Knowing how to dry lavender for sachets properly will make a huge difference to a lavender bag's quality and longevity. What you will need The difficult part is knowing when to start harvesting. This depends on the type and variety of potato and also the weather conditions throughout the growing season. Our advice, hints and tips below will tell you exactly when to harvest your potatoes. 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: 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. '

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. 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. 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. You can make a bag out of burlap, or even grow potatoes in a cardboard box. The container or bag lets the plant spread out its roots, and you can add layers of soil as it grows. The reason for layering is the same as hilling. Potato tubers send out roots at the eyes, which branch out in the soil. The more you cover the top of the root zone, the more roots they send out. More roots equal more potatoes.The first thing you need to grow potatoes in bags is, of course, a bag. Here you have two choices: buying one of the different grow bags currently available in commerce, or making your own. Making your own bag takes more time but costs less. The Anya potato won’t win a beauty contest, but it tastes great, kind of nutty, with a waxy flesh. Great for boiling primarily but also nice for roasting. 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.' 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 Separate your lavender harvest into bundles ensuring the stems are about the same height.Then, tie each bunch with a rubber band or string in the floristry method at the bottom.

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. 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. Plant small seed potatoes whole, but cut larger ones into chunks the size of limes for planting. As long as a seed potato piece has one or more “eyes,” it should grow into a new potato plant. 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.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. A nice flavour with a white-ish skin, perfect as a salad or new potato, delicious straight from the ground. A lovely tasting potato perfect for salads. It also copes better than other varieties with growing conditions that are less than ideal. 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. Timing the harvest is crucial for peak flavour, texture, and nutritional value. Familiarise yourself with the maturity indicators for each crop, ensuring you harvest at the optimal time. This not only enhances the taste and nutritional benefits of your produce but also impresses your customers with the best quality.

In terms of harvesting, Maincrops are typically harvested in late summer or autumn. Early varieties which are typically harvested from early to midsummer and are further divided into first earlies and second earlies. First early varieties are of course first to harvest, while second earlies follow on a few weeks later. If you have your grow bags inside a greenhouse, they can be started earlier and will be ready to harvest even faster. If you want to keep your lavender flowers in a bundle, tie a rubber band around them before you cut them off. Hang the tied bundles upside down from lengths of string along a wall (like a washing line), secured with paper clips or pegs. Alternatively, suspended from a ceiling, a shaded pergola or even a window frame.Everyone knows the Maris Piper. In every supermarket and the most widely grown maincrop potato in the UK. Firm and creamy, with yellow skin. 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. Whatever container you decide to use, make sure to roll down the edge of the bag to make it much shorter for planting. Planting Potatoes in Grow Bags

Cut the lavender 2 in (5.1 cm) above the woody growth. If you examine the lavender bush, you'll see it's rooted to the ground with tough, woody growth. Above this is the “new growth,” which looks green and flimsy. Use your pruning shears to cut at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) above the woody part of the stalk to give the plant enough to work with for a new bloom. [6] X Trustworthy Source Virginia Cooperation Extension Publications and Educational resources from Virginia Tech and Virginia State University Go to source While it’s not essential, you may want to chit (or pre-sprout) your seed potatoes two to four weeks before planting. To chit your potatoes, lay them in a single layer in a warm spot with indirect light. A good way to prevent rot during this stage is to place your potatoes in egg boxes or seed trays. Once your potatoes put out shoots that are 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, they are ready to plant. 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. The bag needs to be filled with a good quality compost, preferably one that is suitable for growing potatoes. Most good quality composts for vegetables will do the job and it’s as easy as buying a bag or two from any garden centre. 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.

Image credit: Future PLC/Claire Lloyd-Davies) FAQs When’s the best time to dry lavender for sachets?