Search this Site

Fertilizing Potatoes For Better Crops

Broadcasting alfalfa meal for fertilizing-potatoesFertilizing Potatoes

Page Contents



Fertilizing Potatoes

Potatoes like a slightly acid soil, pH of around 5.0 but will grow in a range from 5.0 to 6.5. Common potato scab (brown cork like tissue on surface of tubers) can be a problem if the soil pH levels are on the alkaline or "sweet" side.

However while maintaining low-pH soils levels provide good control of common scab there are certain disadvantages in doing so. Plant nutrients are most available at soil pH levels near 6.5. making it necessary to use more fertilizer to achieve the required nutrient levels when down around 5.0 - 5.2. Also there are few vegetable crops that grow well at this low pH level so limiting any crop that can be planted after the potatoes are harvest. Better control of this and other potato problems are achieved by planting tubers of resistant varieties and maintaining good crop rotation.


Animal Manure

If you are lucky enough to have access to animal manures, aged or composted manures are the best. Nutrient quality and quantities can vary a lot, with the age and storage method being two of the most important.


Horse manure is a great way to add fertilizer to the potato patch

 No matter what the quality of the manure, there is still enormous value as far as providing the soil microbes with material they need to build fertility.


Manures are best added to the soil in the fall before planting to allow the soil microbes time to do their magic, breaking it down into usable nutrients. Spread the manure over the garden before folding it into the top 6-8 inches (15-20 cm ) of soil with a plow, rotary tiller-hoe or shovel.

For which manures are best for fertilizing potatoes go to the animal manures section in organic garden fertilizer


Compost

Any average soil will grow a reasonable crop of spuds, but as with all vegetables, potatoes respond well to the right nutrients. They are especially fond of rich organic soils so for those gardeners who don’t have access to animal manures the next best thing to add to the potato patch is compost.

Getting the best crop of potatoes starts with good soil preparation. There is no better way to do this than by sheet composting your intended potato patch the summer before your next crop.

Compost is another great way to add nutrients to growing potatoes

This is a simple task of adding a good 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) or more if you have it, of organic material to the garden and leaving it to decompose. Dig it all in two weeks before planting and reap the best crop you have ever harvested.



Solid Organic Fertilizer

Root crops don't require heavy applications of nitrogen because that will only develop a great crop of potato plants with poor tuber growth. Phosphorus and more important potassium, is needed to grow and maintain a good crop of spuds. Using any fertilizer with high phosphorus-potassium to nitrogen content will do them well.


When To Fertilize

Potatoes go through five stages of growth, sprouting, vegetative, tuber initiation, tuber bulking, and maturing. It is during the tuber initiation stage that potatoes will form on the roots and the point when side dressing is going to be most effective.

The best way and time to add fertilizer to your potato crop is by side dressing when they show signs of flowering

This stage is marked above ground by heavier leaf growth and more apparent, the forming of flowers.



Planting Potatoes
Organic Garden Fertilizer
Watering Potatoes
Seed Potatoes




Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Home Page - Site Map - Top of Fertilizing Potatoes Page - How To Grow Potatoes - Alphabetical List of Vegetables