What are Irish Potatoes?
Irish potato candy is a traditional Philadelphian candy. Despite its name, it is not from Ireland and does not usually contain any potatoes.
The candies have a coconut cream inside and are rolled in cinnamon on the outside, resulting in an appearance reminiscent of small potatoes.
How To Grow Irish Potatoes In Malawi
The plant – how to grow potato
The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is an herbaceous annual that grows up to 100 cm (40 inches) tall and produces tubers, which are botanically thickened stems that are so rich in starch that they rank as the world’s fourth most important food crop, after maize, wheat, and rice.
The potato belongs to the Solanaceae, and shares the genus Solanum with at least 1,000 other species, including tomato and eggplant. S. tuberosum is divided into two, only slightly different, subspecies: andigena, which is adapted to short day conditions and is mainly grown in the Andes, and tuberosum, the potato now cultivated around the world, which is believed to descend from a small introduction to Europe of andigena potatoes that later adapted to longer day conditions.
Soil type and pH
Potatoes will grow on most soils, organic as well as mineral ones. But, light and medium texture soils are recommended where mechanical harvesting is practiced, to avoid difficulties in harvesting when weather conditions are adverse at harvest time. Lowest possible soil pH is 5.5. Soil pH below 4.8 generally results in impaired growth.
Too alkaline conditions can adversely affect skin quality and can induce micronutrient deficiencies.
Special sensitivities of the potato plant
Chloride 1.3.1
Potatoes are sensitive to the chloride anion. Chloride damage is manifested by scorching of the leaf tips and margins and leaves yellowing and distortion.
Fertilization with chloride-free fertilizers will, therefore, contribute to increased yields and to the improvement of their quality.
How many bags of Irish potatoes per acre are in Malawi?
These farmers may have knowingly or unknowingly followed some of these principles and best practices of Irish potato production. Most farmers report yields of 30 to 100 bags per acre.
How long does it take for Irish potatoes to grow?
about 90 to 110 days
properly irrigate the soil and then cover it with mulch such as straw or other organic material. This helps provide more favorable growing conditions.
Irish potatoes take about 90 to 110 days from planting to harvest, so potatoes planted within the next few weeks should be ready by mid-November.
How many bags of fertilizer do you need per acre of potatoes?
Manure and fertilizer application
At planting, apply 50kg of DAP or TSP in one acre. These are rich in phosphorous which is highly needed at the early developmental stages of the crop.