Vegetable:
Potatoes
1. When – Potatoes are cold hardy, plant in the early spring (2 to 3 weeks before your last spring frost date).
2. Where – 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. Avoid planting in full sun, as the potatoes can overheat. Partial shade works well but too much shade can make them sickly.
3. How – Plant the potatoes (easier than using seeds) 6-8 inches down and around a foot apart. Avoid planting in heavy soil that contains rocks, as the potatoes need space to grow or they will become deformed.
4. Harvesting – The foliage will begin to turn yellow and fall over once it’s ready to harvest. You should also see a bulging out from the soil which is the potato itself. Do not wait too long after the plant dies to pull up the potato or it will start rotting. To dig out the potatoes, drive a shovel or spading fork at the outer edge of the plant and pull up then hand pick the potatoes off the root system.
5. Tips – To make harvesting easier, try growing your potatoes in a large container. Once it’s harvesting time, dump out all the soil onto the ground or a tarp and simply pick out the potatoes. This makes it easier than trying to dig out the potatoes and potentially missing some in the ground.
Type:
Annual
Time to harvest:
80-100 days
Plant Origin:
Peru over 2,000 years ago
How to Cultivate 