How to Grow Potatoes

Last fall we paid $26.50 for a 50 pound sack of potatoes from a local farm.

We stored the potatoes in the basement over winter in old packing material and shredded newspaper. And while we were able to eat nearly all of the potatoes in our 50 pound sack, recently our potatoes {what’s left of them anyway} have begun to sprout. 

So that can only mean one thing… Spring is here and it’s time to think about planting! 😉 

Now normally, I wouldn’t plant store bought potatoes {as most are sprayed with chemicals to prevent sprouting} as “seed” potatoes, but since our potatoes were locally grown on a nearby small farm,  I have a sneaking suspicion that our 7 month old spuds {and the small bag of fingerling potatoes} we bought last fall haven’t been sprayed at all and will work just fine.

And anyway, what do I have to lose? At this point I can either toss our sprouting spuds onto the compost heap and let them rot, or I can go for it and plant them in the ground. 

If you’ve never grown potatoes before {or just need a little refresher course} I thought I’d share my best tips on how to grow potatoes with you today. 

Brief description:  Potatoes are a starchy edible tuber.

Where to Plant Potatoes:  Plant in deep containers {old garbage cans work great}, I’ve even experimented with potato towers, garden beds, and even raised beds {so long as you have at least 12 inches of depth to work with}.

Planting Seeds:  It is best to buy seed potatoes, as grocery story potatoes are usually treated to prevent sprouting–making yields a little unpredictable.

Store your seed potatoes in the fridge until you are ready to plant.  If your seed potatoes are already starting to sprout, plant them whole.

Otherwise, a few days before you plant them, take them out of the fridge and cut them into 2″ chunks or cut them into pieces with at least one eye per piece.  

Leave them on a paper towel overnight to dry out a bit.  When planting, plant about 10-12″  deep and 10″ apart, then cover with 4″ of soil.  

As the potato leaves begin to show, cover with another 4″ of soil.  Repeat the process until you have mounds about 12″ high.

Growing Tips:  Potatoes prefer cooler weather, so plant 2 weeks before the last frost in your area. For me here in coastal Maine, that’s around April 15th.  Water regularly, potatoes like it moist, but not wet.

How to Harvest:  When the leaves die and turn brown, it is time to harvest your taters.  Just take a shovel and turn over the dirt.  

I like to start nice and wide so that I don’t puncture any of my potatoes.  If you have grown them in a container, lay out a tarp and dump out the container.  Sift out your potatoes, and voila, you’re done.

Are you ready to start your garden but you’re not sure when you should plant your seeds or set out your transplants? Head on over HERE and you’ll be taken to a handy dandy chart that is broken down into what vegetables should be planted {or transplanted} each month in your area.

Keep Calm and Plant On.

~Mavis

Recipe for Baked Potato Casserole with Bacon and Chives

Interesting Fact:  In 1845, Ireland’s potato crop was devastated by a fungus.  Until then, the Irish had subsisted largely on potatoes, because they were so easy to grow and required relatively little space considering the yields.  

That single fungus put into motion a devastating 10 year famine, known as the Irish Potato Famine.

Potatoes are obviously still a staple to this day, they are the world’s 4th largest crop.  They follow rice, wheat and corn.