‘Maris Piper’ Summer Planting Seed Potatoes are considered one of the best potatoes for making chips and are perfect for enjoying as delicious new potatoes at Christmas. One of the most widely grown and best-known potato varieties, it is an excellent choice for beginners, and it also stores well.
High yielding, with many oval tubers per plant that have a cream-coloured, floury textured flesh, they are excellent to cook with and are a versatile all-rounder. It has a delicious, mild flavour that is perfect for adding to salads, roasting, baking as well as chipping.
This variety has received the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit due to its excellent consistency and reliable growth.
How to plant
We recommend planting Maris Piper seed potatoes outside between July and September, 10cm deep and 20cm apart in a line. Leave at least 30cm between lines to allow growing space.
Prior to planting, encourage Seed Potatoes to sprout by placing them on a cool, bright windowsill for 4-6 weeks. This process is known as ‘chitting’ and will help prepare the potato tuber for going in the ground.
Once planted, ‘earth up’ the potatoes by drawing the soil up around new shoots to protect them from frost damage and prolong the growing time. Earthing up also protects developing potatoes from sunlight which causes them to turn green and poisonous. Keep potatoes well-watered during warm weather.
How to harvest
When ready to harvest, cut back haulms (plant stalks) to ground level before gently lifting the plant up with a garden fork.
Carefully remove the potatoes from the plant and wash well before using in the kitchen.
Details
- Pack size: Taster bag of 10 tubers
- When to plant: July, August, September
- When to harvest: November onwards
- Planting depth: 10cm/4″
- Bulb spacing: 20cm/8″
- Soil type: Moist but well-drained
- Soil pH: Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Sunlight: Full sun, Partial shade
- Recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit