Behlen: Almost Potato Planting Time

weeks. It seems to prevent any disease and pest issues.

Potato beetles can be a problem. But you can usually prevent an infestation by practicing crop rotation. I try to not plant potatoes in the same spot for at least three years.

The only major difference between growing potatoes and any other crop are the way they are planted. Potatoes are not typically grown from true seeds outside of specialized research or breeding programs. Instead, potatoes are planted from root cuttings.

When you buy “seed” potatoes, they look like any other potatoes that you might find at a grocery store. But grocery store potatoes are usually treated with something to prevent the “eyes” from sprouting, which gives them a longer shelf life.

The eyes of seed potatoes, on the other hand, sprout readily in the presence of moisture and light.

You can plant whole seed potatoes. They’ll grow into a bushy plant and produce plenty of tubers. But it’s more economical to cut the seed potatoes and plant pieces. When you cut them, ensure each piece has at least one eye. It’s a good idea to allow the cut pieces to dry out and scab over. Otherwise, the potato pieces can rot in the ground before they sprout.

Every long-time gardener seems to have their own way of planting potatoes. But here’s how I do it: First, pick a high spot that drains fairly well. Prepare the bed by removing all weeds and loosening the soil. Amend the soil with lots of compost or worm castings, just as you would for any other plant, and incorporate some all-purpose fertilizer into the soil. I like to use Medina Growin’ Green or MicroLife Organic General Purpose Fertilizer. Apply according to the instructions on the bag.

Lots of folks run a tiller through the bed. But I try to keep tillage to a minimum in my garden. I usually just use a hand spade to loosen up the soil. Then use a hoe or some other tool to dig a trench. Ideally, you should plant the potato pieces about 10 to 12 inches apart. As a general rule, I count how many potato pieces I have to determine how many feet of row I’ll need. If you have 50 potato pieces, you’ll need roughly a 50-foot row or two 25-foot rows. Plant the potato pieces about 10 inches to a foot apart. Cover with soil.

The tubers that we eat grow just under the surface of the soil and will often break through the surface. If sunlight touches the skin, the tubers turn green from photosynthesis, rendering them inedible. For that reason, it’s vitally important to “hill up” your potatoes from time to time. This involves using a rake or a hoe to mound soil up around the base of the plant.

You can practically bury the entire plant with soil early in the growing season. The foliage will push up through the soil and continue to grow. This characteristic becomes especially helpful if a freeze is in the forecast. Freezing temperatures will kill foliage exposed to the air. But a mound of soil will protect the plant. It’ll continue growing and push up through the soil after the freeze passes.

I think potatoes are a great crop for first-time gardeners. It gives you a reason to prepare the garden early in the season before other spring crops are ready to plant. They’re easy to grow, and they’re an interesting plant to watch develop. Plus, they taste great.

Lots of non-gardeners wonder why we bother growing potatoes when they’re so cheap at the grocery store. Those folks have probably never tasted a home-grown potato. They’re much sweeter and flavorful than bland storebought potatoes. That’s probably because they’re so much fresher than store-bought potatoes.

The tubers starts to grow as the plants begin to flower. At flowering time, you can scratch around the soil and harvest a few “new” potatoes while allowing the larger ones to keep growing. The spuds are ready for a main harvest when the foliage begins to die off late in the season. As the plants turn yellow and brown, you can start digging the potatoes. Don’t wait until the foliage completely dies, though, because they can start rotting in the ground. After digging, don’t wash them. The dirt protects the skin from pathogens that cause rot. Store them in a cool, dry place for the longest shelf life.

Supposedly, under ideal growing conditions, you should be able to harvest 10 lbs. of potatoes for every pound of seed potato you plant. Even under poor conditions, though, you should be able to harvest four or five times more potatoes than you planted.