The Irish Potato, spud, tater, call it what you like is a perennial plant that is cultivated as an annual in most areas. There are many different types and varieties of potatoes, enough to keep even the most adventurous home gardener busy.
Potatoes are classified as early, main season, and late varieties, this reference is to the days to maturity of the crop.
These are a short season maturing potato, 60-80 day to maturity. Some early varieties will store reasonably well if you don’t eat them all first. Great for that new potato taste after a winter of stored potatoes.
Main Season potatoes take 80-100 days to maturity. These are the spuds for eating all summer. Some varieties will store reasonably well.
Late crop potatoes are long season maturing, these will take 100-130 days to maturity. These spuds are your storage Potatoes, they take the longest to mature and will typically store well for at least 4-6 months.
Growing potatoes guide is a quick reference overview of the climate, soil conditions, planting, including how, where and when to plant as well as fertilizing, harvesting and storage guide for growing potatoes.
The first step to growing any crop is buying or obtaining good seed. Seed potatoes need a little more care than other vegetable seed when handling and prepare them to achieve a good clean high yielding crop.
Chitting potatoes is the potatoes version of starting seeds indoors. Quick start your spud crop by pre-sprouting the seed potatoes under controlled conditions before planting.
Fertilizing potatoes - Potatoes can grow in any average soil but average soil will only give you average results. Boost your potato crop and harvest a bumper crop with the right fertilizer at the right time.
Planting potatoes - No matter how or where you grow potatoes this simple how-to slide show illustrates the basic method of planting potatoes to ensure easy care and trouble free growing.
Consistent soil moisture is the single most important factor for high yielding potato crops. It is especially important when watering potatoes as the crop matures and heads into warmer weather.
The time when all your planning and hard work come to fruition. Unlike crops that grow above ground your crop yield is unknown to this point. Harvesting potatoes is like digging for treasure.
After all the work is done it would be tragic to lose your precious food supply by taking short cut here. The secret to storing potatoes long term is simple, quality in quality out.
There are many ways to grow potatoes in the home garden so even those of us who have limited time and space can enjoy fresh grown spuds. Growing potatoes in straw is made for those of us with big ideas and limited time.
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