Potato
Belle de Fontenay potato: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Germination
G
G
Planting
P
P
Harvest
H
H
H
How can you encourage Belle de Fontenay potatoes to germinate?
Chitting can bring forward the harvest of early varieties, but it is not essential. Choose certified seed potatoes that are firm and healthy, rather than tubers sold for eating.
Arrange them in a single layer, with the eyes uppermost, in egg boxes or trays. Keep them somewhere cool, bright and frost-free for a few weeks to develop short, sturdy sprouts. Handle them gently at planting to avoid breaking the sprouts. Prepare fertile soil too: the tuber's reserves do not replace soil nutrients.
How do you plant Belle de Fontenay potatoes?
How to care for this plant
-
Earth up plants
Wait until shoots are about 20–25 cm tall before gradually earthing up. Leave the shoot tips exposed and keep tubers covered.
How do you harvest a successful crop of Belle de Fontenay potatoes?
