Seed Potato 'Picasso'

Chitting Your Seed Potatoes

Before planting, stand your seed potatoes in an egg box or shallow tray with the end showing the most eyes (the rose end) facing upwards. Keep them somewhere cool, bright and frost-free, away from direct sunlight. A temperature of around 7–10°C is ideal.

Allow short, sturdy shoots to develop, ideally around 2.5cm long. Chitting is useful but not essential for maincrop potatoes like 'Picasso', which have a longer growing season.

Where to Plant

Choose a sunny position with fertile, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil. Where possible, prepare the ground during autumn or winter by incorporating well-rotted compost or manure. 'Picasso' is a vigorous maincrop variety that benefits from plenty of growing space. Avoid planting potatoes in the same position year after year.

Planting Your Potatoes

Plant outdoors from around mid-April to early May, depending on local conditions, once the soil is workable and beginning to warm. Make a trench approximately 10–15cm deep and place the seed potatoes 35cm apart, with any shoots facing upwards. Leave 75cm between rows, then cover carefully with soil.

Earthing Up

When the shoots reach around 15–20cm tall, draw soil up around the stems, leaving the upper leaves exposed. Repeat as the plants grow. This helps protect young shoots from frost and prevents developing potatoes from being exposed to light, which can turn them green.

Watering and Feeding

Although 'Picasso' has good drought tolerance, regular watering during prolonged dry spells will help the tubers develop. Keep the soil evenly moist, particularly as the potatoes begin to swell, without allowing it to become waterlogged. Apply a suitable potato fertiliser according to the pack instructions.

Pests and Diseases

'Picasso' has good resistance to common scab and golden potato cyst nematode (Ro1). However, it can still be affected by potato blight and other diseases. Check the foliage regularly, particularly during warm, humid weather, and avoid wetting the leaves unnecessarily when watering.

Choosing a Container

'Picasso' can be grown in potato grow sacks or large, deep containers, making it possible to enjoy home-grown potatoes even without a vegetable plot. Choose a container holding around 40–50 litres, with good drainage. Plant 2–3 seed potatoes in a 50-litre grow sack, allowing plenty of room for the plants to develop.

Planting

Add around 15–20cm of good-quality compost to the bottom of the container. Space the seed potatoes evenly on top, with any shoots facing upwards, and cover with another 10–15cm of compost. Position the container somewhere sunny.

Adding Compost as They Grow

As the shoots develop, gradually add more compost around the stems, leaving the upper leaves exposed. Continue until the compost is a few centimetres below the rim of the container. This helps keep developing potatoes covered and prevents them from turning green through exposure to light.

Watering and Feeding

Potatoes grown in containers need regular watering, especially during warm weather. Check the compost frequently and water thoroughly when needed, allowing excess water to drain away. Feed with a suitable potato fertiliser, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Harvesting from Containers

Allow 'Picasso' to reach maturity before harvesting. Once the foliage has yellowed and died back and the skins have become firm, carefully tip out the container or empty the growing sack onto a sheet to collect the tubers. Avoid bruising the potatoes or leaving them exposed to strong sunlight.

When to Harvest

As a maincrop potato, 'Picasso' is generally ready to harvest from late summer into autumn, usually September to October depending on planting date and growing conditions. For potatoes intended for storage, allow the foliage to yellow and die back naturally, then check that the skins have set and do not rub off easily.

How to Harvest

Choose a dry day where possible. Use a garden fork to loosen the soil a little way from the stems, then carefully lift the plants and collect the potatoes. Take care not to pierce or bruise the tubers, particularly if you intend to store them.

Storing Your Potatoes

'Picasso' has excellent keeping qualities and is well suited to winter storage. Allow healthy, undamaged tubers to dry and cure in a dark, sheltered, well-ventilated place before storing. Once dry, brush off loose soil without washing them, then keep somewhere cool, dark, frost-free and well ventilated.

Important Storage Tips

Store potatoes in paper sacks, hessian bags or suitable storage trays, away from light and frost. Check regularly and remove any showing signs of rot or deterioration. Never eat green potatoes or green parts of potatoes.

Boiling

'Picasso' has cream to light-yellow flesh with a lovely flavour when boiled. Serve with butter and fresh herbs, or use in everyday meals where you want a good-sized, satisfying potato.

Jacket Potatoes

The large, oval tubers make 'Picasso' particularly good for jacket potatoes. Bake whole until the skins are crisp and the centres are tender, then serve with your favourite fillings.

Mashing

'Picasso' makes a smooth, creamy mash. Boil peeled potatoes until tender, drain thoroughly and mash while hot with butter and a little milk. Season to taste.

Roasting

Cut the larger tubers into even-sized pieces, parboil until just tender, then roast in hot oil until golden. 'Picasso' is a useful all-rounder for family meals, although flourier varieties will generally produce a fluffier roast potato.