The 23rd Hampshire Potato Day 2021

is CANCELLED

Sadly due to Covid-19 this year's event has had to be cancelled - we hope to be back in better times (next year)

As seen on BBC TV's Inside Out

Pictures from previous days are here

In 2020 1,350 adults (@£2 each), accompanied by their children (free) attended and were able to select from over 120 varieties of seed potato (with 25 of them also available as organically grown seed).

All were priced at 20p per tuber or in competitively priced 2.5kg nets - the list of varieties still available at Charlton Park Garden Centre, with the prices per net, is here.

There's a video of everything we had at the 2017 day

Much more professional videos of the 2016 event are here (thanks to Gardengirl Gardener) and from Alan Wilson here

Selection of potatoes from an RHS Gold Medal winning display
What you could grow after a visit to Potato Day!

 

There will be a free and coloured potato for each child bringing his/her parents along and the children will get in free

Lots of advice from Chris Bird of Sparsholt College, Richard Stevenson, who put together the collection of seed on sale, Alan Wilson author of books on Potatoes asnd memebers of the National Vegetable Society

In addition to potato seed sales we had the following (who have said they will return in 2021):
 

Runner, Broad and French Beans and Pea seeds and Onion and Shallot sets at very competitive prices - Charlton Park Garden Centre
Talks - Chris Bird from Sparsholt College , history, modern methods, varieties to choose and as many questions as you care to ask!
Heritage flower and vegetable seed sales - Thomas Etty Esq
Organic Seed – Vegetables, Herbs, Flowers. Many heritage bean seeds - Beans and Herbs
Unusual and edible plants from around the world - Edulis
Perennials, selected for beneficial insects particularly pollinators and sundries from Phoenix Perennial Plants
Herbaceous plants, locally raised lamb, wool and woolen goods - Tufton Smallholding
Grandma's local home made jam, preserves and cakes
Advice on everything to do with vegetables - Hampshire Branch of the National Vegetable Society
Alan Wilson, Author of The People's Potatoes with Wilson's Wonders eating potatoes
Greetings cards with seeds Grow Your own Cards
Soil Association approved Soil improver/mulch and liquid feed Apsley Farms
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Woodland Trust
Children's activities run by1st Whitchurch Scouts
Seed Swap - Saturday only - provided by Southampton Seed Swap
Refreshments by1st Whitchurch Scouts

Plus the chance to share experiences with the other 1,400 growers

The location is Testbourne Centre, Micheldever Road, Whitchurch which is just off the A34, 4 miles north of its junction with the A303. There'll be signs from the A34. (see the map).

When you've visited the Day, why not try out some of Whitchurch's eating places or the Silk Mill?

To advertise next year's event, there is an A4 poster here as an Adobe Acrobat

Unlike most other Potato Days we try not to run out of seeds of any particular variety so you don't need to rush to get your favourite variety - there will be fresh stock of all varieties each day.

Green Manure - We hope to have the following

Green manures are a very useful way to build up the fertility in the soil, without have to make and transport compost/manure. Over winter they also dramatically reduce the leaching of nutrients. One problem is that (like lots of potato varieties they are not easily available. We had a small number of the 10 or so main green manures available at over 30% off retail prices:

Spring/Summer
Late Summer/Overwinter
Alfalfa (lucerne) - coverage 40 sq m
Buckwheat - coverage 15 sq m
Crimson Clover - coverage 30 sq m
Fenugreek - coverage 20 sq m
Field Beans - coverage 6 sq m
Lupin, Blue - coverage 20 sq m
Mustard - coverage 25 sq m
Phacelia - coverage 25 sq m
Grazing Rye - coverage 6 sq m
Trefoil - coverage 35 sq m
Tares - coverage 10 sq m

Organic Fertilisers

Although now available in garden centres the prices are quite high. We will have stocks of

Dried blood - 1.25kg for £2.50
Fish, blood and bone meal - 2.5kg for £2.50
Bone meal - 2.5kg for £2.50
Seaweed Meal - 1kg for £2.50

 

This page was last updated on 7th January 20121

This event is sponsored by Working4Whitchurch
and supported by 1st Whitchurch Scouts

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