Growing Potatoes - Bonnie Plants

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Growing Potatoes

These potatoes are growing in rows. Above ground, the plants reach about 2
feet tall. Cover the lower stem with soil, called hilling, to prevent greening of
the tubers below ground.

An ancient vegetable, potatoes were rst cultivated by the ancient Incas in

Peru. This crop came to America in 1621, and today is the most popular
vegetable in the United States. If you love potatoes and have never tasted
a homegrown one, you denitely need to try growing potatoes. Potatoes
are cool-season vegetables and yield the best quality and number of tubers
in the northern portion of the country. And just so you know: A potato isnt
a root but an underground storage stem called a tuber.
Note: While we do not currently carry this variety, we oer this
information for gardeners who wish to grow it.
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Soil, Planting, and Care

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Growing Potatoes - Bonnie Plants

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Shapes and sizes of homegrown

potatoes will vary even from the
same plant.

Potatoes are cool-season crops and can survive light frosts. Plant as soon
as soil is workable in early spring. Potatoes need fertile, well-drained soil
thats loose and slightly acid (pH 5.8 to 6.5). Hard, compacted soil
produces misshapen tubers. Amend heavy clay soil the fall before planting
by working organic matter into planting beds. Potatoes form tubers 4 to 6
inches below the soil surface. When stems reach 8 inches tall, draw soil up
and around plants, covering half of lower stems. Repeat the process two to
three weeks later. Potatoes exposed to sunlight turn green, which causes
esh to taste bitter. Keeping tubers covered prevents greening.
Some gardeners grow their potatoes in straw, placing straw around the
8-inch-tall stems instead of soil. This method yields potatoes that you
dont have to dig, but simply sh out of the straw. If you use the straw
method, be sure to keep your straw layer consistent throughout the
growing season. It will most likely break down and need to be topped o
during the course of growing the potatoes.

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Rather than hilling these potato

plants with soil, gardeners at the
Wishard Slow Food Garden in
Indianapolis layered straw
around the plant stems.

Maximum tuber formation occurs when soil temperature is 60 F to 70 F.

Tuber formation stops when soil temperature hits 80 F. Mulching soil with
straw or other organic matter can help reduce soil temperature. Research
has shown that maintaining a 6-inch-thick straw layer around potatoes
keeps soil temperatures 10 degrees lower. Potatoes are sensitive to
drought. Keep plants consistently moist, especially when plants ower and
right after, since this is the peak time when tubers are forming.
Move potatoes to a dierent place in the garden each year to help limit
disease and insect problems. For best success, rotate potatoes on a 3-year
program, growing them in a dierent spot for three years in a row before
cycling through the growing spots again.
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Troubleshooting

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This potato plant is

owering, which indicates
that the tubers are forming
underground. Keep plants
well watered during and after
owering.

Potatoes will develop areas of green skin when theyre exposed to direct
sunlight during growth. The green areas have a bitter taste because the
esh contains a moderately poisonous compound. When preparing
potatoes, cut away any green areas and discard. Potatoes in storage will
develop green spots if theyre exposed to sunlight or uorescent light.
Keep stored potatoes in darkness. If your storage space isnt completely
dark, store potatoes in a box with a lid. Mounding soil or straw around
potato stems will protect developing tubers during the growing season.
Wedge-shaped leafhoppers feed on potato leaves, causing them to curl or
crinkle and edges to turn brown. Flea beetles, which are tiny (1/16 inch),
black, and shiny, create white streaks in leaves or small holes. They
typically infest plants in late spring. If the infestation is bad enough, it can
cause some leaves to die, which will reduce yield. Colorado potato beetles
can also ravage plants. Read more about all of these pests and their
control in our Pest Identication section.
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Harvest and Storage

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Growing Potatoes - Bonnie Plants

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These red potatoes were dug

early as new potatoes. New
potatoes have thinner skin and
are typically eaten unpeeled.

You can harvest new potatoes usually about two to three weeks after
plants ower. If soil is loose enough, dig potatoes free with your hands.
Otherwise, use a shovel or digging or spading fork to loosen soil near
stems.Harvest all potatoes after vines have died. If the growing season has
been rainy, wait a few days for soil to dry. Its easier to dig potatoes in dry
soil. Youll nd tubers 4 to 6 inches below the soil surface. Use a shovel or
digging or spading fork, inserting the tool 6 to 10 inches away from the
plant stem. Loosen and pry up soil gently, looking and feeling around for
tubers.
Brush dry soil from potatoes. Dont wash them if you plan to store them.
Newly dug potatoes dont have a tough skin. Handle tubers gently to avoid
damaging and bruising them. Curing produces a tougher skin. To cure
potatoes, place in a humid spot at roughly 55 F for two weeks.

Its best to dig potatoes when the soil is dry.

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Growing Potatoes - Bonnie Plants

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If you plan to store potatoes into winter, select tubers that are rm and
without soft spots. Store in a dark room with high humidity; the
temperature should be 38 F to 40 F. Do not store potatoes with apples.
Check potatoes frequently for sprout formation; knock o sprouts with
your hands and dispose. Do not refrigerate potatoes. Tubers will hold at
room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks.
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Uses
Use new potatoes with creamed peas, to make soup, or to roast, seasoning
with parsley and butter. Prepare mature potatoes in any way you desire.
Remember to place peeled or cut potatoes in water to prevent
discoloration. Great herb partners for potatoes include dill, fennel, cilantro,
basil, chives, parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme.

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