How to Prepare Seed Potatoes

With many thanks from Westland, who supply us with fantastic composts & fertalisers a hand guide to preparing seed potatoes.

How to Prepare Your Seed Potatoes
For best results, allow seed potatoes to ‘chit’ (sprout) before planting.

What is Chitting?
Chitting is a simple process, where seed potatoes are encouraged to sprout before planting.

Why chit?
Chitting gives your seed potatoes stronger sprouts and is a vital factor in producing a successful crop. Having good sprouts before planting can help to speed up the growing process.

How to chit your seed potatoes.
During February and March place the seed potatoes in a shallow tray (egg boxes are ideal) with any shoots facing upwards.
Position the tray in the light, protect from frost and extreme heat. This chitting process takes roughly six weeks to allow sprouts to grow 1.5-2.5cm (0.5-1in) long. Once the seed potatoes have reached this point, you are ready to plant them out, either in the ground or in a growing bag.

How to Plant Your Seed Potatoes
Seed potatoes will grow well in the ground or in a growing bag. Bags are ideal if you are limited for space.

 

Planting Seed Potatoes in the Ground

 

Prepare & Plant

Choose a sunny spot (avoid frost pockets) and dig to break down the soil, removing any clods. Dig a trench in the soil 15cm (6in) deep by 15cm (6in) wide before laying out the seed potatoes with the shoots or rose end facing upwards. Position the seed potatoes 25-30cm (10-12in) apart allowing 60cm (24in) between each row and cover over with the excess soil. First shoots should appear within a few weeks.

 

Care

Once the first shoots begin to show cover with a new layer of soil to protect the crop. Once shoots are 5cm (2in) tall, cover the shoots with more soil to block out any light; this process is called ‘earthing up’. Repeat this process twice. Water the soil around the plants especially once foliage has formed.

 

Planting Seed Potatoes in a Growing Bag

 

Prepare & Plant

Fill a potato growing bag with 15cm (6in) of compost. Position three to four chitted seed potatoes evenly on top of the compost, with sprouts facing upwards. Cover potatoes with a further 10-15cm (4-6in) of compost and ensure compost is well watered. First shoots should appear within a few weeks.

Care

Water the potato plant regularly to keep compost moist, taking care not to saturate the compost. As the seed potatoes start to shoot, cover with a new layer of compost 10cm (4in) deep and repeat this process twice until 5cm (2in) from the top of the bag. Water well, especially once foliage has formed, watering onto the compost rather than the foliage.

 

How to Harvest Your Potatoes

When the potato plant starts to flower (approximately 12 weeks after planting), it is usually a sign that your potatoes are ready for harvesting. The longer you leave your potatoes the larger they will be and the bigger the yield. To harvest from the ground carefully dig up from the side using a garden fork to avoid bruising your crop.
From a growing bag,carefully remove the whole potato plant. Wash the potatoes ready for use. Store potatoes in a cool, dark, frost-free place.

Creating a Homemade Christmas Wreath

Christmas at Fron Goch

Care for your tree

Caring for your Real Christmas Tree

With our real Christmas trees arriving in Fron Goch from the 1st December we though it would be helpful to provide some hints and tips on how to maintain & get the most out of your tree this Christmas.  

Of course our experts are always on hand to give you some guidance and help should you need it.

Caring for your Christmas Tree

When buying a Christmas tree it is always best to choose a locally sourced and grown tree, or one that has at least been grown in the UK rather than abroad. 

When displaying trees indoors, avoid placing them too close to a fire or radiator, as this will cause excessive moisture loss and needle drop.

Cut Trees

• When you get the tree home, saw 2.5cm (1in) off the bottom with a pruning saw
• Place in a stand with a well of water in the base
• Check daily and top up the water when the level drops
• With care, cut trees should last about four weeks

Trees in Pots

• To reduce stress and damage to living trees, display them in a cool room
• Bring trees indoors as late as possible – the weekend before Christmas is ideal
• Do not keep living trees in the house any longer than 12 days, but be guided by the tree. If it looks unhappy, put it back outside

Either plant the tree out in the garden after Christmas, or (if you want to bring it indoors again next year) grow it on in a container, moving it into a bigger pot annually until you reach the maximum size that can be moved comfortably (about 45cm (18in) diameter and depth). Feel free to pop over and ask our experts, for some advice on this.

Pruning & Training

Christmas trees need very little training when grown outdoors. Aim to maintain an attractive shape, removing any shoots that spoil the silhouette or any strong upright branches that compete with the leading stem. Prune away any dead, diseased or dying branches.

Christmas trees planted in pots will be limited in their size by the constraints of the pot. But if planted out in the garden, Christmas trees can get very large, reaching a height of about 15-20m (50-65ft) in twenty years, and possible eventual heights of about 40m (130ft). The smallest growing Christmas trees are probably Fraser firs, which reach about 7m (23ft) after twenty years, attaining an eventual height of about 20m (65ft), and Korean firs, which reach 4m (13ft) in twenty years and an eventual height of 10m (33ft).

Christmas trees are generally problem-free indoors, but will lose their needles quickly if placed too close to a source of heat, or if water dries up in the well of the stand.

Christmas trees grown on in pots may only live for a few years, as they are not naturally suited to ongoing pot cultivation.

Pop in and see us any time if you would like some advise or help with your tree!

Eisteddfod Yr Urdd...Bwyd i’r teulu cyfan.

31/5/2012 The Urdd Eisteddfod......Food For All The Family Urdd Week Special - We are open for Dinner!  Food available until 7:30pm - Fresh homemade breakfast, lunch & dinner. - Free parking. Child friendly. - Just 5 miles from Y Maes. -Open 9.30am to 7.30pm Mon-Fri Eisteddfod week. Full menu & directions at: http://www.frongoch-gardencentre.co.uk/ Open as Usual Bank Holiday Weekend & Half Term Week For full details on opening hours click here   Afternoon Tea.... Afternoon Tea Tea of Two..... What a Treat Afternoon Tea for Two is served from 3pm to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday. A real treat! This includes sandwiches and our special homemade cream cakes. You won't need to make supper after this! Also this Month Garden Furniture We have a wide range of quality garden furniture available in-store. From high end conservatory sets to two seaters patio sets and swinging chairs. Our large stock of quality Leisure Grow furniture means you can visit the centre and pick up or we can arrange a home delivery, which ever suits. Forward to a friend Know someone who might be interested in the email? Why not forward this email to a friend. Unsubscribe If you no longer wish to receive this email please unsubscribe.

Fron Goch Garden Centre Tel: 01286 672 212, Address: Pant Road, Llanfaglan, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales, LL54 5RL

31/5/2012 Eisteddfod Yr Urdd...Bwyd i’r teulu cyfan. Bwyd i’r teulu cyfan...- Brecwast, cinio a swper cartref, ffres. - Parcio am ddim. Croeso i blant. - Dim ond 5 milltir o’r Maes. - Ar agor 9.30am tan 7.30pm o Ddydd Llun i Ddydd Gwener wythnos yr Eisteddfod.   Bwydlen a chyfarwyddiadau llawn ar http://www.frongoch-gardencentre.co.uk/ Bydd Te Bach Pnawn Bydd Te Bach Pnawn i Ddau yn cael ei weini o 3pm to 4.30pm o Ddydd Llun i Ddydd Sadwrn. Pleser pur! Brechdanau a’n cacenni hufen cartref arbennig. Fydd dim rhaid i chi wneud swper ar ôl hyn! Hefyd y mis hwn Dodrefn Gardd Mae gennym ddewis helaeth o ddodrefn gardd ardderchog yn y Ganolfan. Gyda chymaint o ddewis, gallwch alw yma a mynd â’ch dodrefn adref neu gallwn ni drefnu eu danfon Anfon ymlaen at ffrind Ydych chi’n adnabod rhywun fyddai â diddordeb yn yr e-bost hwn? Pam na wnewch chi ei anfon ymlaen at ffrind. Dad-danysgrifio Os nad ydych yn dymuno derbyn yr e-bost hwn dad-danysgrifiwch.

Ein Hagwedd at Goginio

Ein Hagwedd at Goginio

Yma yn Fron Goch, ein siop Goffi a Bwyty yw’r lle perffaith i gyfarfod â theulu a ffrindiau. Cewch le cyfforddus i ymlacio a mwynhau’ch hunan a chewch wledd gyda rhai o’n prydau a’n teisennau cartref.

Mae pob un o’n prydau’n cael ei goginio yma yn ein ceginau’n hunain.  Rydyn ni’n cael ein cig a’n llysiau gan gyflenwyr lleol, pobl rydyn ni’n eu hadnabod ac yn ymddiried ynddyn nhw.  Felly, er enghraifft daw ein Twrci, Porc a Chig Eidion oddi wrth ein cigydd lleol yng Nghaernarfon, o stoc sy’n cael ei fagu yng Ngwynedd yn unig. Mae’r rhan fwyaf o’n teisennau’n cael eu crasu yma, yn ein ceginau - dyna pam eu bod nhw mor ffres a blasus. Mae sgons yn cael eu crasu’n ffres gydol y dydd ac yn aml, maen nhw’n dal yn gynnes wrth i ni eu gweini.

◦Mae brecwast o 9.30am tan 11.15am o ddydd Llun i ddydd Sadwrn ac o 10am tan 11.15am ar ddydd Sul.

◦Bydd cawl cartref, tatws pob, paninis a brechdannau ar gael bob dydd o tua 11.30am tan 3pm yn dibynnu ar y galw.

◦Cewch giniawau poeth bob dydd o 11.45am tan 2.30pm (heblaw ddydd Iau a dydd Sul pan fyddwn yn cynnig ein carferi enwog) ac fel arfer mae yna dri dewis o fwyd llysieuol.

◦Mae’r bar Salad yn berffaith am ginio ysgafn ac iach. Mae’n llawn o bob math o ddewisiadau wedi’u paratoi’n ffres gan gynnwys ein tartenni sawrus cartref. Ar gael fel arfer o 11am tan tua at 4pm.

◦Mae’n carferi rhost enwog yn cael ei weini ar ddydd Iau a dydd Sul o 11.45am tan tua 2.30pm.

◦Beth am De Prynhawn i ddau o 3pm tan 4.30pm ddydd Llun i ddydd Sadwrn? Gwledd! Mae’n cynnwys ein brechdannau a’n teiennau hufen cartref arbennig ni. Fyddwch chi ddim angen gwneud swper ar ôl hynny!

◦Mae Panninis wedi’u tostio ar gael o tua 11am i 4.30pm pob dydd.

Mae gennym ddigonedd o le i eistedd gydag adnoddau ardderchog i blant, pobl gydag anabledd ac ymwelwyr hŷn. Mwynhewch ein cornel y plant, os byddwch yn lwcus, mi fyddan nhw’n diddori'u hunain wrth i chi gael cinio. Neu swatiwch yn ein man clud mewn cadair ger y tân, perffaith pan fydd yn rhaid i chi fynd allan ar ddiwrnod gwlyb. Dydyn ni ddim yn cymryd archebion, fel arfer mae yma ddigonedd o le ond dewch yn gynnar ar ddyddiau prysur megis gwyliau a Sul y Mamau.