Potatoes are a cold season crop; They grow best in early spring and late fall, when the days are warm and the nights are cool. Although the potato is a cold-hardy crop and the edible part of the plant is the underground stem called the tuber (not the root), the tops of the plants will not withstand frost. Potatoes need full sun for optimal production.
Potatoes do best in loose, well-drained, slightly acid soil. Badly drained soil is often the cause of poor standing and low yields. Turn soil 8-12 inches high. Turn the soil to cover all the plant material. Work the soil into rows 10-12 inches deep and 36 inches apart.
Amend the soil before planting with a uniform 10-20-10 feed, per 30 foot row. Some farmers like to create two rows or rows on either side of the slope, and plant in the middle. This is because no fertilizer should touch the plants.
Large seed potatoes for the spring crop should be cut into pieces that weigh about 1 1/2 to 2 ounces. Each seed must have at least one good eye. Cut the seed 5 or 6 days before planting. Keep the seed cut in a well-ventilated spot, so it can heal to prevent it from rotting. -weather”>estus. A late spring frost will kill the plants if the rotted piece of seed is not returned. One pound of seed potatoes makes 9 to 10 pieces of seed.
Potatoes have the rest of the season, which must be broken before they sprout. The rest of the time is easier to break into small potatoes to ripen. Choose ripe potatoes about 1 1/2 in diameter for fall planting. To ensure that the rest of the season is broken, small seed potatoes are stored under warm, humid conditions for 2 weeks, before placing them in a shady spot and covering them with wet bags or mulch. Tubers should have small tubers at the time of planting.
Potatoes should be planted when the soil temperature is 4 inches deep about 3 weeks before the last spring frost. If sown prematurely, the tops may be really frost-free. For a fall crop, plant about 100 days before the first expected frost, or in most areas, late August.
Use a hoe or stick to open a trench about 3 inches deep down to the center of the bed. Toss the seed pieces 10 to 12 inches apart in the trench Step in each seed piece after the drip to ensure good contact with the soil. Cover the seed 3 inches high. If covered deeper, the plants will be slower to break out of the ground and more prone to diseases and rotting seed.
All tuber plants produce a seed on a piece of tuber. When the seed is planted only 3 inches high, only the plant should be pulled out as it grows. This allows the tubers to form. Some gardeners use thick mulch for this. Tubers in soft mulch are often lighter and better formed than those born in the ground. Especially if the ground is heavy.
As the truffles grow, they must be protected from the sun. Exposure to the sun makes you stronger. A thick layer of mulch applied when plants are 8 to 10 inches high can reduce soil temperature and improve yield and quality.
There must be a constant supply of soil moisture during growth. The plant must have sufficient moisture and fertilizer when forming tubers. This usually happens when the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall. Apply 1 cup of fertilizer for every 30 feet of row next to plants when they are about 4 inches tall. Riga manure on the ground. This is especially important in sandy soil.
Moisture stress following irrigation or rain can cause growth cracks and secondary growth. If hot is accompanied by rain, the rest of the developing season can break figs and form tubers. they germinate in the soil (see Figure 7). Too much water increases the pores in the tubers and causes them to rot easily in storage.
Potato plants usually produce flowers and sometimes produce fruit. But the fruits bear the seed of the annual plant. They look like small tomatoes, but they are not edible.
Potatoes are ready for harvest when the tops begin to die and the skin becomes a tuber. Inlaid skin, which is easily rubbed with the thumb, and does not shave. The skin can be set quickly by cutting off the heads of the plants. Most potatoes weigh 6 to 12 ounces at harvest. Harvest small, “new potatoes” by carefully digging growing time next to the plants fingers. .
To harvest potatoes, dig under the plants with a shovel or fork. Keep the fork 8 to 10 inches from the plant to avoid cutting the potatoes. Remove the plants and loosen the soil. Potatoes should be dug when the soil is moist. If it is too wet, it will just stick to the potatoes. If it is too dry, rub the potatoes into lumps. Pull the tubers from the vines and handle them carefully to avoid damage when the potatoes are damaged.
Allow the potatoes to dry, then store them in a cool place with plenty of air movement. Most potato varieties are ready to dig 95 to 110 days after planting.
This is a great link to growing potatoes in straw: http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt /4DMG /VegFruit/potatoes.htm
You can treat potato seeds with garden sulfur before planting to help reduce fungal problems. Simply place the pieces in a plastic bag containing sulfur and shake until smooth.
