Between the economic slump and the expensive prices of organically grown vegetables, home grown crops are once again becoming popular. Growing potatoes in your own backyard is not only easy and healthy for families, but vegetable growers swear by the fresh flavor of a home grown crop.
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are native to the Andes Mountains and the Chilean coast. They thrive in the northern United States and southern Canada due to the cool weather. Potatoes are nutritious, versatile, and have been a staple in many cultures for centuries. A whopping eighty pounds of potatoes can be produced from ten square feet of garden space. That’s a lot of fresh food.
Below is the easy way of growing potatoes.
Start With:
- Certified disease free seed potatoes. You can mail order these or buy them at a local nursery. Don’t use potatoes from the grocery store as they are not certified disease-free.
- Potatoes like a compost-rich soil that’s well-drained and slightly acidic as it reduces the chance of scabs.
- A soil amendment can be added if desired, but don’t add fresh manure as it causes scabs. Use a compost or composted manure.
How to Plant Potatoes
Seed potatoes can be planted whole, or they can be cut into chunks called “sets”. The chunks of potatoes need to have 2-3 eyes on them. Let sets air out for a day or two so the cut areas dry slightly before planting. If sets are planted, as opposed to the whole seed potato, they need to be placed cut side down into the ground.
- Plant potatoes in full sun.
- Plant potatoes in rows that are 3’ apart.
- The seed potatoes or sets are planted 4” under the soil.
- Plant the potatoes 6” - 10” apart from each other. As the plants grow hill soil, leaves, straw or more compost over them to keep the tubers unexposed to the sun.
- Leave a little bit of the growing plant sticking out of the hill. This encourages tuber growth.
* When the tubers are exposed to sun, the potatoes turn green and may develop solanine (a slightly toxic alkaloid).
When to Plant Potatoes
- Early spring is the right time to plant potatoes for an early harvest.
- For a second harvest, plant in mid-May to mid-June.
- If the climate is fairly mild, a third planting can be done in fall for a spring harvest.
When to Harvest Potatoes
When plants begin to blossom, stop hilling the soil over the tubers. Mulch can be applied to help retain moisture and keep the crop watered. Harvest potatoes when they are young for the best flavor.
- The young potatoes are ready to harvest when the plant begins to flower.
- When the tops of the plants die, mature potatoes are ready to harvest. To make sure the skins set, leave the mature potatoes underground for a couple of weeks.
- Harvesting is especially fun for children who love finding and gathering the tubers.
Potato Cultivars
- ‘Gold Rush’ is a great baking potato.
- ‘Norgold’s Russet’ is good for baking.
- ’Red LaSoda’ is good for warm climates.
- ‘Kennebec’ is flavorful and stores well.
- ‘Yellow Finn’ has a buttery taste and is great for baking.
- ‘Yukon Gold’ is large and flavorful.
- ‘Red Sun’ is smooth and full of flavor.
Planting and harvesting potatoes is easy and rewarding. Plus, when grown in your own backyard, potatoes are never healthier or tastier.
Interested in more on growing potatoes? Check out Growing Potatoes in the Home Vegetable Garden, For more articles on home vegetable gardening check out How to Grow Carrots in the Home Vegetable Garden and Grow Your Own Garden Vegetables.
Chris McLaughlin - Chris McLaughlin's gardening books include "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables." Check out her complete profile.
