Potatoes.....

[Doop]

I'm going to plant potatoes for the first time....but I honestly have no idea where to begin. Do you buy them as a bulb?

Could you just cut off sprouts from taters and put those in the ground? Never done it...so any advice would be awesome!

[Cicada]

First , find out what seed potatoes are available in your area. Do a little research as some are better in sandy soil and some better in clay type soil. Match them to your soil type. We used to sell them in the grocery store where I worked. We had five or six to choose from.

Old wives tale is that to get good potatoes, you have to plant them on Good Friday.

[sparcebag]

seed taters are nothing more than a tater sprouting eyes.you cut them into pieces all with a visable eye,I stay in the 1 inch chunk size area,plant in hills or high rows,they dont like wet soils,preferably sandy loam soil but they will grow in most soil.Your store bought taters may not be friendly to our climate,So just get a pack around here.

[Steve Foss]

When starting out with a new type of veggie it's often best to get them from a nursery so you can ask them which is best for your type of soil. Red potatoes, which have always been my fave, grow very well in most density soils, including the heavy clay loam in the Red River Valley, and there are a bunch of potato varieties that do well in Minnesota.

After seeding and as they begin to grow actual potatoes, check to make sure no taters are peeking out of the ground, and mound dirt in from the rows to cover visible potatoes. If they're allowed to stay exposed to open air, the skin and flesh will have a green color and cause stomach upset in a lot of people.

[KEN W]

Do not plant potatoes from the store unless they are labled "seed potatoes".They will have been sprayed with a sprout inhibitor.

As for varieties.....depends on how you eat them....for me over the years.....the best mashed potatoes come from Red Norlands.They are one of the first to size up.....nothing better than baby Norlands cooked with the skins on.Plus they keep well.

For baking the best are russets as they are dry and mealy....poor boiled.My favorites are Goldrush or Russet Norkota....early season,keeps well,lots of baking sized spuds.

If you only have room to plant one variety,I would look for Yukon Gold.Very versatile,good any way but not the best at any thing.

Buy the seed potatoes as early as you can and put them out to sprout.The best are small whole seed potatoes.If they are larger.....cut them in half or fourths and let them sit out to dry the cuts over and sprout.

Dig a 4-6 in. hole and plant.Just barely cover the seed pieces.Plants should be 12-15 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.As the plant grows pull the dirt in around it.When it is 12-15 inches tall......hill them.

When you see them start to flower.....wait a week to 10 days and start scratching in the hills for those new potatoes....Late July/early August.

When the plants die down in the fall.....leave them in the ground until mid Oct or so and dig/wash/and store in a dark place.

I usually dump grass clipings between the rows to keep the ground cool and to keep any potatoes stiicking out ftom turning green.

[Doop]

awesome guys....THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

[IFallsRon]

I've planted Yukon Golds for years using the Organic Gardner's method: till up the surface soil, lay down the seed potatoes, watering them in good, then covering with 8 to 10 inches of leaves, grass clippings or composted combination. I get good crops and it sure is easy digging at harvest time.