I have a secret. This year I have been neglecting not one but two allotments. I was offered the second two weeks before I gave birth to James. I knew that it was going to be a struggle to grow anything at all, but I had been on the list for 5 years and if I turned it down I’d probably never be offered another one at this site, which is much closer to our house.
I’ve spent this last growing season feeling pretty gloomy about gardening. Having two overgrown allotments, and a pretty badly kept garden with no time at all to do anything about it has not been ideal. Especially as I’ve felt a certain amount of hostility towards me at both plots, especially the new one which has an at times pretty unfriendly email group. There was a point when I just wanted to give both of them up and declare my gardening days over.
I am so glad that I didn’t.
When I went back to my new plot after our summer out of London, expecting to find nothing but bindweed and nettles, I instead found a huge crop of potatoes. Here are just a few of them:
I planted the seed potatoes on Good Friday and then, apart from hurriedly earthing them up in June, did nothing at all all summer. No watering, no weeding, no feeding. Nothing. Now there are three possible explanations for my mammoth crop:
1. My new plot is just super fertile. Not beyond the realms of possibility as it has been fallow for some time.
2. This summer was a good one for potato growing. This seems unlikely as although potatoes don’t like drought, wet summers tend to bring blight.
3. Sárpo potatoes are simply amazing.
I think I’m going to plump for number 3. Sárpo potatoes are bred to be resistant to blight and various other potato nasties and to thrive even in really rather poor conditions. I learnt about them from Alys Fowler’s column in the Guardian. The sheer size of the crop was enough to turn me into a devoted Sárpo fan, but they actually taste good too. I bought the Potato ‘Sarpo’ Family Introductions collection from Thompson & Morgan, which contained the varieties Shona, Kifli and Blue Danube. Kifli is my favourite – a delicious waxy salad potato. Blue Danube looks amazing and makes very tasty mash. Shona, I’m not quite so sure about its optimal culinary use, but it grew so well. I’m sure I could have won a horticultural competition with this specimen if I hadn’t sliced it in half with my spade:
I doubt I’ll ever have space to grow this many potatoes again as I’ve decided to give up my old plot and focus on my new one (both are technically half plots so I don’t have that much room on either). And next growing season I really want to grow more than just potatoes. I will, however, be eternally grateful to Sárpo potatoes for helping me through this year’s gardening slump. For a temporarily time pressed gardener in need of a reliable crop to help reduce weeds and build vegetable-growing confidence, I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Making, Baking and Raking 
Well done honey! Potatoes are a life saver sometimes – we had 2 grow-bags of small ones this year even though I just planted the seed potatoes and left them also. And I had no excuse, they were only in the back garden, but I still only earthed them up once. Now we’ve got a small plot at the back of our garden wall I need to get cracking next year and grow more than just lucky potatoes 🙂 I can’t even remember the name of the ones I planted I’m afraid!! x
Thanks Leanne. Potatoes are amazing. I am quite sad I’m not going to be able to grow so many next year. Maybe one day I will leave London and become a potato farmer! I’d eat all my profits though! x
Don’t get down about overgrown allotments , i’ve taken a huge one on and although some of the other plot residence are a little “Cliquey“ i just do my thing, they are no different from you. When your child grows up its a great thing for the family to do together , check my blog and look at my daughter. In one or two years you will be so glad of it.
Thanks for the advice! I am looking forward to the day when my boys can be involved in my plot. Although, to be honest, at the moment I like having somewhere to escape the madness for a while! My oldest is nearly three so I think next growing season he’ll be interested in helping out a little bit. Good luck with your plot – I’m looking forward to following your progress!
I tried potatoes on my allotment for the first time this year, and was very pleased with the result. That said, I don’t think anyone could be blamed for neglecting their allotment this year (I certainly did). The weather was abysmal!
I grow potatoes every year, but then I do love eating them. A lot. It was an awful year for vegetable growing this year. I guess it was a good year for not putting in too much effort on my plot – saved myself some degree of disappointment! Here’s hoping for a better growing season next year!
My vegetable plot is at the bottom of our garden (30 second amble from my back door) and there were many days this year I struggled to get up the enthusiasm to even go that far :), due to the weather mainly. Well done on the potatoes – mine were a failure this year.
To be fair think most people struggled to tend their plots last season (and sounds like you had your hands full :)), so put all that to one side and think about this season and those super raised beds you’ve got.
Good luck and happy growing
Thank you! Yes, new year, new growing season. Time to start again. Here’s hoping for a better year this year for everyone.