Potatoes are one of the easiest crops to grow. There are many delicious varieties of potatoes to choose from. There are even potatoes with various growing season lengths. For those with short growing seasons, there are early varieties that take only about 100 days from seed to harvest. If you are a beginner gardener, potatoes are one of the best crops to grow as they are almost a no-fail crop.
- Plant potatoes in cool spring temperatures
- Choose a sunny location with at least 6-8n hours of direct sun. The more sun the better.
- Potatoes are tubers growing underground, therefore ensure the soil is light and fluffy so the tubers have space to spread and grow easily. Loosen the soil if needed.
- Add a slow-release fertilizer to the soil as potatoes like fertile soil.
- Only plant potatoes with shoots also called “eyes.” Plant the potatoes with at least 2 eyes on them.
- Dig a trench or a hole about 4-6 inches deep.
- Place the potato in the hole or a trench with the eyes facing upwards.
- When planting, space the potatoes about 8-12 inches apart so the tubers have enough room to grow.
- Fill the trench or a hole with the soil and gently firm the soil surface.
- Water well, and continue watering once or twice a week or as needed.
- Ensure potatoes are watered well especially during their flowering stage as this is the time the tubers underneath the surface are being formed.
- Ensure the soil drains well, do not let the potatoes sit in water as they might rot.
- As the potato plant grows, use the soil to hill the potatoes around the stem. Hilling the potatoes can increase the yields as the tubers form along the stem underground.
- Potatoes are ready to be harvested once the stem and leaves turn yellow or dry out.
How do you grow potatoes from potatoes?
Potatoes are simply grown from potatoes! All that needs to be done is to plant a potato that has sprouted, it is your seed potato. Once the potato has sprouted it is ready to be planted in the soil with the shoots facing upwards. After a few weeks, leaves will come out of the ground. The plant will continue to grow with a strong stem and with leaves. The potatoes will be formed underground.
How to make a seed potato?
To make a seed potato, take a medium-sized potato and place it in the paper bag. Leave the paper bag open and let it sit on a counter or a shelf. After a few weeks, the potato will form shoots, also called eyes. Once these were formed the potato is ready to be planted. For best results use organic potatoes when making your own seed potatoes as conventional potatoes might have been sprayed down with a chemical to prevent them from sprouting. Seed potatoes can be also bought.
I never buy seed potatoes. I simply plant potatoes I buy at the store for eating and let them sprout. Come spring, I take a look at the potatoes at the store and pick a bag with the potatoes that are forming tiny eyes. Some conventionally grown potatoes will do a great job sprouting as well, especially when they are young potatoes with soft skin. Always inspect the bags of potatoes and I am sure you will find one that has some potatoes if not most of them sprouting. I then place them in a paper bag and leave them open on a shelf in the basement. And in a few weeks, they are ready to be planted.
What is the best month to plant potatoes?
The best months to plant potatoes are March and April. Plant early potatoes with the short growing season around late March. Many choose to plant potatoes on Saint Patrick’s Day. The second earlies are to be planted early to mid-April. And the main crop potatoes are planted mid to late April. Always plant potatoes following your hardiness zone. Potatoes do not like hard frost. They can withstand gently frost and recover well but it might set them back. If there is a danger of frost and the potatoes have leaves out, cover them with a frost cover.
What’s the secret to growing potatoes?
Potatoes like to grow in full sun and like to be well-fertilized as well. They also like well-drained soil. Potatoes are best planted in early spring as they like cooler temperatures. Plant the potatoes in the ground once the soil is workable and the soil temperature is around 45F.
How many potatoes will I get from one plant?
One potato plant might yield about five to ten potatoes. Yields are influenced by growing conditions like the quality of the soil, fertilizer, weather, as well as the variety of potatoes that you grow.
Do you plant seed potatoes whole or cut?
Potatoes can be planted whole or cut, as you prefer. If potatoes are cut into smaller chunks before planting, ensure each chunk has at least 2 sprouts as each sprout can grow into an individual plant. The more sprouts, the more potato plants. If the potatoes are larger than five ounces they can be cut into smaller chunks before planting. Once the potato has been cut into chunks, let the cut side heal or dry for a day or two before planting.
When and how to fertilize potatoes?
Fertilize the soil with a slow-release fertilizer before the potatoes are planted, so they are planted in an already fertilized soil. Fertilize again several weeks after planting when potato plants are about 4-8 inches tall, by side dressing the potato plant about 3 inches from the stem.
To fertilize the tomato plants, Epsoma Organic Tio Tone can be used during planting and then again when side dressing. This fertilizer is no hustle, is ready to be used, and is a slow release. No mixing, no diluting. Simply take it and use it.
However, this year, I simply decided to use a liquid fertilizer, for my whole garden. I use this one. It is a concentrate that comes in a 1-gallon bottle and needs to be diluted when used. I use 10mill for 1 gallon of water. I fertilize weekly to ensure I have a good harvest. So far, it looks like I will get a lot out of 1-gallon concentrate if I use only 10mil for a gallon of water. That’s a lot of gallons for my garden.
I grow potatoes almost during the whole growing season, starting in early spring. Then planting again in succession planting and I even try to squeeze some in autumn. As the potatoes take up much space in my small garden, I sometimes plant grow in large containers. I found out that they do like to be well-fertilized. Even though they are easy to grow vegetables, you never know what you will get. Many times, I was surprised at how little harvest I got. This year, I fertilize well, and water well and have hope not to be surprised by a little but rather by a large harvest.
I grow Yukon gold potatoes, or yellow potatoes because I like how buttery they are, they are so versatile and great as a mesh or baked. Simply my favorite! They are also short-growing season potatoes so I can have multiple harvests during the growing season.
Please share with me, what are your favorite potatoes you like to grow and why.
Tips for growing in 5-gallon buckets
