Last spring I decided to trial the new potato planter bags and planted up 3 bags with Jersey Bennie potatoes with the hope being that they would be ready for Xmas. Being from a long line of spud eaters it was important to me that I succeed in producing enough for the family to gobble up on Christmas day. I doubt I would ever hear the end of it if our turkey was going to be served without lashings of fresh minted jersey benne's with a very un-healthy amount of real butter.
The 3 bags of spuds were loaded into the truck on Xmas morning and soon the short journey to Ross and Vanessa’s in Springston was under way. On the way it was necessary to deliver some freshly dug Jersey Benne's from the garden to friends and enjoy a glass of bubbly whilst I was there.
On arrival there was much interest in the bags of potatoes, I was hoping all was going t be well but wasn’t overly confident. As during the week leading up to Xmas I had tried a number of times to feel inside the bags to see how many potatoes I may have had. Sadly I hadn’t been able to feel any, but I couldn’t reach all the way down to the bottom of the bag, hence I still held out some hope! Needless to say the gin intake leading up to the harvest had increased a little.
Armed with a large pot, the 3 bags and all the kids (in their new clothes I may add) I emptied the bags out on a clear spot in the garden. The kids loved counting the spuds as they appeared and were happy to carry them to the pot, sadly the new clean clothes didn’t stay clean for too long (Opps Aunty Rachel was not too popular then).
Each bag produced at least 30 potatoes, with the average size being a little bigger than a very large egg – perfect! Soon the pot was full, we gave them a quick wash, found some mint, filled the pot with water and on the stove they went. I was in charge of quality control and thought it only right if I test a few prior to serving, yummo scrummo is all I need to say! Any left overs were used on the BBQ that night and I left feeling I will be re-using those Haxnicx potato bags again next spring.
When I got home I gave them a rinse out and packed them away ready for next spring. Mind you I did find a left over bag of seed potatoes at home so I may try plant the bags up again soon for a autumn crop.
Ingredients: For approx 100 tasty spuds
- 1 pack of Haxnicks Potato planter bags - there are 3 bags in each pack.
- Tui vegetable potting mix - 3 bags
- Tui potato food - 1 bag
- Compost
- Jersey Benne seed potatoes - sprouted.
Sprout the spuds in August / September. Half full planters with a blend of vegetable potting mix and compost and evenly place 3 spuds per bag and cover with 5-10cm (2 -4 inchs) of potting mix. Water well.
As the shoots appear, keep filling the bags with vegetable potting mix until bag is full. A handful or two of the potato fertiliser applied once the bags are full works well. Water regularly – 2 – 3 times per week.
