Potatoes
One of the earliest vegetables to be planted in the garden is the trusty potato. Potatoes are an easy and abundantly producing crop to grow in the garden but there are some tricks to being successful in growing this crop. Let’s learn a bit more about the potato
What variety do I plant?
Potato cultivars will vary in appearance, maturity, growing requirements and culinary quality but all of them are an excellent source of nutrients. Potatoes are extremely versatile as they can be baked, boiled, chipped, fried, roasted and used in a variety of soups, salads and stews. It is important to choose a variety that will suit your culinary needs. Some varieties are mealy in texture and work best when turned into potato chips or fries where others will be sweeter in flavor and are suitable for boiling roasting or in salads. Potatoes are divided up into three different categories including Red-Skinned, White-Skinned and Russet potatoes. Red-skinned varieties provide a pretty contrast to meat and other vegetables. They tend to have a lower starch content which makes them suitable for boiling, roasting and using in soups and stews. White skinned varieties have a wide range of starch content so it is important to know your variety before you plant them. Lower starch content varieties work well in boiling and roasting where higher starch varieties are suitable for chips or frying. Yukon Gold is a very versatile potato variety and is the most popular variety in the US. Russet potatoes are known for their brown netted skin. Many of these cultivars are suited for making French Fries and other frozen processed products. See the table on the second page for more information on varieties.
You’ve picked your variety, now what do you do?
The first thing you need to do is look for certified seed potatoes. Certified Seed potatoes are disease free which is very important in preventing diseases from getting into your soil. Potatoes from the grocery store have typically been sprayed with a chemical to prevent them from sprouting and they could have diseases even though they look fine to eat.
How many potatoes do you need and what do I do with them?
For a 100 foot row of potatoes you will need about 10 pounds of potatoes to plant. After you have your seed potatoes it’s time to cut them into pieces. You will typically get multiple pieces from each potato. When cutting the tubers the pieces should be about the size of a golf ball and each one should contain an “eye” or a location where the potatoes will sprout from. Eyes are typically indentions in the tuber. Use a sharp knife to cut your potato into pieces. I typically let my potatoes “heal” for several days to develop a skin before planting them. I find it helps to prevent rotting in the soil.
When and how do I plant Potatoes?
Tradition has said to plant potatoes on St Patrick’s Day, however it is best to check the temperature of the soil either using a soil probe or by looking at the closest weather station to you. Potatoes need soil temperatures at or above 45 degrees (which we were above that last week but I still wouldn’t be planting potatoes yet) in order to sprout and grow so watch those temperatures. Potatoes should be planted in rows 30-36 inches apart with 10 inch spaces between the potato pieces themselves. I highly recommend “hilling” your potatoes or building up the soil around the plants to give the tubers space to grow and prevent the skins from greening.
When do I get to enjoy the “fruits” of my labor?
Potatoes can be harvested at anytime during the growing season as new potatoes which typically are smaller or wait till the end of the growing season to harvest when the potato plants die. Store potatoes in a cool dark place for the longest shelf life. Don’t wash them before storing as this encourages disease and spoilage. At room temperature potatoes will retain their best quality for about a week but at cooler temperatures they can last far longer.
