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POTATOES
ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERENCES
| Light: |
Sunny. |
| Soil: |
Well-drained with moderate organic matter. |
| Fertility: |
Medium-rich |
| pH: |
4.8 to 6.5 |
| Temp: |
Cool (55 to 65° F). |
| Moisture: |
Uniform moisture, especially while tubers
are developing. |
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CULTURE
| Planting: |
Plant 1 - 1/2 to 2-ounce seed pieces with at
least one good eye in early spring. |
| Spacing: |
10 to 12 inches by 24 to 36 inches. |
| Fertilizer Needs: |
Medium-heavy feeder. Add high phosphorus
fertilizer before planting, using 1 tablespoon 10-20-0 per
10-foot row. Sidedress about 6 weeks after planting when
tubers begin farming, using 5 tablespoons 33-0-0 per 10-foot
row. |
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CULTURAL PRACTICES
Both white-skinned and red-skinned potatoes can be grown as an
early crop for new potatoes and as a late crop for storage. Choose
an early maturing variety and a medium- to-late maturing variety.
Plant potatoes early from January 15 to April 20 depending on your
location. Hard frosts and freezes may set back growth. Potatoes
prefer cool springs and moisture throughout the growing season.
Avoid a garden site in a turned-under lawn as grub worms may
damage developing tubers unless soil insecticides are used. |
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A soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5 is most desirable; however,
scab disease will be less when the pH is between 5.0 to 5.2. In
addition to the base application of fertilizer, add about
one-fourth pound of 10-20-10 for each 75 foot row. Work this into
the furrow and mix with the soil before planting. |
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Purchase certified seed stock that has been inspected
for diseases that lower yields. Saving your own seed potatoes is
generally not worthwhile because viruses and diseases often show
up the next year. Seed potatoes should be firm and unsprouted.
Wilted and sprouted potatoes usually have lost vigor from being
too warm in storage. Seed pieces for planting should be cut to
about 1 - 1/2 to 2 ounces or into 1 - 1/2 inch cubes. Potatoes
about six ounces in size will cut into four pieces nicely. Each
seed piece should have at least one good bud or eye. Plant
potatoes in furrows cut-side down, three to five inches deep.
Later crops should be planted five to six inches deep. |
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Pull a ridge of soil over each row when planting. Drag
a board or hoe across the ridges just before the sprouts break
through to eliminate weeds. Later cultivation should be shallow
and far enough from the rows to make certain that no roots are
damaged. |
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When the tops have grown too large to allow
cultivation, a finishing cultivation, sometimes called laying-by
or hilling up is given. Laying-by throws soil over the potatoes to
prevent exposure of the potatoes to sun which can cause greening
or scalding. Green portions on potatoes taste bitter and contain
an alkaloid. Cut off and discard green areas before using. |
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The release of the new true seed potatoes is an
interesting development. The major advantage of growing potatoes
from seed is the decreased chance of disease. For the home garden,
growing from seed pieces is generally less time consuming and will
give better yields. With time, true seed potatoes may be bred for
higher yields; but at present, good quality stock potatoes yield
the best crop. |
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COMMON PROBLEMS
| Diseases: |
Early blight, scab, blackleg, soft rot,
rhizoctonia, ring rot, tuber rots, virus complex, fusarium,
verticillium, bacterial wilts. |
| Insects: |
Colorado potato beetles, flea beetles,
leafhoppers, white grub, cutworm, psyllids, aphids. |
| Cultural: |
Green skin from sun exposure; hollow heart
from alternating wet and dry conditions. |
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HARVESTING AND STORAGE
| Days to Maturity: |
100 to 120 days. |
| Harvest: |
Dig early potatoes when tubers are large
enough to eat. Harvest potatoes for storage 2 weeks after the
vines die down or just after the first light frost nips the
vines, before heavy freezing. Avoid skinning tubers when
digging and avoid long exposure to light.. |
| Approximate yields: |
6 to 15 pounds per 10-foot row. |
| Amount to Raise: |
75 to 100 pounds per person (about 15 pounds
of seed potatoes). |
| Storage: |
Medium-cool (40 to 50° F), moist (90%
relative humidity) conditions for 6 to 8 months. Sprouting is
a problem at higher temperatures. |
| Preservation: |
Medium-cool, moist conditions. |
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