Potatoes are well-off to grow by several method acting and by following a few key tip . you could have varieties you wo n’t happen elsewhere and potatoes with well flavor when you grow your own .
Potato growers in orotund commercial-grade fields often present several problems they control with chemical substance . This gives stock - corrupt potato a itemization on the Environmental Working Group ’s “ dirty dozen”—those vegetables describe to contain the most pesticide residues . Of naturally , you may avoid such fear if you buy from local constituent Farmer , but even they may habituate organic chemicals you would n’t need in a habitation garden .
Types of potatoes for your garden
There are so many varieties of potatoes for your garden that you wo n’t find in stores or from local agriculturalist . Potatoes can be grouped by use , sizing , or colour and vary in grain and flavor .
How to grow potatoes
Technically , potatoes are tubers , which are storage organ . Like tomato plant , potatoes can be grown from dependable seminal fluid , which you would sow indoors about eight weeks before your last frost day of the month .
More often , they ’re start out from “ seed potatoes , ” which are n’t actual ejaculate but chunks of potato with sprout , bud , or “ eye . ” You ’ll find these in garden catalogs and stores in the spring . Look for certified disease - liberal seeded player tater . Do n’t utilise store - grease one’s palms potatoes , as these unremarkably have been treated with an inhibitor to foreclose sprouting and might persuade disease .
How to prepare and plant “seed” potatoes
Golf - formal - sized semen potatoes can be constitute directly in your garden . Larger tubers should be cut off into pieces about two column inch thick or weigh about 2 Panthera uncia , and each piece should contain a couple of the unexampled shoot or “ eye . ” The shoot should still be short , just sprouting , and not have stems on them yet . If they have started grow , cover them gently to stave off break these tender stem . If you ’re cutting a large tuber into segment , countenance the pieces to harden off in a cool ( 55 to 65 degrees F ) , well - ventilated area for a day or two before planting .
When to plant potatoes
Plant come Irish potato outside 2 - 3 weeks before your last freeze date , around the time daffodils bloom and soil temperatures are at least 50 point ( F ) . While freeze wo n’t ache the Solanum tuberosum in the land , it can damage unexampled shoot above dry land . So , if a frost is expected after you see above - earth increment , cover the unexampled potato shoot with a rime cloth , aconverted moldable Milk River jugful , or exchangeable trade protection . find out how to find your last icing date .
“Hill” the soil so growing potatoes are not exposed to light
The rationale to keep in mind when growing potatoes is that you desire the fresh white potato vine tubers that form to be underground , whole out of the light , so they do n’t move around green ( this make them bitter and slightly toxic ) .
There are two method acting of planting spud to keep them in the iniquity :
No garden? You can plant potatoes in containers or bags.
If you ’re short on distance or sunlight , considerplanting potatoes in container . This is the method I use , , with potatoes growing in thick felt - like bags made just for growing such crop . Although the bags control about 15 gallon of intermixture , I only use about 12 congius . I set out with about 6 to 8 inch of compost and potting soil intermixture , then as the flora grow , I total more until the bag is about 3/4 full . A hearty wooden frame or wire mesh cage could be used likewise .
Potato growing tips:
Potato diseases and pests
Scab
One of the most common diseases of potatoes is “ scab , ” cause by bacterium . “ Scab ” gets its name from the coming into court of corked dark wound on the potato ’s surface . white potato with “ scab ” are still edible but must be peeled . As already noted , avoiding manure and alkaline soil aid to preclude this being from growing , as does right watering . Also , avoid planting white potato in the same spot for three geezerhood ( use proper craw revolution ) or where other theme crops such ascarrots , beetroot , andturnipshave been imbed . Some varieties that are resistant to scab include Russet Burbank , Norgold , Red Norland , and Superior .
Late Blight
A usual fungal disease of Solanum tuberosum that may also disseminate to tie in crops islate blight . This is the famous disease of the Irish potato dearth of the 1840s . Crop rotationhelps avoid former blight as well as other diseases . It ’s also advisable to not plant Solanum tuberosum in the same area as tomatoes , peppers , eggplant bush , and strawberry for three years . Do n’t go away any Tuber in the ground or deliver them from premature days if late blight has been present . Also , use certified disease - free source potatoes . constituent sprays are available to treat this disease .
Colorado Potato Beetle
The main dirt ball pest of potato is the pretty , somewhat rounded Colorado potato beetle . They can chop-chop decimate your potato craw . Watch for it soon after the first leaf come forth and handpick them off . Look under parting for clustering of hopeful orangish egg and destroy these as well . The eggs hatch the larvae that give on the leave . Covering plants with floating row covers goes a prospicient manner to keeping the Colorado Potato Beetle away , as well as other insects such as leafhopper , flea beetles , and aphids .
Unfortunately , Colorado Potato Beetles have grown resistant to many chemical pesticides . Colorado potato beetles can be controlled with the organic pesticidesdiatomaceous earth , azadirachtin , or spinosad .
If you have a diminished garden , it may be most effective to simply blame the beetles off your tater foliage . sink them into a bottleful of piss with dish soap to quickly smother them .
How to harvest and store potatoes
you’re able to harvest “ Modern ” potatoes about two calendar month after planting , but they will not stash away well , so use them immediately . Mature potatoes are quick for harvest and computer memory when their foliage exceed yellow and mostly break down back — about 4 months after planting or after they ’re killed by free fall hoarfrost .
To grind potatoes out of the soil , you must be very careful , as they ’re easy damaged by equipment and well fall back in the soil . The best method acting is to mildly lift them from your soil with a garden fork . Brush the stain off the tubers , but do n’t wash them until quick to eat . Allow them to “ cure ” at gamy humidness ( 75 to 90 percentage ) in a cool room ( 40 to 50 degrees ) . Curing helps the skin to inspissate and heals any minor damage before storage .
Mine , salt away in very slimly moist compost last well for 6 calendar month or more . Some variety lay in just above freezing may become sweeter . leave them out at elbow room temperature for a few mean solar day may help if they are too sweet . Before cooking , cut off any green or damaged sphere .
This article primitively appeared on Perrys Perennials .
