How to Grow Potatoes

Whenever you see the final product of a well prepared potato, persons hardly ever think about the effort that goes into producing it. Potatoes can be purchased from any local food store and are quite simple to cook with so many different forms which is what makes it such a great selection for the kitchen. Potatoes may be baked, mashed, or put into soups but in most instances it is used as a side component to other foods.

Potatoes are some of the easiest ground produces to grow and there are a couple effective methods for growing it. Most potato crops will bear excellent quality vegetables but it requires time and consistency to be grown successfully. Once you practice caring for them continuously your produce will come out looking nice and plump. If you own a decent sized yard or farm land you can think about planting your very own potatoes. Potatoes will be even more tastier with the acknowledgment that you were the one that actually planted them.

How To Grow Potatoes

Required Tools:
- Garden spade
- Garden fork
- Shovel

Required Materials:
- Water
- Potato seeds

Instructions are as follows:

1. Purchase your potato seeds and keep them some where warm that is exposed to light for around a week or two before you plan to sow them. This will stimulate them to begin sprouting about a day or two prior to planting. Use a blunt, clean knife to sever the larger potato seedlings into smaller seeds so that every seed is about 1½ - 2 inches square with a minimum of 1 or 2 buds, the smaller potatoes can be sown as whole. In the next days the seed will produce a tough callous over the cuts, which will aid to prevent it from decomposing once it is planted.

2. The earth on which the potato will be grown should be evenly damp but not exceptionally wet or soggy. Potato crops should be planted during early spring. The potato wont begin to grow until the temperature of the soil is around 45 ͦdegrees F.

3. The location where you plant the potatoes must be exposed to full sunlight because potatoes require the full sun to grow successfully. Because potatoes are easy to rot, the best crops are produced when they are planted in sunlight. To have a really successful crop you can start sowing the seeds in the early season about late April or early May when the soil is warm enough.

4. There are several techniques you can use for planting the potato crops, they can be grown in rows or mounds. If you are planning to develop potatoes annually then the best practice is to grow them in rows. Growing them in rows will promote big and healthy potato crops. If you simply want to grow a tiny bunch of potatoes instantly in a small location then the best method to employ is to grow them on a mound. Around five to eight potato crops can be sown for each mound. When planting the potato on a mound, they should be grown in a circle so that each potato will have adequate room. If you are growing the potatoes in rows then you can utilize the fork and the shovel to dig a group of trenches and separate the seeds fifteen inches apart from each other so each potato has adequate room to grow.

5. During growth period, the soil should be rotated with well drained, moisture retentive loam that is light and loose. Whenever the peas are ripe or the potato plant begins to flower then it is time for it to be harvested. During this time it should also create a yellow looking vine that sometimes die.

6. Each time the potatoes are being stored they should be stored in a dark area where the temperature is about 40 degrees.

Tips and Warnings

* Because potatoes are so prone to several serious diseases, make sure that you buy certified seeds that are germ free that have been chosen to give you the best results with the most chance of having a successful harvest. These seeds can be found at most quality nurseries and garden centers. Don't utilize the potatoes from in the supermarket because your seed even if they look healthy but they are not appropriate for gorwing potatoes.

* When it is time to plant potato seeds, don't utilize soil that is water logged for growing the potatoes, this will result in the soil to cake up and your seeds may decompose before they get the chance to develop.

*After sowing potatoes you should arrange a system for frost protection for them while they are young. You can use a loose sheet of straw or a plastic tent momentarily and remove it during the sunny days. If you need to keep potatoes during the winter, you can plant another crop as late as June 15.

*Potato crops should always get enough sunlight and water each day while growing. To get the best results, wet up the potatoes very early in the morning so they get time to absorb the water and dry throughout the day. This is suppose to increase the chance of maintaining a very successful crop.

* If you want to grow potatoes every year, the potatoes should be spun on a 3 year system which means you need 3 suitable sites.

Please visit these links for more information on: How To Grow Potatoes and How To Plant Seed Potatoes.

Garden Vegetables Grow Bag Potato Planter Gardeners' Grow Bags - Potato Planter