Information and discussion for successfully cultivating potatoes, the world's fourth largest crop.
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March 18, 2007 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Chicago Suburbs
Posts: 306
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New potatoes
This will be my first year growing potatoes. I purchased a bag of early season Red Norland potatoes. I won't be able to plant them for another 3 weeks because I can't get into the community garden until then.
I noticed they are sprouting in the bag. Should I leave them in the bag or should I take them out and spread them out somewhere? I know that I cut them up and dry them out 3 or 4 days before planting, but another book said that I could plant them whole. Help! LoreD
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March 19, 2007 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rock Hill, SC
Posts: 5,346
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if the potatoes are about 2 inches or smaller, they can be planted whole. Larger potatoes get cut into 2 inch pieces with 2 sprouts on each piece. The cut tubers should be allowed to heal for a day. All your seed potatoes should be tossed with agricultural wettable sulfur before planting sprout-side up. I would recommend planting the pieces 1' apart in rows 2' apart in well amended soil. Make sure you dig a good 6"-8" trench to plant them in so you can hill them later on without the hills being so high.
Potatoes will sprout slowest in a cool, dark place and fastest in a warm, light place. Last edited by feldon30; March 19, 2007 at 09:40 AM. |
March 19, 2007 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Alabama
Posts: 2,250
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Feldon's spacing works in highly amended soil such as in raised beds. If planting into garden soil, they need more room. I plant mine about 10 inches apart in the row and 3 feet apart between the rows.
Some potato varieties are more rampant than others. Kennebec for example is known for huge vines 4 to 5 feet long. Pre-sprouting potatoes is known as chitting. If you bought seed potatoes, they should already have been treated to a temperature regime that induces early sprouting. I have 250+ hills of potatoes planted and am looking forward to the first mature spuds. Fusion |
March 19, 2007 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rock Hill, SC
Posts: 5,346
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I'm growing Kennebec and some kind of yellow that after the guy said the name 3 times I still didn't get it. The Kennebec are definitely growing faster.
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