Potatoes are a popular choice of vegetable to plant and grow at home. Growing potatoes is not hard and can provide you with a steady supply of vegetables for many months.
Growing potatoes is an easy, simple, and very rewarding gardening project for anyone.
This section will outline the steps to grow potatoes. Check out this article if you want to grow sweet potatoes.
Prepare soil – Potatoes are a very hearty vegetable so they need deep fertile soil that will give them great drainage and room to grow without being too wet or dry. You can prepare this by adding organic compost or fertilizer to the soil before you plant your potatoes.
Plant potatoes – Carefully plant each potato in a depth of about one foot apart from each other with the hills about two feet apart from each other as well, but leave enough space for you to be able to work around them when harvesting.
When to plant potatoes
There is no such thing as a “perfect time” to plant potatoes. It is best to plant them in the early spring, so they will have enough time to grow and mature before the season changes. They can also be planted in late summer, but there is a higher risk of frost and other adverse weather conditions. Potatoes can be planted from March to April, but they are usually planted during the period from the beginning of March to the end of April.
They should never be planted after May as they will mature too late for late harvesting. Planting potatoes in late spring will yield the best results. The optimum time to plant potatoes is in mid-spring to early summer, when the soil is warm but not too dry. Planting should not occur before April or after July because this can lead to a lack of growth or deterioration in quality.
Soil Preparation For Potatoe Planting
To learn about what soil preparation is and how it can help you be a better gardener, keep reading!
Soil preparation is the process of giving the ground a thorough treatment before you plant anything in it. You can either remove weeds, prepare beds, or just simply till the land break up clumps of dirt, but whichever way you choose, it needs to be done thoroughly so that it can be ready for planting.
The process usually begins with tilling the ground if there are any weeds growing or before laying down new beds or tilling again if there are clumps of dirt all over the place. To do this, turn over the earth with a spade and make sure that you dig deep enough and break up any lumps of dirt
Planting potatoes in the ground is a fairly easy process.
Step 1: Prepare your soil by adding organic fertilizer, peat moss, and compost
Step 2: Dig a trench wide enough for planting potatoes in rows about 3 inches apart with each row spaced about 12 inches apart
Step 3: Add 6-8 inches of organic mulch on top of the soil to help your plants grow.
Step 4: Plant potatoes with the eyes facing up and cover them with 2-4 more inches of soil
Potatoe Harvesting
The harvesting of potatoes is one of the most important steps in the process of potato production.
Potatoes are usually harvested by hand. A digger may be used to clean up potatoes that have not been harvested by hand.
The first step is to remove all vegetation on the surface of the soil with a hoe. The earth should be loosened deeply enough to expose some tubers, but care must be taken not to damage them or work the soil too hard, as this will cause them to deteriorate more quickly.
Next, potatoes are dug up carefully with a sharp shovel at an angle so that they are turned out of the ground for inspection without being broken or bruised. If any potatoes are found that show signs of disease, they should be removed and destroyed immediately as they will spoil others.
Where and how to store potatoes
Potatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals. Here are some tips on how to store potatoes so that they stay fresh for a longer period of time.
Potatoes store best in a cool place. The basement of the house is the best place to store potatoes.
Potatoes should be stored in a cool place, preferably in the refrigerator.
Wrap the potatoes with newspaper or porous cloth so that they don’t touch each other and lose moisture.
Store potatoes in a plastic bag, trying to keep them out of contact with other food items. When possible, store them separately from apples or onions, which emit gases that lead to sprouting or rotting potato flesh due to their high sugar content.
Potatoes that are stored at a temperature of 40 degrees or below will last for several months. You can store them outside on the ground, in an unheated garage, or in a shed. If you want to store potatoes inside your home, you should put them in a dark cool place like the basement or pantry.
