Garden and Landscaping Spud Success
Planting
A good rule of thumb for planting time is two to three weeks before the last frost. This allows potatoes to establish in cold soil and get off to a strong start. Dig a trench 6 to 8 inches deep— 6 inches for heavier soils and 8 inches for sandier soils— and place the potato pieces cut side down with the sprouts pointing up. Space the pieces 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 2 1 / 2 to 3 feet apart. Cover the potatoes with a few inches of soil, and as the sprouts emerge, continue backfilling the trench until the soil is level.
Fertilization
Fertilizing the potato starts at planting time with a wellbalanced, soluble plant food like Jung Jump-Start Potato Food to encourage foliage growth. The more foliage you encourage in the early part of the season, the larger your crop will be in the fall. Northern gardeners should apply the potato food a couple of more times in late spring and early summer, then transition to a high potassium fertilizer in mid-July to encourage tuber formation. Stop fertilizing in August, when the lower leaves start to turn yellow.
Hilling
New potatoes form on lateral stems, or stolons, above the seed potato pieces, making it necessary to hill potatoes( mound soil around the base of the plant) so they aren’ t exposed to sunlight, which causes potatoes to turn green and potentially toxic. Soil, chopped straw or any organic material can be used to hill the potatoes when the vines are about 8 inches tall, then again once or twice more during the growing season. The more hilling you do, the more prolific your harvest will be. Hilling to a height of 15 to 18 inches is not too much.
Harvesting
You can begin to harvest new potatoes two to three weeks after flowers appear on the vines, but I prefer to leave the vines until they turn brown and die back to allow the tubers to grow larger. After digging, let the potatoes lie on top of the ground for a day to let them cure. This will allow the skin to tighten, and the potatoes will store better. For best results, rub off any excess soil from the potatoes and store them in a cool, dry, dark location. Washing is not recommended before storage as it will shorten the shelf life.
Don’ t go another year without potatoes in your garden plan. This delicious food staple is easy to grow and has the potential to provide you with enough potatoes to last well into the winter season.
About the Author:
Richard Zondag is a horticulturist, master gardener and the owner of Jung Seed Co.
24 AcreageLife April 2025 AcreageLife. com