The weekend fast approaches. What will your free time consist of this weekend? For our many enthusiastic gardeners and smallholders, fair weather may see some planting going on. St Patrick’s Day just past heralded the start of the growing season. Potatoes are traditionally planted this time of year. Early season crops which will be ready in time for early summer eating. Later on in the season, main crop potatoes like Roosters and Kerr Pinks will be ready as the autumn approaches. You don’t have to have a big patch of land to grow your own spuds. A small plot in the garden can yield enough for family eating for several weeks. Raised beds are also good. These can be made out of old scaffolding boards or railway sleepers to create rectangular beds which are filled with soil or a mix of soil and compost. Make traditional ridges in the soil and plant the spuds in the tops of the ridges, building up the earth over to cover them and protect them from light. Smaller still, a few fishboxes can be given a new life as growing pots.  One standard plastic fish box of the kind fishermen use to bring in their catch will be big enough to plant 8-12 potatoes, making sure they are well spaced. These will grow into individual plants with about 1kg of potatoes per plant. Enough for a few  dinners there! Plant up two or three boxes with different varieties, staggering the planting so you have an extended harvesting season. A few ideas to keep you going this weekend!