Growing Potatoes: Potatoes Are Important Food Crop

The potato is basically a cool season plant, and therefore must be planted in spring as soon as the ground can be worked. The white, or "Irish" potato, has travelled a long path from its discovery in the Andean highlands of South America to becoming a highly important food crop. Early Spanish explorers carried the potato back to Europe in the late 1500's, but, it had little acceptance as a food crop except in Ireland. During a food shortage in the British Isles in 1663, the Royal Society encouraged the planting of "Irish" potatoes to protect against future shortages of grain.

The potato has changed. Early potatoes were small and of poor quality. There were many flesh colors: blue, red, pink, yellow and white. Although potatoes with colored flesh are sometimes grown today, the white potato is by far the most popular and provides best production and quality. Potatoes grow best and are most productive when planted on a well drained, sandy soil. However, they can be grown satisfactorily on a clay soil that has been improved by an adequate addition of organic matter.

Well grown potatoes should yield about 10 to 15 times more than the amount planted. Therefore, if 10 to 12 pounds are planted per 100 feet of row, between 100 and 800 pounds of potatoes might be expected at harvest time. Early planting in a well drained location is important. Poorly drained soil, extremely wet weather, planting too deep or planting in tight soil may lead to the development of diseases that rot the seedling piece or young shoot.

Certified seed should be used for planting potatoes. "Certified" means the potatoes were inspected in the growing fields and are free of any diseases. Potatoes for eating from the grocery store do not have a guarantee that they are disease free and some may have been treated to prevent sprouting. Potato diseases may exist for many years in the garden, so it is important to avoid introducing them there. Before potatoes are planted they should be cut into pieces that weigh from 1 ½ to 2 ounces and contain at least one "eye."

The "eye" is a slightly depressed area where the new sprout develops. This "eye" must be present for the potato to sprout. The size of the "eye" is not important. Potatoes should be planted about 12 inches apart in a row and 3 to 4 inches deep. If the soil is somewhat heavy, cover the potatoes only an inch or two after planting and fill the row as the plants grow. A mulch placed around the plants later helps conserve moisture and keep potatoes near the surface from becoming green.

A potato-growing method known as "straw potatoes" is sometimes used for a small planting. In this method, prepare the soil the same as for planting, but instead of placing the seed pieces beneath the soil, place them in rows on the surface. Cover them with 4 to 6 inches of straw. As the straw settles and the potatoes grow, add more straw to maintain this depth. Potatoes will form beneath the straw on the surface of the ground and can be picked up by simply pushing the straw aside.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato