Potatoes are generous plants. They are easy to grow and produce abundant harvests. Give them the following and they will accept almost any planting situation:
- Full sun
- Loose, fertile soil
- 1” of water per week
You can grow potatoes in a plastic bucket, a plastic trash can, or a special “grow bag”. But in my experience, containers like these require constant attention to watering and yield only tiny harvests. A better plan is to grow your crop in a raised bed.
WHEN TO PLANT POTATOES
In Northern regions, some gardeners will plant the first crop of early-maturing potatoes in early to mid-April, 6 to 8 weeks before the average last frost date or as soon as the soil can be worked; they can survive some cool weather but the threat of frost is a gamble. If there is a threat of frost at night, temporarily cover any sprouted foliage with mulch or an artificial covering such as old sheets or plastic containers.
To avoid frost, consider starting potatoes 0 to 2 weeks after your last spring frost. You may plant earlier, as soon as soil can be worked, but be aware that some crops may be ruined by frost or overly wet soil.
The soil, not the calendar, will tell you when it’s time to plant. The temperature of the soil should—ideally—be at least 50°F (10°C). The soil should also not be so wet that it sticks together and is hard to work. Let it dry out a bit first. Like other seeds, potato seed pieces will rot if planted in ground that’s too wet.
In Southern regions, potatoes can be grown as a winter crop and planting times range from September to February. Where winters are relatively mild, you can plant a fall crop in September. In central Florida, gardeners plant potatoes in January; and in Georgia they plant in February.
HOW TO PLANT & GROW POTATOES
Choose Seed Potatoes
Start with organic, certified disease-free seed potatoes obtained from a catalog or farm store. If you buy from a farm store, try to select tubers that have already sprouted. Otherwise, pre-sprout them by simply laying them out on your kitchen counter. Pre-sprouted potatoes can be harvested a few weeks earlier than their non-sprouted kin.
Separate the Eyes
Only small, golf-ball-sized potatoes should be planted whole.
Cut large tubers into pieces. We cut mine so that each segment has two or three eyes. The reason for cutting the potatoes is because the many eyes on a large potato will create a crowded, multi-stemmed plant, with each stem competing for food and moisture, and in the end, bearing only small potatoes.
Cure the Cut Pieces
Next, cure the cut pieces. Either set them out in the sun or place them on a table or counter in a warm, moderately lit room for three to five days. This step permits the cuts to become calloused. Calloused seed potatoes will help prevent rot.
Plant Your Potatoes
Plant each potato segment cut-side down (eyes up) in a 6-inch-deep hole or trench. Space each segment 12-inches apart on all sides.
Between each segment, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorous fertilizer. Then cover both potatoes and fertilizer with 2-inches of soil, and water the soil well.
Hilling Potatoes
As a potato plant grows, it produces the main stem with leaves and flowers aboveground. Meanwhile, underground, tubers form on secondary stems that branch off from the main stem. To prevent shallow tubers from being exposed to sunlight and to encourage the plant to keep producing more tubers, a few inches of soil are periodically “hilled” up around the base of the stem. This is typically done three to four times during the season.
Do the hilling in the morning, when plants are at their tallest. During the heat of the day, plants start drooping.
Maintain even moisture, especially from the time when sprouts appear until several weeks after they blossom. The plants need 1 to 2 inches of water per week. If you water too much right after planting and not enough as the potatoes begin to form, the tubers can become misshapen.
The last hilling should be done before the potato plants bloom, when the aboveground part of the plant is at least a foot tall. Hoe the dirt up around the base of the plant to cover the tubers as well as to support the plant.
Practice yearly crop rotation with potatoes.
HARVESTING & STORING
Potatoes are ready to harvest when the tops begin to die and the potato skin becomes firm. The skin is set when it does not scrape easily when rubbed with the thumb. Skin-set can be speeded by cutting back the tops of the plants.
Most of the potatoes should weigh 6 to 12 ounces at harvest. You can harvest small “new potatoes” during the growing season by carefully digging beside the plants with your fingers.
To harvest potatoes, dig under the plants with a shovel or spading fork. Keep the pitchfork 8 to 10 inches away from the plant to prevent cutting the potatoes. Raise the plants and shake away the soil.
Potatoes should be dug when the soil is moist. If it is too wet, the soil will stick to the potatoes. If too dry, dirt clods will bruise the potatoes.
Pull the potatoes from the vines and handle them carefully to prevent damage; damaged potatoes do not store well.
Allow the potatoes to dry; then store them in a cool spot with plenty of air movement. Most potato varieties are ready to dig 95 to 110 days after planting.
After the potatoes are dug, place the tops in the compost pile. The spring potato crop often can be followed with a summer crop such as southern peas.
VARIETIES
- Red flesh: Dark Red Norland, Norland, Red LaSoda, and Viking
- White flesh: Atlantic, Gemchip, Kennebec, and Superior
- Yellow flesh: Yukon Gold
- Russet: Century Russet, Norgold M, and Russet Norkatah