Today’s article is about how to grow Potatoes. For most of us it is our favourite vegetable. This simple article will teach you about planting potatoes, taking care of the plant, and also harvesting. This will definitely increase your confidence in growing potatoes.
How to Plant Potatoes?
Unlike most of the other vegetables discussed earlier (which are mostly grown from the seed), potatoes are grown from the tuber itself. To prepare a seedling, cut a whole potato with into small pieces keeping in mind that each piece should contain at least two eyes.
If you have very small size potatoes, instead of cutting, use them as whole. You can now use them in place of seeds to grow potatoes.
After making those suitable cuts leave these pieces in direct sun light for a day. This will help the exposed area of the potato to dry up and will prevent rotting once you plant them.
For getting good quality tubers you need to make the soil loose. So it is generally a practice to loosen the soil before planting potatoes. Use a tiller to do the job. once the soil is loosen up plant these potato-cuttings keeping the eye side upwards. Keep 1 feet space between two plants. Cover the potato seeds with 3-4 inches of soil. It is best to grow potatoes in rows. Keep each row at a gap of 3 feet.
Potatoes require moderate watering. 2-3 inches of water weekly is enough for the plant. Make sure the soil has proper drainage. Water logged condition is not ideal for the tubers. It causes them to rot. The requirement of water is most when the plant starts flowering. You need to continue watering the plants till the foliage turns yellowish. This is the most important time of potato growing because during this period the tubers are formed. So lack of water can hamper the yield.
Biological name: Solanum tuberosum
It is very hard to find a person these days who don’t like potatoes. This is probably one of the favourite vegetables of all time. It definitely increase the liking if you can grow them too.
Growing potatoes is not that difficult; and probably everybody should give it a try. To start with, soil quality is not a hindrance in growing potatoes and you can plant them in almost any type of soil.
Growing potatoes is not that difficult; and probably everybody should give it a try. To start with, soil quality is not a hindrance in growing potatoes and you can plant them in almost any type of soil.
How to Plant Potatoes?
Unlike most of the other vegetables discussed earlier (which are mostly grown from the seed), potatoes are grown from the tuber itself. To prepare a seedling, cut a whole potato with into small pieces keeping in mind that each piece should contain at least two eyes.If you have very small size potatoes, instead of cutting, use them as whole. You can now use them in place of seeds to grow potatoes.
After making those suitable cuts leave these pieces in direct sun light for a day. This will help the exposed area of the potato to dry up and will prevent rotting once you plant them.
For getting good quality tubers you need to make the soil loose. So it is generally a practice to loosen the soil before planting potatoes. Use a tiller to do the job. once the soil is loosen up plant these potato-cuttings keeping the eye side upwards. Keep 1 feet space between two plants. Cover the potato seeds with 3-4 inches of soil. It is best to grow potatoes in rows. Keep each row at a gap of 3 feet.
Potatoes require moderate watering. 2-3 inches of water weekly is enough for the plant. Make sure the soil has proper drainage. Water logged condition is not ideal for the tubers. It causes them to rot. The requirement of water is most when the plant starts flowering. You need to continue watering the plants till the foliage turns yellowish. This is the most important time of potato growing because during this period the tubers are formed. So lack of water can hamper the yield.
Harvesting and Storing:
Once the vine starts to die, you can harvest your potatoes. As the soil is loose, it will not be much of a problem to dig. Just be careful otherwise you could damage some of the tubers. After taking out the tubers, lay them above the soil for 2 to 3 days if the weather is dry and no water is expected. It will help the outer jacket of the potato to become thick and will help in storage. In case the weather is wet please keep them in dry area. After that you can brush off the soil from the tubers and store them in a cool and dry place. For more details on how to store vegetables read our article titled Storing Your Vegetables: You Must Know the Basics.
Once the vine starts to die, you can harvest your potatoes. As the soil is loose, it will not be much of a problem to dig. Just be careful otherwise you could damage some of the tubers. After taking out the tubers, lay them above the soil for 2 to 3 days if the weather is dry and no water is expected. It will help the outer jacket of the potato to become thick and will help in storage. In case the weather is wet please keep them in dry area. After that you can brush off the soil from the tubers and store them in a cool and dry place. For more details on how to store vegetables read our article titled Storing Your Vegetables: You Must Know the Basics.
Sounds simple? Why don’t you try this in your own garden? Let us know your experience.
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