Growing Potatoes

Potatoes, when grown under favorable conditions, are one of the most productive of all vegetables in terms of food per unit of land.

Potatoes are a cool-season crop; they do not thrive in midsummer in the southern half of the U.S. but do well in most of southern Canada. Any mellow, fertile, well-drained soil is suitable for potato production.

Stiff, heavy clay soils often produce misshapen tubers. Potatoes respond to a generous use of commercial fertilizer, but if the soil is too heavily limed, the tubers may be scabby.

Commercial 5-8-5 or 5-8-7 mixtures applied at 1,000 to 2,000 pounds (450 to 900 kg) to the acre (approximately 7 1/2 to 15 pounds (3.5 to 7 kg) to each 100-foot (30 m) row usually provide enough plant food for a heavy crop. The lower rate of application is sufficient for very fertile soils; the higher rate for less fertile ones.

Commercial fertilizer can be applied at the time of planting, but it should be mixed with the soil in such a way that the seed pieces will not come in direct contact with it.

In the northern U.S. and most of Canada, plant two types of potatoes - one to provide early potatoes for summer use, the other for storage and winter use. The use of certified seed is always advisable.

In preparing seed potatoes for planting, cut them into blocky rather than wedge-shaped pieces. Each piece should be about 1 1/2 ounces (42 g) in weight and have at least one eye. Medium-sized tubers weighing 5 to 7 ounces (140 to 196 g) are cut to best advantage.

Plant early potatoes as soon as weather and soil conditions permit. Fall preparation of the soil often makes it possible to plant the early crop without delay in late winter or early spring. Potatoes require 2 to 3 weeks to come up, depending on depth of planting and the temperature of the soil.

In some sections the ground may freeze slightly, but this is seldom harmful unless the sprouts have emerged. Prolonged cold and wet weather after planting is likely to cause the seed pieces to rot. Hence, avoid too early planting.

Young potato plants are often damaged by frost, but they usually renew their growth quickly from uninjured portions of the stems.

Do not dig potatoes intended for storage until the tops are mature. Careful handling to avoid skinning is desirable, and protection from long exposure to light is necessary to prevent their becoming green and unfit for table use.

Store in a well-ventilated place where the temperature is low, 45 to 50 F (8 to 10 C) if possible, but where there is no danger of freezing.