How to Grow Potatoes

How to Grow Potatoes


Growing Potatoeshttp://www.best-potato-recipes.com Learning how to grow potatoes is a simple process and can be part of a solution to supplying family food needs. Growing potatoes is also an important response to world hunger.

The potato is the world's 4th most important food crop after rice, corn and wheat. Potatoes are grown in more countries than any other crop but corn. They are the second most commonly consumed food in the United States. (Milk is first.)

Potatoes are also the only one of the world's major food crops that can be grown by any family in almost any space. New potato varieties are constantly under development for growing conditions worldwide.
.Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions.Things You'll Need:
•Seed potatoes
•Soil
•Water
•Sun
Step 1
Potatoes grow best in cool, loose, well-drained, fertile, and slightly acid soil. Add some compost or a little peat, however don't incorporate large amounts of organic matter, such as manure, into the soil where potatoes are to be grown. Potatoes can be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. This will vary according to your location. When the soil temperature is at, or above, 45 degrees F. it is safe to plant.

Step 2


Seed PotatoesThe potato seeds used for growing potatoes are called seed potatoes. They are simply whole, small potatoes, or pieces of potatoes, that have developed "eyes." Sprouts grow from these seed potatoes and develop into potato plants. You may find that potatoes you have on hand have begun to grow sprouts from indentations in their flesh. Store-bought potatoes are usually sprayed with a chemical that inhibits sprouting so, though they may still produce a crop, the best results will be achieved by purchasing seed potatoes from a garden store or seed catalog.

There are almost unlimited options for where you can grow potatoes. Here is how to grow potatoes in almost any space you can find:

Step 3


Growing Potatoes in a Garden or FieldGarden rows, trenches or furrows: Plant the seed potatoes in an 8 inch deep furrow or trench you have dug in your garden. Fill 1/2 the depth of the furrow with a mixture of compost, mulch, straw and garden soil. Place the seed potatoes in the trench 8 - 12 inches apart and cover with loose garden soil and mulch.

Step 4
Grow potatoes in hills: Loosen the soil and place two or three seed potatoes on the ground. Cover or "hill" three to four inches of soil over the seed potatoes. Space hills about a foot apart. Continue to mound soil around the growing potato plants as they grow taller.

Step 5
Grow potatoes in mulch: Dig a shallow trench and set seed potatoes about 12 inches apart. Cover with about 4 inches of soil. Add more mulch as the plants grow leaving the foliage of the potato plants exposed. Potatoes will form inside the layer of mulch.

Step 6
Grow potatoes in straw: In Scandinavian countries people have been growing potatoes for centuries in stacks of straw or other mulching material. Seed potatoes are planted directly in the straw. As the potato vines grow, more straw or mulch is mounded around the base of the plants. This method allows for a harvest of very clean potatoes. New potatoes can easily be picked even before the potato vines mature completely.

Step 7
Grow potatoes in raised beds: Build a framework of wood, rock, or concrete blocks. Add soil and compost. Plant your seed potatoes and keep well watered. Raised beds are a great solution for how to grow potatoes in small spaces or an area where the soil is poor.

Step 8


Growing Potatoes in TiresGrow potatoes in stacked tires: Stack two or three tires and fill them with soil and compost. Plant two to three seed potatoes about 2 inches deep in the top tire. Water well. You can add more tires and soil to the stacks for your growing potato plants.

Step 9


Growing Potatoes in ContainersGrowing potatoes in other containers: Patio pots, garbage cans, plastic garbage bags, in fact almost any container you can think of, can become your "potato garden." Again, the basic considerations for growing potatoes in almost any container are fertile soil, a sunny location and adequate water.

Step 10


Harvesting PotatoesYou can begin harvesting potatoes for your dinner table about eight weeks from time of planting. These small, tasty "new potatoes" are perfect to use for soup or to cook with creamed peas or other dishes. The new potatoes will appear shortly after your potato plants have bloomed and before the vines die. When the potatoes are 1 to 2 inches in size, dig a few hills to enjoy.

Before storing your crop of potatoes, look them over and use any bruised, cut or damaged potatoes first. Best conditions for storing potatoes include cool, dry and dark. Storage temperatures of 45 to 50°F are best. A dry storage area will avoid the dampness that causes potatoes to spoil and rot. Storing potatoes in a dark location prevents them from turning green and becoming inedible.

Step 11


Potato BugsPotato bugs, or Colorado potato beetles, feed on potato leaves. Potato bugs are often resistant to sprays so other methods of control are sometimes more effective. In a small potato patch, the potato bugs can be picked off and destroyed by hand. Other tips include cleaning up garden debris to eliminate breeding spots, not planting potatoes in the same spot every year and introducing some natural enemies of the potato beetle, such as the ladybug, to your garden.
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