| Potatoes, taters, spuds...call them what | | | | beneath your seed potatoes. Along with |
| you will, potatoes are a staple in the | | | | moving your potatoes to a different |
| diet of many people all over the planet. | | | | section of the garden each year, this |
| Potatoes are a nutritious, versatile | | | | will help prevent further scab |
| vegetable, and they're incredibly easy | | | | infection. Potato scab appears as rough |
| to grow. But before you run out to the | | | | patches on the skin of the potatoes. |
| garden with your shovel and hoe, there | | | | Depending on the warmth of the soil, |
| are a few things you should know about | | | | potato plants will begin to emerge from |
| planting potatoes. | | | | the soil anywhere from one to three |
| You may have heard old timers say that | | | | weeks after planting. When the plants |
| potatoes should always be planted on | | | | are about a foot tall, use your hoe to |
| Good Friday. This old wives' tale is | | | | mound six to eight inches of soil |
| absolutely absurd. Good Friday does not | | | | continuously along the entire row of |
| fall on the same calendar date each year | | | | plants. This is called hilling. Hilling |
| and can fall anywhere from early March | | | | ensures that the potatoes will grow |
| to mid April. If folks in New England or | | | | deeply under the soil, away from |
| the upper Midwest tried to plant | | | | sunlight which would cause them to |
| potatoes on Good Friday, many years | | | | become green. Potatoes that suffer from |
| they'd be digging through rock-hard soil | | | | greening will be bitter and the inedible |
| that was still frozen solid. | | | | green parts must be discarded. |
| Do not plant potatoes too early, while | | | | Keep the potato plants evenly watered |
| the ground is still icy. If the ground | | | | while they are growing. A dry period |
| is too cold and wet, the seed potatoes | | | | followed by a rainy spell will cause |
| will delay sprouting until the growing | | | | some potato varieties to develop a |
| conditions are more favorable. This is | | | | hollow core. Yukon Gold potatoes seem to |
| usually in early March to late April, | | | | be especially prone to this problem. |
| depending on the climate. Potatoes do | | | | Another potential problem with potatoes |
| tolerate cool soil and a light frost, | | | | is the Colorado potato beetle. The |
| but not much growth will take place | | | | larvae and adult beetles will feed on |
| until the soil warms up a bit. | | | | the potato foliage, and a heavy |
| You won't find potato seedlings or | | | | infestation can damage the foliage |
| packets of potato seeds for sale at your | | | | enough to reduce your harvest |
| local garden center. Instead, potatoes | | | | considerably. Watch for the beetle's |
| are grown from seed potatoes. A seed | | | | yellow eggs on the undersides of leaves |
| potato is nothing more than an ordinary | | | | and crush the clusters whenever you see |
| potato, with at least one "eye". | | | | them. Larvae are a deep orange color |
| Back in the day before supermarkets, | | | | with a row of black spots on both sides, |
| when gardens supplied most of the food | | | | while the adults are a paler orange with |
| put on the table, the last of the | | | | black stripes on the body and black |
| potatoes in the storage bin come spring | | | | spots on the head. The larvae and adults |
| were used for seed potatoes. | | | | can be picked off the leaves and crushed |
| Wise gardeners set aside their | | | | if there are only a few. An infestation |
| blemish-free, healthiest potatoes for | | | | can also be controlled with Bacillus |
| seed. Seed potatoes can be planted | | | | thuringiensis, or Bt. Bt is an organic |
| whole, or they may be cut into pieces | | | | control that is very safe to use. Look |
| with at least one eye per piece. Seed | | | | for Bt that is specifically for potato |
| potatoes with more eyes will grow to | | | | beetles. It is sold in many garden |
| produce a larger quantity of potatoes | | | | catalogs and garden centers. |
| but the potatoes will generally be | | | | Once your potato plants have bloomed, |
| smaller. Seed potatoes with fewer eyes | | | | you can begin to harvest small "new" |
| will produce fewer potatoes, but those | | | | potatoes. Depending on the variety of |
| potatoes will tend to be larger. | | | | potatoes you're growing, this is about |
| If you choose to cut your seed potatoes | | | | eight weeks after planting. In the fall, |
| into smaller pieces, divide them a day | | | | after the foliage has begun to dry and |
| prior to planting. This allows the cuts | | | | die back, the entire crop can be dug. |
| to heal over slightly, which helps to | | | | Before storing them in a cool, dry and |
| prevent soil-borne diseases from | | | | dark place, make sure the surface of |
| infecting your potato crop. Always | | | | your freshly dug spuds has dried a bit. |
| choose seed potatoes that are free from | | | | Spread them out in a dry spot out of |
| blemishes. | | | | direct sun, such as a garage or shed, |
| Plant your whole or cut seed potatoes | | | | for a day or two before putting them in |
| two to three inches deep in good, rich | | | | storage. |
| soil. Rows of potatoes should be about | | | | Freshly dug, crisp potatoes taste better |
| three feet apart and the potatoes within | | | | than any you'll buy at a grocery store. |
| the row should be planted twelve inches | | | | Grow some yourself and discover how easy |
| apart. If your potato crop has suffered | | | | and fun it is to produce a staple crop |
| from scab in the past, toss a small | | | | of delicious potatoes for your family. |
| handful of dry pine needles in the holes | | | | |