Growing potatoes can be very challenging and when its done properly, results won’t be too far. In this article we will go on giving a piece of advice on how to grow potatoes properly. There are few foods which are as versatile, delicious and simple to grow as the potato. Of course, there are many different varieties of potatoes, but they are all grown in the same general ways. If you’re looking to grow this healthy vegetable you’ll want to learn some basic tips on how to grow potatoes. The following tips will allow you to successfully grow them your very first season.
Before You Plant Potatoes
Like most things you’ll want to take some time to get everything ready before you actually plant your potatoes. The vast majority of potatoes are planted from seed potatoes which are essentially potatoes which are basically just regular potatoes except they are chosen specifically to use for planting. They will have less diseases and will grow much more successfully than using a regular potato.
Once you have your seed potato you’re going to want to set it in a warm sunny place so it will begin to sprout. You should leave it in this area for about 2 weeks to allow multiple sprouts to begin growing. Each one of these potatoes can produce several potato plants but if you’re looking to have a large area for potatoes in your garden you’ll want to have several seed potatoes in this area. As the potato begins to sprout you want to cut it up into smaller 1 to 2 inch squares with each square having at least one bud on it. These squares are what will be planted and they should be put in the ground about a day after you’ve cut them into squares.
While the potato is sitting in the warm area you want to make sure the soil where they will be planted is nice and healthy. Potatoes will do best in an area which gets full sun light and has well-drained soil which is high in phosphorus and potassium while staying very low in nitrogen. You can have your soil tested at most gardening stores, but if you’re not too worried about getting the biggest yield from each plant, most soil will work just fine for the average gardener.
Planting Your Potato
Once you’re ready with your potato buds cut and beginning to grow it is time to place them into their permanent home in your garden. Take all the buds in a bucket and head out to the garden with a spade or other gardening shovel. You want to dig a hole which is at least 12 inches deep and remove any rocks or other items which could get in the way of the growth. Adding in natural compost based fertilizer will help give you large, delicious potatoes but it is not strictly necessary. Cover the potato sprout with dirt but avoid packing it down too hard. Continue placing potato plants every foot or 18 inches until you’ve planted all your potatoes.
As the potato plant grows under the soil it will begin sprouting off potatoes. Each plant can have several potatoes on it, and the first ones will be ready to harvest as soon as seven to eight weeks after planting, but most people will wait longer so the potatoes can grow larger. When you notice the tops of the foliage starting to die off it is time to harvest all the remaining potatoes by digging them up and rinsing them off in clean, cold water.
This is just a sumary guide on how to grow potatoes and it shows only the basiscs. For in-depth step-by-step guide, please follow the forum where our gardeners share their experience planting and growing potatoes.
