potato 'Sharpe's Express'
potato - first early, Scottish basic seed potato
- We sell potatoes by weight but you can expect to receive about 25 tubers of this variety in a 2kg bag.
- Position: sun-partial shade
- Soil: fertile, well drained
- Rate of growth: fast-growing
- Harvesting period: mid June
- Hardiness: protect tubers from frost
Sharpe's Express is a heirloom variety introduced in 1900 by Charles Sharpe of Sleaford, Lincolnshire. It is Pear shaped with bright white flesh, smooth skin and a superb 'new potato' flavour. Boil whole in skins (as it is floury) It great hot with butter or cold with salads. favourite amongst 'home-growers' for many years. Best cooked whole (Either boiled or steamed)
Sharpes Express was TV gardener, Percy Thrower’s favourite - Garden care: As soon as the potato tubers have been delivered you should unpack them and start the chitting (sprouting) process. Place them in single layer in a seed tray without compost and leave in a light, cool area protected from frost. This can be started about six weeks before you intend to plant them. Early varieties can be planted out under frost fleece protection, but the later varieties should be planted after the worst frosts have passed in your area - this is generally mid March to mid April. Dig a trench 8 - 13cm (3 - 5in) deep adding a general purpose fertiliser to the bottom of the trench. Plant the potato tubers in the trenches about 30cm (12in) apart, being careful not to knock the shoots off the tubers, and keeping the shoots facing upwards. Then lightly cover with soil. As the plants get to around 20cm (8in) tall you need to bank up the soil around the plant, so the soil covers the bottom two thirds of the plant. Watering your plants well will help improve crop yield and discourage potato scab.