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Growing Potatoes from Your Home
Look at growing potatoes yourself if you would like potatoes without all of the hazardous chemical substances in them. Early varieties of potatoes like caribe and Irish cobbler are ready to harvest in approximately 3 months. Mid-season varieties like Yukon gold and red norland potatoes are ready for harvesting in approximately 100 days.
Early or mid-season potato varieties are best cultivated 3 weeks before spring's very last frost date. They could even be cultivated in hot summers and short spring locations. If you wish to plant late varieties, you need to plant them in early summer. You'll have potatoes in the fall.
Replanting is by far the easiest way for growing potatoes yourself. You'll want to get seed potatoes that are certified disease-free. You need about six pounds of seed potatoes to plant in a 50-feet row. You can look forward to harvesting 80 to 125 pounds of potatoes.
Pick potatoes that put out shoots, since they are ideal for seeds. You could plant seed potatoes whole or plant cut pieces. Make sure every piece has 1 or 2 eyes. It is fine for the seed potatoes to rot away in soil which is cool or damp.
You need to loosen up the soil (approximately 10 inches deep) before planting the potatoes. Add in a layer of alfalfa meal, compost, and organic fertilizer that's high in nitrogen. You should plant the pieces 4 inches deep and about 12 inches apart in furrows. Cover up the seed pieces with nearly two inches of soil. When the first sprouts start to emerge, fill the furrows.
As the plants grow, make sure you regularly till up the sides of all plants. The tubers remain loose with regular tilling. They also don't get exposed to the sun, which could turn them green and make them toxic. You need to keep tilling the soil until the plants reach 4 to 6 inches in height. As soon as you notice the plants producing flowers, stop tilling.
Your soil might not be very rich, but that is alright; potatoes do not require soil that is really rich for them to grow. You need to simply add organic matter and ensure your soil's pH is between 5.0 and 6.0. Similar to most plants, however, potatoes have to be frequently watered, ideally a minimum of an inch of water each week. If you grow your potatoes in soil which has a high pH, the potatoes might have rough spots due to scab. Incorporating peat moss or rich compost to the soil will help stop this from occurring.
Beetle larvae are famous potato pests. Look out for wireworms also as they could cause the plants to blacken and turn moldy. You must burn the plants when this happens. In case you must use pesticides to eradicate unwanted insects, be sure to don't use anything but those that are innocuous and certified to be organic.
The crop will be ready to harvest within 2 to 4 months depending on the seeds, climate, and the soil condition. You'll notice the tops dying off when the potatoes are ready to harvest. It's important that you harvest carefully. Use your hands or a shovel to do so. Gently brush the dirt off the tubers before taking them indoors to dry. Keep them covered with dry towels for up to 3 days. The best potatoes from the batch can be used as seeds for growing potatoes the following year so store them in a cool, dry place.
Early or mid-season potato varieties are best cultivated 3 weeks before spring's very last frost date. They could even be cultivated in hot summers and short spring locations. If you wish to plant late varieties, you need to plant them in early summer. You'll have potatoes in the fall.
Replanting is by far the easiest way for growing potatoes yourself. You'll want to get seed potatoes that are certified disease-free. You need about six pounds of seed potatoes to plant in a 50-feet row. You can look forward to harvesting 80 to 125 pounds of potatoes.
Pick potatoes that put out shoots, since they are ideal for seeds. You could plant seed potatoes whole or plant cut pieces. Make sure every piece has 1 or 2 eyes. It is fine for the seed potatoes to rot away in soil which is cool or damp.
You need to loosen up the soil (approximately 10 inches deep) before planting the potatoes. Add in a layer of alfalfa meal, compost, and organic fertilizer that's high in nitrogen. You should plant the pieces 4 inches deep and about 12 inches apart in furrows. Cover up the seed pieces with nearly two inches of soil. When the first sprouts start to emerge, fill the furrows.
As the plants grow, make sure you regularly till up the sides of all plants. The tubers remain loose with regular tilling. They also don't get exposed to the sun, which could turn them green and make them toxic. You need to keep tilling the soil until the plants reach 4 to 6 inches in height. As soon as you notice the plants producing flowers, stop tilling.
Your soil might not be very rich, but that is alright; potatoes do not require soil that is really rich for them to grow. You need to simply add organic matter and ensure your soil's pH is between 5.0 and 6.0. Similar to most plants, however, potatoes have to be frequently watered, ideally a minimum of an inch of water each week. If you grow your potatoes in soil which has a high pH, the potatoes might have rough spots due to scab. Incorporating peat moss or rich compost to the soil will help stop this from occurring.
Beetle larvae are famous potato pests. Look out for wireworms also as they could cause the plants to blacken and turn moldy. You must burn the plants when this happens. In case you must use pesticides to eradicate unwanted insects, be sure to don't use anything but those that are innocuous and certified to be organic.
The crop will be ready to harvest within 2 to 4 months depending on the seeds, climate, and the soil condition. You'll notice the tops dying off when the potatoes are ready to harvest. It's important that you harvest carefully. Use your hands or a shovel to do so. Gently brush the dirt off the tubers before taking them indoors to dry. Keep them covered with dry towels for up to 3 days. The best potatoes from the batch can be used as seeds for growing potatoes the following year so store them in a cool, dry place.
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You can turn your garden into a fresh vegetable wonderland, whether it's growing tomatoes or creating your own herb garden, the results can be amazing.
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