting Depth and Spacing:

   • First Earlies: Plant 10cm deep, 30cm apart, with 60cm between rows.
   • Second Earlies: Plant 10cm deep, 35cm apart, with 75cm between rows.
   • Main Crop: Plant 10cm deep, 45cm apart, with 75cm between rows.

4. Earthing Up: As plants grow, mound soil around the stems to protect developing tubers from light exposure, which can cause greening.

5. Watering: Maintain consistent moisture, especially during tuber formation, but avoid waterlogging, which can lead to rot.

6. Harvesting:

   • First and Second Earlies: Harvest when flowers appear, approximately 10-16 weeks after planting.
   • Main Crop: Wait until foliage yellows and dies back, around 15-20 weeks post-planting.

Embark on your potato-growing journey with McGaughs' premium seed potatoes. Visit our website or drop by our store to explore our extensive selection and receive expert advice tailored to your gardening needs.