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How to Grow Maori Potatoes
This is what I love about growing my own food – making discoveries like Maori potatoes. I can see this becoming an obsession!!
The most ‘famous’ Maori potatoes are, the dramatic purple/black ‘Urenika’ a stunning potato with a beautiful flavour, but, and this is the bit I love, there are 49 other varieties of Maori potatoes to try, and when you do, you will understand why the Maori have kept them a secret for over 200 years!!
Maori Potatoe: Kowinwini
A Little History, would be nice!!
Maori potatoes, the taewa (riwai), have been the staple food crop of the Maori since the 1800’s just before, the first Europeans settled in New Zealand.
It has been acknowledged, that some of the Maori potato varieties, were indeed brought to the shores of Aotearoa by explorers, sealers and whalers, but I cannot find any history relating to the varieties native to New Zealand.
The ‘taewa’ is the Maori collective word for their potato, which, incorporates the 50 or more varieties of Solanum tuberosum which have been cultivated on these shores for over 200 years
So if there is anyone out there with some stories to share, please do…I love the story behind the food just as much as the exciting new flavours my tastbuds are tingling with.
There is a certain mystique of all things Maori, but to me, some tales of intrepid travelers unearthing a magnificent food source conjures up some imaginative mental images.
How To Grow Maori Potatoes
Preparing The Soil
Like all good things, the soil needs to be prepared at least 3-4 weeks advance and left to settle before planting. I usually begin preparing my soil and ‘chitting’ my tubers at the same time, when the roots are ready so will the soil be!!
- Loosen the top of the soil by removing any weeds, this is all the ‘digging’ I do.
- Scatter over the surface 15 cm well matured manure – horse, sheep, goat or chicken. If using chicken manure make sure it is mature and mix equal amounts with good compost. Chicken manure is high in nitrogen, but it can also be very strong. Maturing it and mixing it with compost prevents the seedlings being burnt.
- Chop up as many comfrey leaves and stems as you can find, you need a 15cm layer. Add this directly on top of the manure.
- Cover with dried leaves or leaf mulch.
- Cover this with 15cm hay.
- Leave to settle for at least a month.
Preparing The Tubers
Like traditional potatoes, Maori potatoes need preparing at least 3-4 weeks before sowing. You need to grow at least two small roots per tuber.
The process of rooting the tumbers is called ‘Chitting’ and to do this you put the potatoes into an egg tray with a lid and close the lid leave in a dark, warm. dry place until roots appear. This is the opposite of chitting traditional potatoes.
This process should take about three to four weeks, they should look like little buds or small roots, and look healthy, discard any extra long root ones or any damaged or mouldy root system.
Note of Caution
Potatoes exposed to light, artificial or natural, will turn green. When this happens it is NOT safe to eat any part of the potato, even if the green bits are cut off.
Potatoes are related to the nightshade family, and contain poisonous alkaloids which become active once any part of the potato turns green, rendering the whole potato poisonous.
However, in the case of the ‘seed’ potatoes, as they are called, this is perfectly safe, because you will not actually eat the seed potato itself.
When to Plant
The ideal time to plant Maori potatoes is in the spring, as soon as all risk of frost has passed. In the southern hemisphere, this will be September / October time.
The phase of the moon best for sowing potatoes is the Full Moon, and Maori tradition holds, potatoes are only sown on the 11th, 27th and 28th of each month.
Potatoes must not be planted after tomatoes, capsicum and aubergine, or in any of the vacated spots for at least three years, this is because they are in the same family and because of the harmful alkaloid build up.
I find it best to interplant tomatoes, capsicum and aubergines, then I can keep a good stock rotation system.
I usually plant a crop of potatoes in a new bed before planting anything else, this helps prepare the soil and helps give depth to the unused bed, instead of digging it.
Harvest
Harvest can begin in January / February and the main crop lifting takes place in April. It is best to eat and foraged tubers within 10 days.
Dry the main harvest potatoes for 24 hours before storing them in a sack and hanging them in a light, dry airy place. This is also the opposite of storing traditional potatoes.
Storing
Maori potatoes do not need refrigeration, and are best stored in a cool, dark, dry place. They are best eaten within ten days of harvest.
Saving Seed Potatoes
Pick the potatoes which are unblemished or damaged in any way, they are ideal the size of walnuts and no bigger than an egg.
Nutritional Values
Like potatoes, Maori potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and fibre. They also contain some potassium, thiamine, folate and magnesium. They are high in starch so they will stop you feeling hungry for a long time. Yellow flesh and / or red skinned potatoes are nutritionally preferable because of their higher antioxidant levels.
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20 Responses to “How to Grow Maori Potatoes”
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Hi..I am very interested in growing the Urenika potatoes this season and would like to know if you have them or any other Maori varieties for sale or know where I can get some…K
excellent article, thank you. i am about to source me some seed potatoes and i wanted to make sure i was going to prepare my bed the right way; as it happens i already have
xx
b
Do you know where I could buy seed potatoes of these in the UK ?
Hi kaye, Thank you for the kind words. I was given my Urenika potatoes and I have brought other varieties from a New Zealand auction site called Trade Me. Are you in New Zealand? If you are check out a trader User Name: tengue1 and if you give me your address I will gift you some of mine, just enough for you to get started:)
Thank you Bec for the kind words I am glad to be able to help, let us know how the potatoes go:)
Hi Mel, Thank you for the question, I am afraid I don’t and I have just planted mine. If you remind me nearer your spring time and send me your address I will gift you a selection so you can get started and then save your own:)
Hi again just realised I’m not sure if I’m reminding you near our spring or yours ! do look me up on fb or email me ?
E-mail on it’s way to you:)
Hi I’ve just discovered some Maori potatoes at the bottom of my potato bucket that have sprouted. Is it too late to plant now (I’m in Dunedin & the growing season is a tad delayed here because of bad weather).
The other question is: I am growing most my veggies in bags & poys cos I’ve little or no garden – can I grow Maori potatoes in pots in much the same way as I grow potatoes?
Hi Sarah, Yes you can plant them out now, I have just planted 6 more varieties during the Full Moon phase. Now you can grow the potatoes in pots, but another idea is planting them into old tyres a method I just learn’t a new way of doing, you can get these from a local mechanic who gets charged for their removal and would only be too happy for you to take them instead:)
Start off with two and layer soil, comfrey, compost and manure in the bottom and add the potatoes. As the plants begin to show, add another tyre and cover with the same mixture again, you only need the very tip of the potatoe plant showing so as it grows keep adding more tyres and mix.
90 days is the usual time frame, except for Urenika, the black ones, they take a little longer. But have a peek before harvesting to see if you can grab some from the top and work your way down, or some just tip the stack over:) I have sent you the fertiliser tea guide, (this will be going up on the site very soon, I just need to tweakit some more!!) so you can get some information on feeding pot and growing bag vegetables. Enjoy and Happy New Year.
Thanks so much for this. The weather has been so bad down here that I haven’t managed to get out in the garden – hopefully I’ll get there tomorrow
My dad is growing maori spuds this year (it’s his first time) and wasn’t quite sure when to harvest… the spuds are about the size of a golf ball so far, we’re just wondering if the spuds get any bigger?? or are they supposed to be a small spud??
Thank you
Hi Jaydeen, Thank you for the question, now the size depends upon which variety your Dad is growing. If they are the black/purple Urinieka then they take a bit longer than the others.
Usually you can begin harvesting when the flower part above ground has begun to die back, but if you have a sneak look and grub a few up you can usually tell if the spuds are ready for eating. What is a good idea is to harvest what you need when you need them, and leave the rest in the ground to continue growing:)
As a general rule Maori potatoes can grow to the same large size as ‘normal’ potatoes, but I like them when they are smaller, Hope this helps:)
I have just grown Maori potatoes for the first time, the flowers had been and gone for at least two weeks before I harvested and only got four around the size of a golf ball and the rest smaller.
unlike regular potatoes the leaf and stems on them were around a metre long or is this normal for them or has all the growth gone into the vegetation.
I live in Whangarei and the summer has been very dry this year.
And can I plant another crop now today is 21 February
Hi Mike, Thank you for the question. Now first, Maori potatoes don’t grow huge as in the size of ‘commercial’ potatoes and secondly what variety were you growing? If it was the purple/black urenika then a golf ball size is a good size for this variety and this variety takes longer to mature than the other varieties.
Did you plant them into a flat vegetable bed, a raised bed, or into a stack of tyres?
Did you prepare the ground or soil a month before planting out with mature manure, comfrey leaves,compost and a good layer of dry mulch like spoilt hay? I use a good layer of at least 6 inches of each, just because I can and I know potatoes are hungry things.
As the potatoes grew and the tops of the plant becomes visable did you add another layer of mature manure, comfrey, some top soil and a 1-2 inch layer of fresh grass clippings and keep the mulch topped up? Doing this increases the harvest, keep the potatoes moist. The idea is to treat raises beds and ordinary ‘ground’ beds like a tyre stack and when you see the tops of the plants poke through the soil you keep adding layers of the manure etc to leave only about an inch or so or the top plant.
And yes go ahead and plant some more, if your area is prone to wet late springs and early autumns best to plant into a stack or raised beds to prevent water logging potato blight. I hope this answers your question and let me know how you get on..photo’s of coures:) Suzi
Kia ora i have just ordered some Tutaekuri and Raetihi seed from Trade me i live on the eastcoast and cant wait to start my growing adventures, I was wondering because i plan on slowly building up a maori potato seed bank could you recommend some seed that are easily sourced or seed that has an exceptional flavour.
Thanks
Spuds 4 life
Hi Vanessa, Sorry for the delay in answering. I will have at least 6 – 8 more varieties of Maori potatoes which will be going up for sale in my on-line store very soon. Other than Trade Me I really am at a loss to recommend places, as I couldn’t find any:) I love the Maori potatoes and like yourself I am building up my seed stocks and varieties. Thank you for the comment. Suzi
this is a late query about some harvesting i did a few months ago.
i was give a few tubers of the black variety. planted them with all the prep. in a raised bed. imagine my surprise when i got good healthy palm sized potatoes BUT they were a sort of caramel colour on the skin rather than the purple black. now, why, i ask myself (and you) would that have happened? any ideas?
Hi Adrian, Thank you for the question…ummm! tis a mystery, but before I commit myself can you get a photo to me?? There are lots of varieties and a lot with deep purple on the and I am thinking they might not be Urineka.
e-mail me at: suzi@2womenon2acres.com
Hi Val, sorry for the delay, got pneumonia and have been quite sick.
I have just planted all my seed potatoes out, I am so sorry:(
But, I do know there is a limited supply of varieties on Trade Me but they are quite expensive though. I am sorry but next year I will have a dozen varieties for sale but this doesn’t help you now.
good luck in your hunt. Suzi