Potato
(po·ta·to | \ pə-ˈtā-(ˌ)tō \)
|
Light Requirements: |
|
Full Sun |
About
Potatoes are the perfect addition to your summer edible garden. Potatoes are easy to grow and excellent for cooking.
Highlights
- Grow your own fresh vegetables!
- Non GMO
- Excellent for cooking
- Easy to grow
- Great for containers, raised beds and edible gardens
Planting Care & Instructions
Plant potatoes in a sunny location in early spring after the ground warms to about 50ºF.
Soil: Light, loose, well drained, slightly acidic soil with pH level of 5.8 to 6.5 is best. Dig a hole 6-8" deep. Amend heavy clay soil before planting by working in organic matter into the soil. Set tuber firmly into place. Cover with 3" of soil. When shoots reach 8" tall, mound soil to cover halfway up the stems. Repeat this process during the growing season to keep the tubers covered. Potatoes exposed to sunlight turn green, which causes the flesh to taste bitter. Keeping tubers covered prevents greening.
Water to keep plants consistently moist, especially when plants flower and right after, since this is the peak time when tubers are forming. Potatoes are sensitive to drought.
Growing Tips
For best success, rotate potatoes, growing them in a different spot for 3 years in a row before cycling through the growing spots again. Moving potatoes to a different place in the garden each year will help limit disease and insect problems.
Harvest: You can harvest new potatoes usually 2-3 weeks after plants flower. Harvest all potatoes after vines have died. You will find tubers 4-6" below the soil surface.
