Potato | Red King
$10.00
Available Stock: 0
Family: SOLANACEAE
Genus & Species: Solanum tuberosum
SHIPMENT DATE: From late April.
Out of stock
Description
Heritage Status: New Zealand
Bio-Region of Origin: Unknown
Quantity: 500 grams
Description: This is a potato that simply appeared growing wild around my fruit trees many years ago and where ever I go it seems to appear. I have never seen it in any other garden, and for many years thought it was King Edward. Henry Harrington put me right on King Edwards (he gave me his) and I can see that although it is the same shape and flesh, the colouring is the opposite of the old King Edwards. The real ones are white with red blotches. These are red with white blotches and they are a great early potato. I prefer them to Jersey Bennes in the north.
Planting Instructions: Potatoes are best planted into a trench. We dig two trenches along a garden bed and put a layer of good compost. Position the seed potatoes at approximately 25 cm spacings along the trench before filling it in. Once the tops of the plants have emerged mound up the soil around each plant so that there are now two ridges running along the bed. As they grow bigger mound up again. An alternative method is to mulch the bed and then mulch again once the plants have grown up through the first layer of mulch. Or the plants could be earthed up once and then mulched as they grow bigger.
Psyllid hit our potatoes and tomatoes here at Koanga a few years ago but we do not have any problem these days. We believe it is because we have built our soil health pretty high, and the crops have BRIX’s over 12. If you do however still have psyllid in your area then the Koanga sells Psyllid Solution, a very finely ground form of diatomaceous earth which if applied regularly using a backpack sprayer (weekly) is very effective at keeping the psyllid off the tomatoes and potatoes and peppers. Koanga diatomaceous earth can also be used as a miticide on poultry and for many other uses. Early varieties of potatoes are usually ready to harvest before the psyllid hits. If you water your potatoes in with BIOBREW solution that will help maintain soil and plant health.
