Why tatties?
Why not? The trusty Scottish staple with so many types and tastes to choose from. If you try growing one thing make it the tattie!
Where?
You can grow tatties anywhere- in raised beds, bags or open ground. For container growing, choose salad varieties that are small, sweet, and the quickest to grow. Pick a growing site for either your container or open ground. Your crop will need plenty of sunlight, fertile soil or compost free of weeds and regular water to thrive.
When?
Chit: Feb, March
Sow: April, May
Grow: May, June, July, August, September, October
Eat: July, August, September, October
Growing tips
There are so many different types of tattie to choose from waxy to floury to salad potatoes to bakers. It can be overwhelming if you are just starting out.
If you’d like to give it some thought your nearest garden centre or local tattie day, if you are lucky, will bamboozle you with options.
Seed potatoes are the recommended approach ensuring that you get the tattie type you want, with no disease, however, if you just want to try something plant a tattie from the cupboard and see what happens. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
The ‘need to knows’ are- the earlier you plant your tatties (First Early and Second Early March/April) the earlier you can harvest them and the smaller they will be. They take about 2.5 months to grow. These tatties require less room too. Maincrop potatoes for later planting (April/May) need more growing space and more time to produce bigger tatties so they suit growing in the open ground better.
Tatties have a flower and seed like a tomato (they are related) once the plant has flowered, you can see the leaves start to yellow you can harvest your tatties.
If you are growing Maincrop tatties do keep an eye out for potato blight, nasty black spots that thrive in, warm damp conditions usually from August onwards and can turn your crop to mush.
August is also the time, if you have indoor space, to plant tatties for Christmas.
For all things tattie, see One Seed Forward’s tattie growing guide here.
Every growing space and every season is different and changes how we grow. Grow 6 is a place to start to practice and learn how to grow and adapt to these changes. Along with supporting new growers through regular updates, your tips and experiences are welcome as we all ‘Get Growing’.