Seed Potato - Delaware [PRE-ORDER]

Seed Potato - Delaware Solanum tuberosum (NOT to WA, TAS & Kangaroo Island) Determinate variety ⚠️ Pre-Order Item – Please Read Before Ordering This item is a pre-order and is expected to arrive by Friday, 17 April. If your order contains other in-stock items, your entire order will be placed on hold and shipped together once this item is received. We are unable to split shipments. If you need in-stock items sooner, please place them as a separate order. Please note that the seed potatoes are sold as whole and may or may not have shoots - Supplied as dormant tubers. Desiree is a determinate variety. To ensure the longevity of the seed potato, store it within the 0-5°C range. Delaware Seed Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is one of Australia's most popular and widely grown potato varieties. This vigorous, early-season performer produces medium to large oval tubers with smooth cream skin and firm white flesh. A true kitchen all-rounder, Delaware delivers excellent results whether boiled, roasted, baked, or mashed. The determinate growth habit makes it well-suited to garden beds, raised planters, and grow bags alike. Stores particularly well when properly cured in a cool, dark location. Growing Guide Plant certified seed potatoes in winter to spring once the risk of frost has passed in your area. Before planting, spread tubers in a warm, well-lit spot for several weeks to encourage short, thick sprouts. Larger tubers can be cut so each piece has one or two eyes, but allow cut surfaces to dry before planting to reduce the risk of rot. Avoid cutting pieces too small, as this can lower your yield. Plant tubers approximately 15 cm deep in well-drained, humus-rich soil and cover with 25 to 30 cm of mulch or mounded soil. Space tubers 20 to 25 cm apart in rows with full sun exposure. Potatoes thrive in consistently moist soil, so water regularly, particularly during tuber formation. Cooler soil temperatures encourage a longer growing period and bigger harvests. Prepare the bed with well-rotted animal manure or a complete fertiliser before planting. As shoots emerge, mound straw mulch around the stems to encourage more tubers and protect developing potatoes from sunlight. Apply liquid fertiliser three to four times during the growing season. Harvest and Storage Harvest when the foliage begins to yellow and die back, typically 90 to 130 days after planting. Small early harvests of chat potatoes can be taken once tubers reach a usable size, though this will reduce the final yield of full-sized potatoes. Dry-harvest tubers as quickly as possible and store them in a cool, dark place. Never eat green potatoes, as they contain solanine and are toxic. Rotate your potato crop to a different bed every three to four years to prevent the build-up of soil-borne pests and diseases.