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ideal potato soil

Maggie jonesMaggie jones Posts: 59
in Talkback

I went to Dingle in Ireland and ate fresh Kerrs Pinks grown in an aunts garden. Boiled in their thin skins.   Best potato ever.  

The garden was overlooking the sea and was probably 30/40% sand.  I live in Suffolk and garden on clay so need to add lots of leaf mould usually.   I thought I would try an experiment and dig a raised bed and change the soil to a sandy type.  Maybe collect some sand from a beach (is that Legal?)  And plant Kerrs Pinks.

Any suggestions?

Thank you.

 

 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,085

    Hi Maggie image

    No, it's not legal to take sand from the beach!!!  It's very illegal!!!  And if you live in Suffolk and know about coastal erosion you'll know that we can't afford for anyone to be removing sand or shingle or we'll soon be under water (think Dunwich)! image

    My brother farms in Suffolk and is a potato grower for the big supermarkets - he grows his best potatoes on the light sandy loam between the A12 and the coast.

    You can buy natural sandy loam by the bag http://www.tcturf.com/topsoil/norfolk-black-loam-25kg.html .

    Hope that's helpful image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Maggie jonesMaggie jones Posts: 59

    thank you Edd and Dovefromabove (Why didn't I think of that)

    thank you both for your advice.

    Off now to up cycle some timber for the raised bed.

    M

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