BELLE DE FONTENAY NT POTATO
The Belle de Fontenay potato is a very early variety, with an average yield largely offset by its very early maturity (70 days).
Yellow skin, dark yellow flesh, firm, excellent culinary quality, very good cooking properties. Eat in salads, stews, gratin, sautéed potatoes, roasted potatoes, etc.
Storing potatoes before planting:
Open the potato net and spread them out on newspaper. Place everything in a dark place where the temperature is around 4-5°C. They will have time to germinate slowly and you can then store them for about 2 months.
Prepare the soil before planting
You can incorporate manure or organic fertilizer before planting your potatoes. Do not plant potatoes in the same spot two years in a row.
Sprouting potatoes
To sprout your potatoes, lay them flat in a well-ventilated area at 10-15°C with light but not direct sunlight (a back kitchen, for example). They should sprout in 4 to 6 weeks. As soon as sprouts appear, plant them in warmed soil and protect the plants if frost is still a risk.
Culture Council
Plant in autumn under a frost-free tunnel or in April/May at a depth of 15 cm, spaced 40/50 cm apart in the row, in rows 60/70 cm apart. Exposure: sunny. Soil: deep, fertile and well-loosened.
Potatoes are very sensitive to drought, so watering should be generous during tuber formation and growth. Once the foliage has faded, watering is no longer necessary, as the tubers may not keep as well.
Earthing up is essential as the stems emerge, to support the plants, encourage tuber development, and prevent them from turning green. Start earthing up the plants as soon as they reach 25 cm. This involves burying the bottom of the stems, bringing the soil back towards the plant using a hoe. Repeat this process during the first month of the plant's development. Hoe occasionally between the plants to aerate the soil and eliminate weeds.
Potato harvest
Harvest after approximately 90 days of cultivation from July to September. Wait until the leaves have wilted and harvest the tubers with a digging fork.
Storing potatoes
Store in a cool, dry place away from light.
