Potatoes. The unsung heroes of the garden. You put them in the ground in early spring, covering them up each time they try to poke their fuzzy green leaves out to say hi. Hidden, they grow into beautiful, buttery balls of goodness. And matching their unassuming nature, potatoes are pretty forgiving to grow. I remember reading about a woman who never planted potatoes in her garden, just tossed a few in her compost and harvested potatoes there each year.
But like most things in life, there are ways to improve the process – tricks of the trade. I’m going to share a few with you. And like the potato, they are really pretty simple.
Choosing
Just like different apples have unique qualities, so do potatoes. There are beautiful red Pontiac potatoes with their nutty charm. There are smooth, Yukon Gold potatoes that grow quickly and abundantly. There are Kennebec potatoes, a wonderful cross between Yukons and Russets. And there are Russet Burbank baking potatoes that work a slow magic to create that traditional, fluffy white goodness.
Dutch Valley, Yukon Gold Seed Potatoes, 3 lb
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Dutch Valley, Seed Potatoes Kennebec, 3 lb
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Dutch Valley, Russet Burbank Seed Potatoes, 3 lb
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Each variety presents an opportunity. Choose potatoes for their flavor, variety, and harvest time. Even potatoes have early and late harvest varieties. Make sure you know when you want to pick them. I like to harvest throughout the season, so I usually plant smaller varieties instead of baking potatoes which take longer to grow. And for the best harvest, use “seed potatoes.” These are not grocery store potatoes (although those will work). Seed potatoes are abundant with places for sprouts to grow. If you do decide to go the grocery store route, choose organic – regular potatoes are often treated with something to keep them from sprouting. Gross, I know.
Learn More About Potato Varieties
Chitting
Once you’ve chosen the variety of potato, you’re ready to get growing. But before you put it in the ground, try chitting. Chitting is the process of allowing seed potatoes to get a head start inside in direct sunlight. It gives the potatoes a chance to grow strong, green sprouts, ready for planting. Be aware, chitting does not look like those potatoes you forgot about on the bottom shelf of the pantry. You know, the ones that look like they have grown bean sprouts out of their sides. Chitting is specifically meant to start healthy growth. I find using an empty egg carton to set them upright in a sunny window works great for me. They do not get watered during chitting – just hang out in the sun.
Soil
It makes sense that potatoes need loose soil with great drainage. Those tubers can’t push their way through clay and will smell to high heaven if you let them sit in swampy soil. But they also are heavy feeders. It’s important to strike a balance. Using a combination of mulch, manure, and perlite makes a nice spot for potatoes to grow. Alternately, you could use a premade soil. The soil should be dark brown but feathery in your fingers.
G&B Organics, Soil Building Conditioner, 3 cu. ft.
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Chicken Manure Sup'R Green 3-2-2, 25 lb
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Supreme Coarse Perlite 2 cu. ft.
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G&B Organics, Raised Bed Potting Mix, 2 cu ft
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Spacing
Make sure to give seed potatoes at least 12 inches all the way around to ensure lots of space for the roots to stretch out. You aren’t going to get more potatoes by crowding too many into a single space. The plants will just compete with each other for nutrients and room to grow, leaving you with smaller and fewer potatoes to harvest. Unlike radishes or carrots, this is one of those times where overplanting doesn’t work. Once a potato plant is established, you let it grow. There’s no thinning.
Sunlight
Potatoes love sunlight. If you can get them in direct sun for most of the day, they’ll be happy. They will live in partial sun but you won’t get as many potatoes as you would in the sun. I have a planter that sits partially under an awning and those potatoes are ok, but they spend a lot of time growing longer on top to reach for the sunlight they really want. (I’m moving them this season). But do remember to water regularly, as potatoes also need water to plump up their crop.
Mounding
To mound or not to mound…some people say covering the growth of a plant after it reaches 6 inches up encourages the plant to create more. Others use mounding as a way to avoid potatoes poking out of the soil and turning green in the sun (which makes them less than happy to eat). I’m not a scientist, so I tend to follow the idea that it doesn’t harm the plant and everyone seems to do it. The most common way to mound is by creating a deep furrow for the potatoes to start in. Then you just have to pull soil down from the sides instead of building up. Because many people do not plant in rows anymore, it’s just as easy to pull soil up around the plant, adding more soil as needed to keep the bed full. Use a hoe and gently pull soil over the plant leaves two or three leaves showing above ground. It certainly creates hearty plants as they push through the soil each time you cover them. Warning: it feels really wrong to cover the leaves of a plant, but that’s how it’s done. Trust me, it gets easier.
True Temper Garden Hoe, Cushion Grip, Wood Handle
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True Temper Garden Hoe, Cushion Grip, Wood Handle
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Harvesting
Make sure to harvest at the right time. Earlier varieties are harvested in the flowering stage. Later varieties are harvested after the plant has died back. Timing your harvest will ensure the best crop. But you don’t have to go all in. I like to wriggle my fingers under the soil and find smaller red or yellow potatoes, picking them without harvesting the whole plant at once. You have to be a bit careful with this, but the worst thing that can happen is the plant starts dying and you have to harvest it completely. And when you do, using a short handle, flat-tined fork to make it easy to lift one plant at a time. If you don’t find them all, you’ll probably just end up with some volunteers next season.
Green Thumb Master Series D-Handle Steel & Wood Digging Fork, 30 in.
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Storing
It’s great and all to grow lots of produce, but if it spoils before you can eat it, what’s the point? When I first started seriously growing potatoes as a crop, I read everything I could about the best way to store them for the winter. I Potatoes want a dark, mildly humid, 40 degree F area where they can rest. Those who have a cellar, this is ideal. But there are other alternatives. When I was growing rows and rows, I used a small refrigerator set to the right temperature with a couple of damp towels in the bottom. It worked great. The basement or a cool spot in the garage can also work well. No matter how you store your potatoes, make sure to keep it dark so they don’t turn green and bitter. Storing them in a paper bag would work great and allow for air flow. And for goodness sake, don’t wash them. Surprisingly, that layer of dirt keeps them protected from rot.
Taylor 90007 Thermometer
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True Value Paper Lawn & Leaf Bags, 30 gal., 5 pk.
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So when you’ve got the itch to plant something and it’s only February, turn to potatoes. These little gems are happy to wait it out in the ground. They say potatoes should be in the ground by St. Patrick’s Day, so that gives you an easy deadline to meet. No matter what variety and when you plant them, your home grown potatoes are sure to be a smash – especially with fresh cream butter and salt.
Robyn Rogers, the author of this blog is located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington and her advice is consistent with the climate there. Her opinions of what works for her garden and backyard. Always read labels of products before using them. Your Wilco team is available if you have any questions specific to your area.
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