Tips for planting Anya potatoes

Anya potatoes are relatively new crops, bred in the 1990s at the Scottish Crop Research Institute. A cross between Desiree and Pink Fir Apple potatoes, Anya potatoes are long, thin tubers that are easy to grow. Master a few tips for planting Anya potatoes, and feast on a crop of tasty tubers straight from your own backyard.

Anya potatoes should be planted in March or April, depending on the weather in your region. You want to plant potatoes late enough in the season to avoid frost, so check the weather and plant Anyas as the weather starts to turn. Planting Anya potatoes requires little prep. Dig a hole approximately 10 cm (4 inches) deep. Place the potato seed inside, then refill the hole with dirt. Wilted leaves can be placed inside the hole before you place your seeds, to provide natural fertiliser. Plant each Anya potato 27.5 cm (11 inches) apart. If you're planting long rows of potatoes, place rows about 55 cm (22 inches) apart.

Potatoes require a lot of nutrients to grow, so fertilise your Anya potatoes regularly. Cover freshly-planted potatoes with a thick layer of fertiliser to promote new growth, then re-fertilise approximately six weeks later. Anya potatoes also need lots of water to thrive, so check soil regularly to maintain its moisture content.

Build mounds of soil over the top of your potatoes one week after planting. Anya potatoes naturally grow toward the surface, so you must work to keep them firmly underground. Otherwise, the potatoes will get too much light and turn green. To create the mounds, simply form small piles of soil over the tops of potato plants using your hands or special tools suited to the purpose. Mounds should be only a 10 cm (4 inches) high.

Anya potatoes will be ready for harvest approximately 13 weeks after planting. The potatoes should be ready to come out of the ground in July or August, depending upon the time of planting.