regain out how to plant seed potatoes right with these dewy-eyed , whole tone - by - dance step instruction .
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If you ’ve only smack storehouse - bought potatoes , it ’s time to feel the remarkable flavor and convenience ofhomegrown spudsby study how to plant seed potatoes . The key is to start with demonstrate disease - free seed potatoes . Then follow these unsubdivided , step - by - footstep instructions for prepare and planting your seed white potato vine at the ripe time and location .
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What Are Seed Potatoes?
source potato are potatoes that were specially grown for planting . Unlike the potatoes you buy for cookery , seed potato have not been treat with a emergence inhibitor , which keep white potato vine fromsprouting in your pantry . Tempted to plant potatoes from the grocery store ? They likely wo n’t sprout well because of the inhibitors , plus they may harbour plant pathogens that could harm your craw . Also , some potato potpourri may be patent , make themillegal to propagate . It ’s always best to buy disease - free seed potatoes at garden supply stock and online .
When to Plant Seed Potatoes
The planting time depends on your last average frost date . Generally , the time window for planting potatoes is two to four calendar week before your area’slast frost appointment in spring . This can be as early as March and as of late as May for northern placement . In warm region , ejaculate murphy are often planted in the fall or wintertime . Irish potato organize good at dirt temperature between 60 and 70 ° F .
How to Prepare Seed Potatoes for Planting
Before you may imbed semen potato , they want a little preparation to help ready them up for achiever in your garden .
1. Sprout the Seed Potatoes
You ’ll have more planting winner if you plant " chitted " or spud seed potatoes instead of white potato without sprouts . genus Tuber with respectable shoot get a chief start on the produce outgrowth and are less likely to rot in the footing .
To chit your seed Solanum tuberosum , pose the uncut genus Tuber in a place with brilliant light and nerveless temperature for a few days . The eyes ( bud ) on the potatoes will swell and grow into sprout .
2. Cut the Seed Potatoes
Depending on their size of it , your seed white potato may need cutting after chitting . Using a sharp , clean knife , reduce large seed potatoes into smaller pieces with at least two eyes or sprout on each piece . Each of these eyes will germinate into a new plant . Small seed potatoes less than 2 inch across can be kept whole .
3. Let the Pieces Dry
After you have cut the potatoes , spread the pieces in a undivided layer on a tray and let them dry out for two to three daylight in a well - ventilated location to form a callosity stratum on the gash ends . This extra drying time help to protect the seed potatoes from rot once they are planted in the ground .
Site Preparation for Seed Potatoes
Before planting your chitted seed Irish potato , employ these tip to provide the good turn conditions for your potato crop .
Steps for Planting Seed Potatoes in Garden Beds
Once your site and your germ white potato are ready for planting , pursue these steps to pop out grow your murphy .
1. Dig trenches or holes.
For a large planting , trench are an effective way of life to plant semen potatoes . Dig a trench 4 inches deep if your grime is heavy and 6 in deep if your soil is light . For smaller planting , savvy individual hole for each source murphy .
2. Place seed potatoes.
Plant your seed spud with their cut sides down ( if applicable ) and sprouts facing up .
Space the white potato 12 to 15 inch apart in quarrel 24 inches aside . Cover the potatoes with 2 to 4 inch of soil .
4. Water well.
After covering your come spud , water the planting area well . Keep the soil evenly moist until sprouts emerge after planting .
5. Hill the potatoes as they grow.
About a calendar week after planting , shoots will begin to pry through the grunge . When the shoots are 6 to 8 inches tall , mound several inch of filth around them . This process is call hilling and make an country of loose soil where tubers easy take form while being shaded from the sun . If queer to the sun , they will grow green and become uneatable . For the best potato harvesting , hill the potato plants again two to three weeks later .
Planting Seed Potatoes in Containers
little types of white potato such as fingerling spud are well - suited for containers and often produce fecund harvests in a relatively small place . Toplant potatoes in containers , you need a pot at least 2 to 3 feet deep . In cosmopolitan , one potato flora will need about 2½ gallons of develop place .
utilise a respectable quality potting mix that run out well in the container . Add about 3 inches of the mix to your Mary Jane , then plant your seed spud . outer space the germ potatoes about 10 inches asunder from each other , and allow about 4 inch of space from the sides of the container . Then follow the same steps as you would when growing ejaculate potatoes in a garden bed .
Frequently Asked Questions
When the spud plant flowers , usually 6 to 8 weeks after planting , you canstart harvesting a few early potatoesfrom each industrial plant by using a small garden fork to dig them up . Once the potato works tops startle yellow and decease back , you’re able to dig up the entire plant life with the ripe white potato .
Growing companion plantsis a natural way of keep your murphy pest - liberal . Sweet alyssum , genus Allium , cilantro , genus Nasturtium , beans , peas , and marigolds all help protect your crop from coarse potato pest , such as theColorado potato beetle , aphids , and cutworm .
