While I realize that it might be somewhat late in the year to start with potatoes, I did recently have someone ask me to write something about how to grow them and some of the alternative methods of growing rather than in the ground.
The Inca Indians in Peru first cultivated potatoes, around 200 B.C. In 1537, the Spanish Conquistadors “discovered” the potato and brought them back to Europe on their return trip. The first potatoes arrived in North America around 1621. Today, potatoes are one of the largest food crops in the world, with the United States alone growing about 35 BILLION pounds of potatoes every year.
Potatoes are truly one of the easiest root crops to grow. Plus, they’re fun to grow and a small area can provide a nice yield of this tasty and popular vegetable. The low-carb diet craze has put the potato off of lots of people’s radar, but I say, “All Things In Moderation!” Have a potato from time to time; just don’t eat piles of fries every day. Choices. It’s all about choices…but I digress.
One of the bonuses of growing potatoes is that you can eat them at various stages of growth. The young “new” potatoes are often harvested and cooked with peas and gravy (Yum!) while most are allowed to reach maturity and are eaten or stored for use throughout the winter.
Potatoes require full sun to grow. Because they are aggressively rooting plants, they will produce the best crop when planted in a light, loose, well drained but moisture retentive loam. They like a slightly acid soil with a pH of about 5.8 to 6.5. Potatoes are very adaptable and will still produce a respectable crop even when soil conditions are less than perfect. Potatoes should be rotated on a 3-year schedule. This means you will need three suitable sites if you want to grow potatoes every year.
Potatoes may be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the early spring, but you need to use good judgment. Potato plants will not begin to grow until the soil temperature has reached 45 degrees. The soil should be evenly moist, but not wet or soggy. If the soil is water logged, your potatoes could rot before they even start to grow. Potatoes can tolerate a light frost, but you should provide some frost-protection for the plants when they are young. This can be a loose covering of straw or a temporary plastic tent or – my personal favorite, a gallon milk jug with the bottom cut off. You can remove the lid for ventilation. If you plan on storing potatoes through the winter, you can plant a second crop at mid-summer.
Now, I have heard from a number of places that you should never, ever use anything but CERTIFIED seed potatoes. You can get these from nurseries, garden centers and the ever-popular mail order catalogs (and – of course – online). I have talked with probably twice as many senior gardeners who swear by purchasing the kind of potato they like to eat at the grocery store or saving potatoes from a successful crop the year before and cutting those up for their seed potatoes. Since I personally feel that our senior community is an absolute WEALTH of information, I would tend to trust that particular tidbit of information. Your mileage may vary.
About a week before your planned potato planting date, set your potatoes somewhere where they will be exposed to some warmth and lots of light – between 60 and 70 degrees is good. This will induce them to begin sprouting. A day or two before planting, use a sharp, clean knife to cut your seed potatoes into “seeds”. Each seed should be approximately 1-1/2” to 2” inches square and must contain AT LEAST 2 eyes or buds. Smaller potatoes may be planted whole. In the next day or so, your seed will form a callous over the cut areas, which will help to prevent it from rotting once planted.
Traditionally, potatoes are grown in rows in the ground. Potato seeds are planted every 15 inches with the rows spaced 2-1/2 to 3 feet apart. For our purposes, however, we are going to look at a couple of different methods of growing potatoes. Some people argue that these methods don’t produce the yields of the growing-in-the-ground methods.
Even if space is not an issue, you can grow a respectable crop of spuds and do a little recycling at the same time. Potatoes thrive in the warm environment of a soil filled tire!
Here’s the equation: Four Tires + Two Pounds Of Seed Potatoes + Good Soil = 20 – 30 Pounds Of Winter Potatoes!
Pick a spot where you can stack your tires which is out of the way and preferably out of sight. Loosen the surface of the soil just enough to allow for drainage and set your largest tire in place. Fill the inside of the tire casing loosely with good soil and then set 3 – 4 potato seeds into the soil. Use sticks to prop open the casing rings of the tires. Add enough soil to the tire hold to bring it to the same level as the soil inside the tire.
When the new plants are eight inches tall, add another tire and soil to the stack as in the first level. Repeat the process for your third and – if you wish – fourth tires. As you add tires and soil to the stack, a portion of the plant stalk is covered with soil. By doing this, the existing stalk essentially reverts to a root status and the plant is forced to upward to once again find the sunlight it needs. By raising the soil level in 8 to 10 inch increments, the plant is able to continue growing without suffocating and at the same time you are creating a 24 to 30 inch tap root from which many lateral roots can develop. Each lateral root has the potential to produce potatoes. When you water, be sure that the soil is thoroughly moistened all the way to the base of the pile. The tires act as an insulator and heat “sink” for your potatoes. This added warmth will cause the lateral roots to multiply more rapidly, thereby giving you more potatoes. Harvest by disassembling the tires, one by one, and collecting all the tasty spuds. When your plants start to wither and die back, it’s time to harvest. Let the tubers “mature” for a week or so without watering before harvesting.
This other low labor/no till method is very popular. Choose a flat area of your yard or garden. You don’t have to dig or till, unless you already have an area like this that you want to use. It can be a part of the yard, if you want, and it’s really OK if it already has grass on it. You don’t have to remove the turf, but you may want to mow it, if the turf is tall. You will need your seed potatoes, either certified seed potatoes or other seeds you’ve prepared yourself. Get three or four bales of straw. Grass hay will do if you can’t get straw. Make your rows on the ground about three feet apart. Use a piece of string to make your rows nice and straight. Walk the rows and set a potato seed about every 18 inches to two feet apart. Now take the straw and cover the rows over your potatoes heavily – at least one foot wide and at least 6 inches deep in the center. Water the straw so that it is quite moist but not water logged.
You’ve done your planting! Within a few days, the spuds will take root in the ground in the moist dark under the straw. After a couple of weeks, you’ll notice the leaves of the potato plant poking through the straw. When they do, add a few more inches of straw. As they keep growing, keep adding straw. After a few weeks, you’ll end up with rows of straw about two feet wide and about a foot deep. The plants will eventually grow too big to keep piling straw on them, but by that time it’s OK. You want to keep the lower part of the plant covered completely so the potatoes can grow in the dark. If you have weeds sprouting between the rows, throw more straw on them. Smother them with straw and kindness!
When it’s time to harvest (the plant will start to wither and die back after several weeks, just pull aside the straw. Magically, you’ll find bushels of CLEAN potatoes, right in the straw, not buried deep in the ground.
Using this method, if the ground is very dry or no rain is forecast when you first plant, you need to give the straw a good soaking to get them going. Generally, after that, they will pretty much take care of themselves. Usually, once the straw gets soaked for the first time, it will hold enough water to take care of your potato plants. In other words, you might not need to water them at all, unless it is thoroughly, utterly dry.
If potato bugs turn up in your garden – and you’ll know it if they do – you can spray for them. I recommend the tomato leaf spray, but you can use what you’re comfortable with. However, there is something quite therapeutic about doing away with them personally. Put on your garden gloves and squish them dead. After they’ve defoliated a good portion of your plants, you might find it quite satisfying about putting on your garden gloves and squishing them between your thumb and forefinger, once you get used to the idea. They are slow and easy to catch, but quite, quite ugly.
Potatoes are fun and tasty, so get on out there and plant some. There’s still time this year to get a crop started.
The Inca Indians in Peru first cultivated potatoes, around 200 B.C. In 1537, the Spanish Conquistadors “discovered” the potato and brought them back to Europe on their return trip. The first potatoes arrived in North America around 1621. Today, potatoes are one of the largest food crops in the world, with the United States alone growing about 35 BILLION pounds of potatoes every year.
Potatoes are truly one of the easiest root crops to grow. Plus, they’re fun to grow and a small area can provide a nice yield of this tasty and popular vegetable. The low-carb diet craze has put the potato off of lots of people’s radar, but I say, “All Things In Moderation!” Have a potato from time to time; just don’t eat piles of fries every day. Choices. It’s all about choices…but I digress.
One of the bonuses of growing potatoes is that you can eat them at various stages of growth. The young “new” potatoes are often harvested and cooked with peas and gravy (Yum!) while most are allowed to reach maturity and are eaten or stored for use throughout the winter.
Potatoes require full sun to grow. Because they are aggressively rooting plants, they will produce the best crop when planted in a light, loose, well drained but moisture retentive loam. They like a slightly acid soil with a pH of about 5.8 to 6.5. Potatoes are very adaptable and will still produce a respectable crop even when soil conditions are less than perfect. Potatoes should be rotated on a 3-year schedule. This means you will need three suitable sites if you want to grow potatoes every year.
Potatoes may be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the early spring, but you need to use good judgment. Potato plants will not begin to grow until the soil temperature has reached 45 degrees. The soil should be evenly moist, but not wet or soggy. If the soil is water logged, your potatoes could rot before they even start to grow. Potatoes can tolerate a light frost, but you should provide some frost-protection for the plants when they are young. This can be a loose covering of straw or a temporary plastic tent or – my personal favorite, a gallon milk jug with the bottom cut off. You can remove the lid for ventilation. If you plan on storing potatoes through the winter, you can plant a second crop at mid-summer.
Now, I have heard from a number of places that you should never, ever use anything but CERTIFIED seed potatoes. You can get these from nurseries, garden centers and the ever-popular mail order catalogs (and – of course – online). I have talked with probably twice as many senior gardeners who swear by purchasing the kind of potato they like to eat at the grocery store or saving potatoes from a successful crop the year before and cutting those up for their seed potatoes. Since I personally feel that our senior community is an absolute WEALTH of information, I would tend to trust that particular tidbit of information. Your mileage may vary.
About a week before your planned potato planting date, set your potatoes somewhere where they will be exposed to some warmth and lots of light – between 60 and 70 degrees is good. This will induce them to begin sprouting. A day or two before planting, use a sharp, clean knife to cut your seed potatoes into “seeds”. Each seed should be approximately 1-1/2” to 2” inches square and must contain AT LEAST 2 eyes or buds. Smaller potatoes may be planted whole. In the next day or so, your seed will form a callous over the cut areas, which will help to prevent it from rotting once planted.
Traditionally, potatoes are grown in rows in the ground. Potato seeds are planted every 15 inches with the rows spaced 2-1/2 to 3 feet apart. For our purposes, however, we are going to look at a couple of different methods of growing potatoes. Some people argue that these methods don’t produce the yields of the growing-in-the-ground methods.
Even if space is not an issue, you can grow a respectable crop of spuds and do a little recycling at the same time. Potatoes thrive in the warm environment of a soil filled tire!
Here’s the equation: Four Tires + Two Pounds Of Seed Potatoes + Good Soil = 20 – 30 Pounds Of Winter Potatoes!
Pick a spot where you can stack your tires which is out of the way and preferably out of sight. Loosen the surface of the soil just enough to allow for drainage and set your largest tire in place. Fill the inside of the tire casing loosely with good soil and then set 3 – 4 potato seeds into the soil. Use sticks to prop open the casing rings of the tires. Add enough soil to the tire hold to bring it to the same level as the soil inside the tire.
When the new plants are eight inches tall, add another tire and soil to the stack as in the first level. Repeat the process for your third and – if you wish – fourth tires. As you add tires and soil to the stack, a portion of the plant stalk is covered with soil. By doing this, the existing stalk essentially reverts to a root status and the plant is forced to upward to once again find the sunlight it needs. By raising the soil level in 8 to 10 inch increments, the plant is able to continue growing without suffocating and at the same time you are creating a 24 to 30 inch tap root from which many lateral roots can develop. Each lateral root has the potential to produce potatoes. When you water, be sure that the soil is thoroughly moistened all the way to the base of the pile. The tires act as an insulator and heat “sink” for your potatoes. This added warmth will cause the lateral roots to multiply more rapidly, thereby giving you more potatoes. Harvest by disassembling the tires, one by one, and collecting all the tasty spuds. When your plants start to wither and die back, it’s time to harvest. Let the tubers “mature” for a week or so without watering before harvesting.
This other low labor/no till method is very popular. Choose a flat area of your yard or garden. You don’t have to dig or till, unless you already have an area like this that you want to use. It can be a part of the yard, if you want, and it’s really OK if it already has grass on it. You don’t have to remove the turf, but you may want to mow it, if the turf is tall. You will need your seed potatoes, either certified seed potatoes or other seeds you’ve prepared yourself. Get three or four bales of straw. Grass hay will do if you can’t get straw. Make your rows on the ground about three feet apart. Use a piece of string to make your rows nice and straight. Walk the rows and set a potato seed about every 18 inches to two feet apart. Now take the straw and cover the rows over your potatoes heavily – at least one foot wide and at least 6 inches deep in the center. Water the straw so that it is quite moist but not water logged.
You’ve done your planting! Within a few days, the spuds will take root in the ground in the moist dark under the straw. After a couple of weeks, you’ll notice the leaves of the potato plant poking through the straw. When they do, add a few more inches of straw. As they keep growing, keep adding straw. After a few weeks, you’ll end up with rows of straw about two feet wide and about a foot deep. The plants will eventually grow too big to keep piling straw on them, but by that time it’s OK. You want to keep the lower part of the plant covered completely so the potatoes can grow in the dark. If you have weeds sprouting between the rows, throw more straw on them. Smother them with straw and kindness!
When it’s time to harvest (the plant will start to wither and die back after several weeks, just pull aside the straw. Magically, you’ll find bushels of CLEAN potatoes, right in the straw, not buried deep in the ground.
Using this method, if the ground is very dry or no rain is forecast when you first plant, you need to give the straw a good soaking to get them going. Generally, after that, they will pretty much take care of themselves. Usually, once the straw gets soaked for the first time, it will hold enough water to take care of your potato plants. In other words, you might not need to water them at all, unless it is thoroughly, utterly dry.
If potato bugs turn up in your garden – and you’ll know it if they do – you can spray for them. I recommend the tomato leaf spray, but you can use what you’re comfortable with. However, there is something quite therapeutic about doing away with them personally. Put on your garden gloves and squish them dead. After they’ve defoliated a good portion of your plants, you might find it quite satisfying about putting on your garden gloves and squishing them between your thumb and forefinger, once you get used to the idea. They are slow and easy to catch, but quite, quite ugly.
Potatoes are fun and tasty, so get on out there and plant some. There’s still time this year to get a crop started.
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