French fries, waffle fries, crinkly cut fries, curly fries, baked, boiled, steamed or mashed potatoes are a staple of all of our lives.  I mean honestly would hamburgers be the same without the fry? Would gravy be the same without mashed potatoes?  There are so many things we use potatoes for.  According to the CIP at least a billion are consumed worldwide each year. On top of that potatoes are tubers, which makes them one of the easier plants to grow.  So, if you have been considering growing potatoes and it’s spring in your areas, now is the time!  

Interesting facts about the potato

Potatoes are such a large part of our food lives. What IS a potato anyway?  While we are on the topic is a potato really a vegetable?  Here are some super cool facts about this lovely plant!

• Potatoes are actually tubers making them one of the easier plants to grow in home gardens.  They are a part of the Nightshade family of plants, which of course are known to have some very poisonous relatives! Curious enough, all parts of the potato plant actually are poisonous, EXCEPT the tubers! Which we eat as the glorious potato! 

• In the 1890’s the US Supreme Court ruled several plants grown for the consumption of their “fruits” could legally be classified as vegetables and therefore taxed as vegetables!  This decision included the mighty potato and many other plants such as the tomato, (which is actually a berry type fruit) watermelons, lettuce, spinach, kale; stems of rhubarb, carrots, onions, garlic, turnips and other tubers like Jerusalem artichokes, etc.!  As a result, the potato is grown as a vegetable, taxed as a vegetable and is therefore legally considered, a vegetable!
• The term “spud” for potatoes originated from the Medieval words spyd or spad which were tools used at the time as digging tools.  Of course this is the “Spade” and since spades were often used to dig potatoes, potato tubers were eventually called spud

Preparing your potato bed

Are you planning on growing potatoes? Old school farmer almanac followers will tell you, “if your dandelions are blooming your spuds should be shooting!” In other words plant them when you see those yellow flowers!  Potatoes need cooler weather, the soil needs to be 40 to germinate and they grow best in 60 to 70 degree temperatures.  If it’s too cold or wet or too hot they will not grow well.  

Before planting potatoes make sure the space selected will enable them to thrive. Potatoes need loose, well draining, slightly sandy soil with good organic matter. Those that have hard, clay soils or soil that are filled with rock would do best using raised beds or  bag containers which also work well for growing potatoes . 

All of this does not mean Potatoes are hard to grow, only that like many other plants timing and soil is essential to growing them.  For example, I’m in US Zone 7; therefore, my winters can range from too cold at times to perfect and my summers are 100% too hot.  In addition, I tend to have harder soil in places.  I will get the best results growing potatoes as a spring and fall plant and Sweet potatoes, (which want the heat) as a summer plant.  I also add a slightly sandy topsoil that contained some wood mulch in it and mix in Epsum Salt and cow manure from Black kow. 

Once your beds are ready its time to plant! So grab your spot and some soil, get that ready and and lets move on to growing potatoes!

Growing Potatoes

Planting potatoes is the easiest part of the whole process actually. There should  at least be a mention regarding the prep portion of the process for the potatoes themselves.  

First let’s discuss the ever present question, can one just use store bought potatoes?  The easy answer is yes, and I would be lying if I said I never did.  However, it’s not the best way to grow them.  Therefore, if one does use store bought make sure and choose organic.  Why though, why not?  Well the top reason is many have been sprayed and don’t reproduce as well.  Secondly,  one is never sure what kind they are.  We discussed the weather and the temperatures for potatoes to produce etc.  Potatoes in the store are not always clear as far as  their type.  Are they early producers or those that take longer to grow?  Knowing what one is growing,  especially if in a location that does not have long produce them, is paramount to a successful crop.

Prepping one’s potatoes can be as easy as dropping them in a dark location and allowing them to root.  They can also be placed in shallow jars with water and allowed to root.  Potatoes can be planted whole or cut up as long as there are eyes inclusive in the pieces.  If they are sliced up allow them a few days for the skin to harden prior to planting.  

Dig a trench 6 to 8 inches deep. Allow about 12 inches apart for the largest potato harvest. If limited on space and not as concerned with the size plant them around 6 inches apart.   Plant potatoes with the eyes up and cover them with about 3 to 4 inches of soil.  As they grow mound more soil around them. 

Potatoes like 1 – 2 inches of water per week, and unlike other plants prefer a deep soak in the night hours so that the soil moisture stays with them all day. This is a balancing act however, as too much water will cause your potatoes to either rot or swell.  Therefore, watch watering carefully, leaving enough water to moisten the soil but not to soak it. 

Companion plants

As with any plant there are companions that are best to plant together.  Potatoes do well when grown with:

• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Scallions
• Raddish

Plants that can enhance the flavor of your potatoes are:

• Yarrow
• Chamomile
• Basil
• Yarrow
• Parsley
• Thyme

According to the Spruce planting Horseradish can help potatoes become more resistant to disease. Flowers like petunias and alyssum can attract beneficial insects and tansy, coriander and catnip can help repel insects like the potato beetle.

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