A lovely tasting potato perfect for salads. It also copes better than other varieties with growing conditions that are less than ideal. The time it takes for potatoes to be ready for harvest varies greatly depending on the type and particular variety. The timings below are for the different types of potato. TYPE Using appropriate tools for each crop is essential to minimise damage and maximise efficiency. Lightweight handheld pruners work wonders for delicate herbs and greens, while shears or harvest knives are better suited for tougher vegetables. Investing in high-quality tools, such as those offered by Reag Tools, ensures a clean and efficient harvest. Growing potatoes at home in grow bags is a great way to grow a healthy crop of potatoes to enjoy. What makes it even better is that growing potatoes in grow bags is a relatively easy process which means gardeners of all skill levels and experience can have a go. The particularly great thing about grow bags is that you don’t actually need to plant in the ground, or even in a garden; they can be grown on balconies or areas where space may be at a premium. While grow bags take care of a lot of issues, potato plants do have a few other needs. New tubers must be kept covered by soil to prevent greening or sunscald.

The best cutting tool for lavender is called a harvesting knife. It's curved like a scythe and has a serrated edge. If you don't have one on hand, a hand pruner will also work just fine. If you're using a harvesting knife, hook it around the bunched lavender and pull the knife toward you, cutting off the lavender stalks.

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Jenn O’Neal from Pepper Harrow Farm agrees 'If your buds are [fully] open they are more prone to falling off when you do the drying process. But when they are closed they keep their colour and keep their buds on after they’ve been dried.' As mentioned, you cannot grow from supermarket potatoes and so need to buy specially grown seed potatoes for your crop. Select the variety or varieties you want. Because of limited space, early varieties generally go a bit better in grow bags. The best time for drying lavender is actually when it is in full bloom. It seems wrong to cut it when it is at its most beautiful, but this is the optimum time for producing good-scented lavender. Many people wait until August when it is quite dried out but this is far too late and the lavender will have no fragrance,' explains Linda Rondelez What is the best material to choose when making lavender sachetsts? Everyone knows the Maris Piper. In every supermarket and the most widely grown maincrop potato in the UK. Firm and creamy, with yellow skin. One of the few new potatoes with distinctive pink skin, not as waxy as some, a nice round shape and holds together well after cooking. It has a great flavour.

Naturally breathable fabric that allows lavender's essential oils to be released is the most effective lavender bag fabric to choose from. Silk organza, hessian, linen or 100% cotton is most practical. How long do lavender bags last? Gather the lavender into bunches and tie it with a string; you can then hang it up in a dry area. Don't dry it flat! In Provence, I hang it up on my covered terrace. In England, a covered area or shed would suffice. It mustn't get wet or damp once it has been cut,' explains Linda Rondelez, maker of handmade lavender gifts at LinlouGifts. Yellow skinned potato with a velvety texture. It is very good as a boiled potato and even better mashed because of its texture. In terms of flavour, it has mild notes of sweetness. As market gardeners, it's crucial to implement sustainable and efficient harvesting techniques to minimise waste and maximise productivity. Here are five top tips to help you achieve just that:These are sold in the shops as New Potatoes and are the most expensive to buy. They do not keep well and need to be eaten within a week of harvest. The beauty of growing potatoes in containers though is that you can harvest tem exactly when you need them and pop them straight into boiling water for the tastiest New Potatoes ever. Lindsay del Carlo from Renee’s Garden says 'I like the lavender to be just at this stage where it blooms from the bottom up on the flower spikes. When it’s about halfway bloomed I start cutting that way the essential oils [are just] coming out and it’s really fragrant. ' Most potato grow bags are 10 gallons. Five gallon bags are about the smallest you can get away with. How to Make Your Own Potato Bag

Home gardeners traditionally “hill” potatoes to encourage them to produce lots of roots and hence lots of tubers. This method takes some space and there is a high probability that you won’t get all the spuds out of the earth when you harvest. Almost any vegetable can be grown successfully in a container, which is one reason container gardening so popular. While many have grown strawberries or cherry tomato plants in patio pots, fewer gardeners have tried growing potatoes in bags. It’s time to take the plunge.

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You only need one to get going but typically you can buy them in bundles of two or three. One large grow bag of about 40 or 50 Litres will allow you to place several seed potatoes which should spawn a few plants for a good yield. A nice flavour with a white-ish skin, perfect as a salad or new potato, delicious straight from the ground. Potatoes are classified as being either earlies or maincrops. Early varieties of potato are ready to harvest much sooner than maincrops and are what we call ‘new’ potatoes. You may have noted that new potatoes are smaller, and this is why. Typically, they will have a smoother waxier texture. Maincrop varieties however are left a lot longer. They produce a larger harvest and are generally bigger potatoes. You can also set out an old tire and fill it with soil and seed potatoes. As the plants grow, add more tires. One easy method is to cut off the top of a bag of compost. Dump out all but the bottom few inches (8 cm) of compost and roll or fold the top of the bag down. Plant in the bottom of the bag, adding compost as the plants grow. Just be aware you’ll need to poke plenty of drainage holes in the bottom section.

If the potatoes you remove are of an acceptable size then harvest as and when you need potatoes. There are some difference in harvesting method depending on the type of potato which are described below. Place the seed potato chunks – three to five per bag – on the surface of the soil, spacing them around evenly. Fill with just enough medium to cover the tops of the tubers. Keep the soil mix evenly moist and cover the sprouted potato greens with a compost mix as they come up. Look for a cool, dry, space to hang and dry the lavender. Ensure the area is moisture free and has good air circulation. This speeds up the drying process and prevents mould.

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Potato blight is a common fungal disease of which there is no cure, which turns foliage yellow with dark patches and causes the tubers to rot. Some options include growing a resistant variety of potato. You can also cut the potato plants down at the first sign of infection, as the fungus will not have reached the potatoes by that stage. Then harvest the tubers as soon as you can. The smallest new potatoes are the tastiest but at the same time they are the least productive. It’s up to you to balance the taste against the size of the potato. First early potatoes crop over a period of about 30 days. Situate your bags in full sun and keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. The young sprouts will not thrive in dry soil, and during the hot summer days you may have to water several times in one day to prevent dry out. The plant should grow vigorously and blossom during the summer.