How to plant potatoes and ways to make it grow

These are some steps from Oyetola's plantation farm hostess on how to plant potatoes for a healthy and large harvest.

Potato growing requires concentration and hard-working

Our own candid advise

Potatoes always do best in full sun. Potatoes prefer a slightly acid soil with a PH of 2.0 to 7.0. They are generally rooting plants, and we discovered that the best crop will be produced by them when planted in a light, soft, well-drained soil. Fortunately potatoes are used to cool environment and will virtually produce a diligent crop, sometimes when the soil conditions is good and growing periods are always have a great harvest and growth.

Potatoes should be kept in the garden, never being grown in the same spot until there has been a 2-4 years non planting of potatoes. Always keep your potato patch for best outcome.

How do we cut the potatoes Before Planting?

Set your seed potatoes in an area where they will be exposed to light and temperatures between 55-70 degrees Farehite depending on the environment you belong to, one week or 2 to your planting date. It will begin the growing process. A day or two before planting, use a sharp, well neat knife to each piece should be approximately 2 to 4 inches square, slice the larger seed potatoes into smaller pieces and this has to contain at 1 or 2 eyes or buds. Plant smaller potatoes whole.

When can you Plant Potatoes ?

You can plant your potatoes as soon as the ground can be worked in the early spring, but mind you, the soil temperature has to be carefully monitored. Potato plants does not begin to grow until the soil temperature has reached 48 degrees F.

Potatoes can tolerate a light frost, but it is must for you to provide some frost protection for the plants if you know that a hard, late season freeze is coming. But if not in a Snow area, then you can be safe of little strees. If you want to extend storage times. you can plant a second crop as late as June 4 and harvest the potatoes as late as possible.A good rule of thumb is to plant potatoes whole if they are smaller in size than a golf ball. In a day or so your seed will form a thick callous over the cuts, which will help prevent rotting.

Planting Potatoes in the Garden

We find that potatoes are best grown in rows. To begin with, dig a trench that is 4-7 inches deep. Plant each piece of potato (cut side down, with the eyes pointing up) every 12-15 inches, with the rows spaced 6 feet apart. If your space is limited or if you would like to grow only baby potatoes, you can decrease the spacing between plants.

To begin with only fill the trench in with 4 inches of soil. Let the plants start to grow and then continue to fill in the trench and even mound the soil around the plants as they continue to grow. Prior to planting, always make sure to cultivate the soil one last time. This will remove any weeds and will loosen the soil and allow the plants to become established more quickly.

How do you Water your Potatoes ?

Keep your potato orchards well watered throughout the summer , mostly during the period when the plants are flowering and immediately following the flowering stage. During this flowering period the plants are creating their tubers and a steady water supply is crucial to good crop outcome. Potatoes do well with 1-2 inches of water or rain per week. When the foliage turns yellow and begins to die back, discontinue weting. This will help start protecting the potatoes for harvest time.

When to can we harvest our Potatoes?

Baby potatoes typically can be harvested one to two weeks after the plants have finished flowering. Try to remove the biggest new potatoes and leave the smaller ones in place so they can continue to grow. Kindly, dig around the plants to remove potatoes for fresh eating, being careful not to be too intrusive. Just take what you need for immediate eating. Planting from home new potatoes are a luxury and should be used the same day that they are dug.

Potatoes that are going to be kept for storage should not be dug until 2-3 weeks after the foliage dies back. Carefully dig potatoes with a sturdy fork and if the weather is dry, allow the potatoes to lay in the field, unwashed, for 2-3 days. This curing step allows the skins to mature and is essential for good storage. If the weather during harvest is wet and rainy, allow the potatoes to cure in a dry protected area like a garage or covered porch.

Storage Conditions

At Seed Savers Exchange. we are able to store potatoes well into the spring in our underground root cellar. Try to find a storage area that is well ventilated, dark, and cool. The ideal temperature is between 35 and 40 degrees F. Keep in mind that some varieties are better keepers than others. Varieties like rustler Rose Gold are best used in the fall, and others like Carola and Russets are exceptional keepers.

Safe keeping of seeds

Home gardeners can save seed for several generations. Save the very best potatoes for planting. You may find that after several years the size begins to decrease; this is typical. Potatoes are very susceptible to viruses. If you are looking for maximum yields it is best to start with fresh, kwasu farmers market association every month.