The quick reference guide below is relevant for growing potatoes by any method you choose, you don't need a huge garden. Growing potatoes in bags, tires, straw-bales are but a few ways for the home gardener with a small area to enjoy the fresher, more flavorful taste of home grown potatoes.
The growing potatoes quick reference guide below is designed as a quick overview of growing potatoes. For more details on the different stages from seed to harvest go to the related pages link.
Follow this link for a Printer Friendly version of the Quick Reference Growing Potatoes Guide that you can combined with other vegetable quick reference guides into a handy garden shed booklet.
Veggie Garden Dairy | |
---|---|
Vegetable | Potato |
Also Known As | Irish potato |
Botanical | Family - Solanaceae, Genus - Solanum, Species - S. tuberosum |
Plant Type | Cool season - tender perennial - root vegetable |
Frost Tolerance | Semi Hardy |
Planting Position | Sunny position - Will do alright in partial shade, but you'll have to wait longer for a full crop. They require a minimum of 4-6 hours of direct sunlight daily. |
Seed Viability | 1 year |
Germination | 10-14 days to sprout at 70-75 F (21-24 C) |
Growing Temp | 55-75 F (13-24 C) |
Seed to Transplant | If green sprouting or chitting before planting 2-3 weeks |
Planting Method | Tuber |
When to Plant | Spring |
Time to Plant | As early as 1 - 2 weeks before the average date of the last 32 F (0 C) freeze in the spring in your area but not before soil temperatures are consistently above 50 F (10C) |
Seed Sowing | Plant tubers only |
Plant Spacing | Plant tubers or tuber pieces - 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) apart in rows 24-36 inches (60-90 cm) apart - cover with 4-6 inch (10-15 cm) of soil. |
Soil Conditions | Well drained - High organic matter - Medium fertility |
Fertilizer | Medium fertilizer needs, 3-4 quarts per 100 sq feet (3.3-4.4 liters per 9.3 square meters) preplanting of All-Purpose 5-5-5 Organic Fertilizer
|
When to Fertilize | 2 weeks before planting - side-dress at 1st sign of flowering. |
Days to Harvest | 80-120 days - depending on conditions and variety. |
Comments |
Home Page - Site Map - Top of Growing Potatoes Guide Page - How To Grow Potatoes Page - Alphabetical List of Vegetables