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How to: Planting Potatoes

Rebecca's Garden : Episode REB-707 -- More Projects »
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To grow potatoes, order seed potatoes from a print or online catalog or purchase them from your local garden center.
Nothing beats the flavor of a fresh, homegrown potato. But you can't just go to the grocery store, buy potatoes and plant them. To grow them, you need certified disease-resistant seed potatoes, which you can get through a catalog, online or at your local garden center.

Seed potatoes look like baby potatoes. Instead of planting it whole, you can cut it up in pieces. Look at the potato and notice the little "nubby" spots. These are the "eyes," where the potato is going to sprout. It's important that each piece of potato that you cut has at least two or three of these eyes.

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Potatoes come in many colors including blue, purple and red. This 'Delta Blue' potato is actually purple inside.
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Fingerlings, named for their shape, are heirloom variety potatoes. They tend to be less starchy than nonheirloom varieties.
It's a good idea to let your potatoes pieces cure for about 24 hours to allow the newly cut surface to callous over. While they're curing, prepare the site. Potatoes grow well in a sunny location, so pick a spot that gets at least six to eight hours of sunshine every day. The soil should be very loose. If you have heavy clay soil, add texture to it. Sandy, loamy soils are the best. You can amend the soil by tilling in some compost and manure. The next step is to dig a trench, anywhere from 12 to 18 inches deep. Because potatoes like acidic soil, you may want to add a fine layer of pine needles at the bottom of the trench.

Now you're ready to plant. Potatoes can go in before the last frost. To make sure that the timing is right, keep an eye on your grass. When the dandelions are blooming, the potatoes are ready to be planted in the trench. After planting, cover the potatoes with two to three inches of soil. Don't forget to label your potatoes so you know what you're eating.

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'Yukon Gold' potatoes taste like the butter is already included.
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When potatoes sprout, they send up green vines. Keep the vines covered but leave the greenery exposed.
The potatoes will sprout, sending up little green vines. It's important to keep the vines covered. Leave the greenery because that's important for the tubers below. Cover the stem because that's where the potatoes are growing. Simply pull in the soil on each side as the vines are growing. Eventually, you'll have a mound of soil and great potatoes growing underneath.

Another important thing is to keep the potatoes watered consistently. Otherwise, you'll end up with knobby potatoes. Also, fertilize once a month with a 10-10-10 fertilizer. Follow these tips and by the end of the summer you should have delicious-tasting potatoes.

Also in this Episode
Rebecca's Garden : Episode REB-707
•The Lily Lady's Garden
•Nine Steps to a Brick Patio
•How to: Planting Potatoes
•Bouquet Garni Herb Braid
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