Everything You Need to Grow Potatoes

Norfolk Garden by Matthew J Carter

Are you thinking of growing potatoes in your garden? Here’s everything you need to get you started. Rather than get overwhelmed though, start small.

A few years back I gave potato growing a try… it was a dismal failure. I planted too late, in a hot part of the garden; I used too much composted manure. I got less out than I put in. But, I’m determined to try again because I love potatoes and I want to grow potatoes!

Why Grow Potatoes

Conventionally grown potatoes are subject to spraying with a range of fungicides, herbicides, and other chemicals. Testing of pesticide residues in potatoes by USDA puts them in 15th place of 47 vegetables in terms of residues. Apparently some farmers don’t eat the potatoes they grow conventionally. They grow organic potatoes for themselves instead.

Why Not to Grow Potatoes

On the other hand, potatoes do take up a fair bit of space. You’ll have to avoid planting them where they get run-off from grass or roofs which might bring in chemicals (your own, or any neighbors). And they are disease prone – we’ve all heard of potato blight, which caused the famous Irish Famine. And you can’t plant them where you’ve had tomatoes (and some other related vegetables).

How to Grow Potatoes

Since I’m not expert, I’d like to recommend that you go on over to Potato Garden where you can download a very comprehensive 24 page potato grower’s guide and potato variety catalog. The guide explains pretty much everything you need to grow potatoes – about varieties, how to prepare, ways to plant and grow, and how to store your harvest. It does not however cover pests and diseases beyond the Colorado potato beetle. I’m going to have to search out another resource for that.

What to Expect With Potatoes

Some other garden bloggers have a fair bit to say about how they grew potatoes last year and what did and didn’t work. Rachel at Hounds in the Kitchen is going to try the potato tower. I’m not terribly impressed though by Rob’s potato tower experience over at One Straw. The towers are not for me.

Kate at Living the Frugal Life reports a average 9.3 to 1 yield (9.3 lbs for every 1lb planted) from her 2009 – 5 gallon potato bucket experiment. Given that her plants were hit by disease, this is looking like another great veggie 5 gallon bucket growing success. I’m pretty sure I’m going to go this route.

Tools and Supplies for Potato Growing

Garden’s Alive and Amazon.com sell a number of items you may be interested in for potato growing:

• Organic seed potatoes, including Yukon Gold and Red Pontiac potatoes from Gardens Alive.
• Root Crops Alive fertilizer contains potassium from plant sources and has shown 57% greater yield of potatoes in field trials.
• If you decide to plant your potatoes in rows you’ll need a garden spade such as the Ames True Temper spade with wood handle from Amazon.com.
• There are many kinds of ready-made potato barrel devices. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have $44 to spend on these. If you want something ready-made though you might look at the potato planter bag which currently retails for $9.99 at Amazon.com.

If you need to know when to plant your potatoes take a look at my guide to when to plant vegetable seeds. I know it says seeds in the title, but potatoes are included.

I’m dreaming of earthy, boiled, new potatoes with butter and sea salt and creamy mashed potatoes with turkey and gravy. What about you? Will you grow potatoes this year?

Related posts:

1. Why You Need a Neighbor Who Grows Potatoes
2. Vegetable Gardening Help
3. What do plants need to grow?