Monday 9 June 2008

Turning The Taps On

After a few hot days the potatoes need a drink! We are putting between 15-20mm on these crops which will last them about 1 week if it doesn't rain in the mean time. the forecast looks dry and the small tubers are starting to form (hooking up) and need to be kept wet for the next 6 weeks to avoid any problems with scab. This disease causes little blisters on the skin of the potato. It makes no difference to the taste or quality of that potato but when packed under plastic and on a supermarket shelf, looks a little dirty. Tonnes of potato's are rejected each year because of scab, either powdery or common, (there are two kinds). The run in this field will last 11 hrs and the rain gun will travel 370m each of the 3 times it will take to cover the field at a snails pace of 33.6m/hr

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

superb morning! will definitely be recommending it to others next year

Jake Freestone said...

Thanks very much and look forward to hosting it again, this year it is on Sunday June 7th