Roosters Maincrop Seed Potatoes

One of the most popular and versatile varieties of potato on the Irish market today. It is estimated that today 6 out of 10 potatoes produced in Ireland are roosters. The high dry texture of the rooster potato means it is suited to almost every variation of preparation from chipping to roasting. In order to yield the best results from your seed potatoes, it is recommended that you chit them before planting. This allows for the development of strong sprouts. It is not considered an essential step, it is highly recommended among experts especially for earlies.

 

To chit potatoes, just place them, barely touching in a seed tray or a similar segmented tray with the rose end facing upwards. The rose is the end where the majority of the eyes occur on the potato. It is in the eyes, where the chits will form. Place the trays in a cool light area with temperatures averaging in and around 7°C. The aim of this chitting is to encourage the development of strong dark purple and green strong shoots. If the shoots are developing into long white thin string-like shoots it may be a sign they are getting too much heat and not enough light.

 

Potatoes do well in most soil types however they are best suited to well-drained and loamy soil that is not too heavy and dense. The soil should be deep and have good quality compost mixed into it. Ideally, the plot should be cleared and dug the previous autumn/winter, this allows winter frost to break down any dense soil structure leaving the soil in optimal condition for spring sowing. Both first and second earlies should be placed approximately 30cm apart and 10cm deep, with the rows at 2ft apart. When the shoots break the soil surface it is then time to earth up the rows. This is the process of covering the shoots with soil taken from around the shoots and creating a peaked ridge over the shoots. This covering of the shoots protects them from late seasonal frosts. Continue to repeat this process until ridges are no higher than 20cm. Harvest times will depend on the time of planting, growth rate and weather conditions.