How To Grow Potatoes

Potatoes are one of the best vegetables to grow and there is absolutely no comparison to the vegetables that you can buy in the grocery store. Potatoes are also really easy to grow and they can store well for a long time too. Potatoes are very low maintenance plants and they can be a lot of fun to grow because they’re such an adaptable crop even if your soil is less than perfect.

Potatoes need full sun to grow and they root very aggressively which also means thy produce the best crop when the soil is light, loose, and well drained. It’s also best is the soil is slightly moisture retentive and a bit acidic as well. However potatoes are a hardy crop and will usually make do with whatever conditions they have and still produce a good crop. You also want to make sure that you rotate your potatoes whenever you plant them by a three year schedule.

Potatoes can be planted in the early spring as soon as you can start working the ground but pay careful attention as use your good judgement here as potatoes won’t start growing until the soil temperature has reached forty-five degrees. The soil also needs to be most and not wet or soggy. If your soil is too wet all you will do is cake the seeds of the potatoes in mud and they’ll probably rot before they even have a chance to get started. Your potatoes will be able to stand a light frost but they’ll still need a bit of protection especially when they’re young which can be as simple as a light covering of straw or a piece of tarp as long as there is proper ventilation for sunny, warmer days.

Before you plan your potatoes make sure that you only use certified seed potatoes and don’t use the ones that you can find in your local grocery store because they likely aren’t healthy and will be susceptible to disease. Certified seed potatoes will b disease free and are selected to give the highest yields - they’re usually available at most nurseries and gardening stores and there are several varieties of potatoes to choose from and they all have their own unique characteristics and qualities.

Make sure that before you plant you also set your seed potatoes somewhere warm with access to some light sot aht thy can begin sprouting. A couple of days before you plan to plant them you should take a knife and cut them into “seeds” which are individual cuts of the potato. Your seed needs to be at least an inch or two square and it should have one or two “buds” or little eyes on them to allow them to do the very best once they are planted. If you have smaller potatoes you can plant those whole. As you let your potatoes sit out they will form a thick callous over the cuts you have made which protects the potato and prevents it from rotting once you’ve planted it in your garden.

Take care to maintain your potatoes and see that they are getting the proper amount of water and sunshine to do their very best and produce a good crop and you’ll have a great treat at the end of the season!