Potato Planting Time is Near

My father always said that potato planting time is on St. Patrick's Day. For where we live at, he was right. However, potato planting time is as soon as you can get into your garden in the early spring. They will not start to grow until the ground is at least 45 degrees.

Potatoes are easy to grow and they can be made in many different ways. They were first cultivated by the Inca's in South America in about 200 BC. They came to North America in 1621 by the Spanish Conquistadors.

Each year over 35 billion pounds of potatoes are grown in the United States.

Potatoes require full sunlight. They grow best when they are planted in lose soil that is moisture retentive. They are a aggressively rooted type of plant. They prefer a slightly acid type of soil for growth. Some farmers will only grow them in a certain field once every three years. This is done mainly to avoid disease for the potatoes. It is also important not to plant potatoes when the soil is water logged. It should be evenly moist. Too much moisture will cause them to rot. If a slight frost hits after they have been planted, they will usually survive. If you are going to get a heavy frost, simply put straw over them. This usually will protect them.

Use only certified seed potatoes. Potatoes that you saved and those from the market may contain harmful diseases. That is why it is best to get those that are certified. You can usually get them at garden centers. Certified seed potatoes give you the best chance at a successful crop.

A week or two before you plant your potatoes, set them in am area where they will be exposed to warmth. This is usually an area of 60 to 70 degrees. Sunlight really can help. This will let your seeds to start sprouting. The day before you start to plant, using a clean knife, slice the larger seed potatoes into seeds 1 and half inches to 2 inches square. Each one must have at least two eyes(red) on it. Smaller potatoes can be planted whole. On the cut potatoes, a thick callous will grow over the cut area before planting.

Potatoes are planted in rows about 15 inches apart. The rows should be three feet wide from each other. If you are limited on space you can plant them in a mound. Each mound will support 6 to 8 potatoes. The mounds should be 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Always cultivate and turn the soil one last time before planting. Remove as many weeds or roots of weeds as possible.

When planting in a row, the trench should be 4 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches deep. The spacing between the plants will determine how large your potatoes will grow. If you want baby potatoes plant them about 4 inches apart.

Like any other plant, water them during the summer. When the flowers come on them, take particularly good care with the watering. Usually do this in the morning hours.

About three weeks after they have finished flowering is the time to harvest them. Usually you will get the smaller potatoes at this time. For bigger potatoes, loosen the soil around the plants and just let them continue to grow. Wait about 3 weeks after the foliage dies off. by this time you should be good to go on your potatoes.

One word of caution. Don't over fertilize your potatoes. You can do some moderate fertilizing with compost if you want. Potatoes usually do pretty well in regular soil.

sources; www.thegardenhelper.com/potato.html