- Botanical name: Solanum tuberosum 'Maris Piper'
- Common name: Potato
- Family: Solanaceae
- Plant Type: Vegetable
Green
- Key features:
- Prefers rich soil
‘Maris Piper’ is a classic and popular potato variety, grown in the UK since the 1960s. A maincrop potato, it’s the most commonly grown potato in the UK and is widely available in shops and supermarkets.
Maris Piper potatoes have golden skin with cream-white flesh that lends itself perfectly to mashing. However it’s a versatile variety and the potatoes also makes great chips, roast potatoes, and wedges.
Grow Maris Piper potatoes as you would any maincrop variety – prepare the soil by digging and removing weeds, and then dig trenches 12cm deep and 60cm apart. Plant your potatoes 30cm apart and cover them with soil to fill the trench. When the shoots reach 20cm tall, “earth them up” by using a rake, hoe or spade to mound soil up around the bases of the shoots, covering the stems half way.
Maincrop potato varieties occupy the ground longer than other kinds, but produce the heaviest yields, often with very large tubers ideal for baking. Typically, they are planted in April and harvested from August to October.
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Advice on buying Maris Piper potatoes
- Seed potatoes are usually available to buy from January
- Choose firm potatoes with no signs of mould or disease
- Store the potatoes in a cool, light place to ‘chit them’ (develop shoots) before planting
Where to buy Maris Piper potatoes
How to grow Solanum 'Maris Piper'
-
Plant size
75cm height
75cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
- Sun exposure: Full sun
- Hardiness: Tender
- Soil type: Chalky / alkaline / clay / heavy / moist / well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do Plant in March |
A
Do Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do not Plant in June |
J
Do not Plant in July |
A
Do not Plant in August |
S
Do not Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Harvest | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |
J
Do not Harvest in January |
F
Do not Harvest in February |
M
Do not Harvest in March |
A
Do not Harvest in April |
M
Do not Harvest in May |
J
Do not Harvest in June |
J
Do Harvest in July |
A
Do Harvest in August |
S
Do Harvest in September |
O
Do not Harvest in October |
N
Do not Harvest in November |
D
Do not Harvest in December |
Solanum 'Maris Piper' and wildlife
Solanum 'Maris Piper' has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Solanum 'Maris Piper' poisonous?
Solanum 'Maris Piper' can be toxic.
Toxic to Cats
Toxic to Dogs
Toxic to Horses
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
