tater can be a dependable craw if you plant them properly and give them introductory maintenance . With literally G of varieties ( although most are grown only in South America ) you could find a potato for any USDA Zone . Versatile and easy to fudge , they store for a farsighted clip and offer plenty of nutrition as well .
Potato Growing Basics
The potato is a nerveless - season craw and most do best whenplantedin other spring . They prefer ground slightly on the acid side , with good drain . The grain should be loose and crumbly , so tot plenty of humus , especially in Henry Clay soil . Soil should also be rich in K and N . H2O regularly while the plant are growing . Keep the weeds down ; white potato do n’t do well with contest .
Why Depth Matters
Potatoes form tubers along the distance of the underground stem . If you plant too shallowly , the tubers can be divulge to the sunlight . Potatoes that are green were not plant deep enough and have developed a toxic content called solanine from sun vulnerability . gardener cover white potato with soil – hillthem – and it ’s unvoiced to hill plant that are too shallow .
Preparing the Soil
No matter how you institute them preparing the soil the right way is the Francis Scott Key to growing unspoiled potatoes . The theme and tubers need easy soil to develop the right way . If you have operose clay , total lots of humus , such as well - rotted leave-taking , aged manure or organic compost . Wood ashes sprinkled lightly on the ground add K , and amendment such as pearl repast , kelp and greensand supply to soil fertility . Dig or rototill so the soil is crumbly .
Choosing Varieties
you may imbed early , mid - season or late potatoes . spud are also available in different colors , asfingerlingsand in heirloom varieties . Here are some possibility .
Dryland Planting
When you garden without irrigation and swear entirely on rain or natural soil moisture , you need to make some registration to your planting practice . constitute a little more deeply – there should be more dirt moisture at that level . Space your plants farther apart in the row so they do n’t have as much challenger for water and food .
Planting in Mulch
Ruth Stout was a nurseryman writer who popularized the idea of plant under a permanent mulch . Stout never drudge ground for her potato . She lifted the mulch , placed the seed tater underneath and go forward to add more mulch – usually unmistakable pale yellow – as the potatoes get . Some gardeners plant in a oceanic abyss and then mulch the tater in the trench rather than covering with soil .
Shallow Planting
If you survive in a shortsighted - time of year area or are queasy for those first spuds , dig your gob about four inch deep and place seed potatoes in them about 12 inch aside . In warm soil , these shallowly planted potatoes will egress in two to four calendar week . However , once the plant are about six inch tall , you must hill them by covering with soil , repeating at least twice .
Deep Planting
Deep planting – eight to 10 inches – lessen the amount of work you have to do and makes it easier to embrace the plants with dirt as they grow . Dig the muddle to the proper astuteness , put your Irish potato in the oceanic abyss about one understructure apart and cover them to ground level with free soil . These Irish potato will probably not require hilling , but it will take them longer to breach the grunge and to develop genus Tuber .
Shallow vs. Deep
There are clip when shallow planting is dependable . If you live in a cold-blooded area or are planting late in the season , go shallow . These murphy will sprout more quickly and grow faster because they do n’t have far to travel to the light . If the soil is very cold and wet , shallow is better ; otherwise they may rot . However , if you ’re dryland farming , slenderly deep planting increase the hazard of moist soil around the roots .
Trench Planting
There are several advantages to trench planting . First , you may assure the land is altogether sluttish and friable all the way down . Second , you may give the bottom of the oceanic abyss a well lachrymation before you plant . The deep face of the trench service hold moisture , especially in ironic , windy areas . Third , you do n’t ask to hill the potato above - land – you plainly occupy in the trench as they grow .
