What is special about summer planting seed potatoes?
These government classified seed potatoes, which are grown on specialist farms, are harvested during autumn. They are held in our cool, temperature controlled stores until June the following year when they are graded and distributed to retailers, for sale to gardeners.
The seed potatoes grow very quickly when they are buried in the warm summer soil, producing good numbers of small, uniformly shaped potatoes, as the days shorten into autumn. The varieties of potatoes suitable for second cropping are specially selected by our technical team as proven winners (they have to be – we don't want disappointed gardeners!). Please see the list below.
Summer planting seed potatoes are best planted from mid-June through to the end of July and are normally ready for harvest during October. The seed potatoes can be planted directly into gardens or allotments or they can be grown in containers. The key is to leave the seed potatoes in the soil or containers once they have finished growing, although it is vital to ensure the crop is protected from frost with a fleece, polytunnel or some sort of covering. They can then be harvested whenever the gardener wishes, providing lots of baby "new-potatoes" with that sought-after "new potato" taste in the depths of winter. They can be an enjoyable addition to Christmas dinner (hence the reason they are sometimes called Christmas potatoes). Summer Planting seed potatoes can be grown throughout the UK.
Summer Planting Seed Potatoes (June / July planting)
Store Guidelines
- Arrival: The seed tubers, coming from our specialised, low temperature stores into the warm summer air, will start to respire. As a result, the packaging and even the seed potatoes may feel quite damp on arrival. It is best to remove the seed potatoes from the packaging and allow air circulation as soon as possible following receipt. The seed potatoes will dry naturally and will not be adversely affected.
- Location: If possible, place the seed potatoes near doors, as a cool draught of air really helps.
- Stock Rotation: The summer planting seed potatoes will also start to sprout following delivery, due to the change from cold to warm temperatures. It’s best to sell them within a 4-6 week period if possible, so good pre-delivery advertising is a must. Let your customers know about the stock before it arrives (take pre-bookings where possible) and ensure you have a good advertising material. We can help with this.
Ensure as much light as possible reaches the seed potatoes, as this slows down the sprouting process and means that any sprouts produced will be strong and sturdy rather than long, white and spindly.
Ensure that stock is rotated when shelves are replenished. Put new stock to the back of the display and pull remaining seed potato stock to the front of the display, where they will get more light and better air circulation.
