Potatoes: How To Plant, Grow, & Harvest Potatoes

One thing my mother taught me was the fact that if you can grow and harvest potatoes, you will never starve. She was so right! The bonus is that you can replant and have continuous crops forever. Of course, you must buy good potato seeds and have great soil. If you buy the best seeds the first time, such as certified organic and non-GMO, the seeds will continue giving for years, if not forever.

My first crop of the year is planted around the end of March for my Memorial Day picking. My grandkids sometimes come at that time of year and love to “dig” for potatoes. They giggle as they dig and find more potatoes. Nothing is better than freshly picked potatoes you bake, mash, or fry with butter.

Please keep in mind that the seeds sell out fast, and you may not be able to get any right now. I’m just giving you the heads up. Typically, you need to order them in the early spring. This is why we must save potato seeds to use year after year.

Potatoes: How To Plant, Grow, & Harvest Potatoes

Potato Seed Varieties

Early Season

1. All Red
2. Dark Red Noland
3. Purple Viking

Mid-Season

1. Amarosa Fingerling
2. Katahdin
3. Reba
4. Red Chieftan
5. Yukon Gem
6. Yukon Gold

Late-Season

1. Burbank Russet
2. German Butterball
3. Rose Finn Apple
4. Russian Banana

Soil Amendments/Planting Tips

1. Organic Compost
2. Miracle Grow Potting Soil
3. Azomite
4. Worm Casings
5. I prep my soil in the spring and in the fall
6. I never fertilize once they are planted
7. No bug spray is required if you purchase good seeds and use good soil
8. Please plant in the sunshine
9. The temperature must be 45 degrees for the seeds and plants to thrive
10. They are cool-weather plants
11. Soil must have a pH of 5.8 to 6.5
12. Dig the holes at least 4-6 inches deep to plant the seeds with the eyes facing upwards.
13. Cover with soil and continue to build up the soil
14. Potatoes will become green if exposed to sunshine
15. The soil must be wet but not waterlogged
16. Choose Organic, non-GMO seeds
17. When the little plants reach 8 inches tall, start building up the soil around them
18. Rotate where you plant them every three years
19. You can start digging about 2-3 weeks after the flowers bloom
20. It’s easier to dig for potatoes in dry soil if you have rain delay digging
21. Don’t wash your plants if you are going to store them
22. To “cure” potatoes for the winter, store them in a humid room at 55 degrees for two weeks
23. If planting in the ground, plant about 2-3 feet apart
24. You can plant them with a bit of soil, then cover with straw (easy to dig for potatoes)
25. Let the cut fleshy section of the potato with the “eye” dry before planting

Where I buy my seeds: Organic Non-GMO Seeds

Where You Can Grow Them

1. Raised garden beds with good soil
2. 18-inch deep pots with good soil
3. If the soil is loamy, you will trench at least 12 inches deep to look for rocks or debris.
4. Heavy-duty bags filled with amended soil
5. Black garbage bags are not good to use
6. You can build a wooden box without a top that is about 18 inches tall and 18 inches in diameter (easy for harvesting)
7. Square-foot gardening is excellent for planting these

Planting The Best Potatoes

As stated above, dig the holes at least 4-6 inches deep to plant the seeds with the eyes facing upwards. Cover with soil and water the soil, but do not over water.

Potato Plants

You can see below how these have started to flower.

Harvest Potatoes

Wait until the leaves have withered and died before you harvest your mature potatoes. Use your hands with gloves or a small pitchfork, but be careful not to puncture the skins. You can still eat the damaged ones, but they will not be suitable for storage through the winter.

My Favorite Soil Amendments:

Azomite Micronized Bag, 44 lb

Coco Coir Block

Soil Builder Earthworm Castings

Organic Bone Meal

Organic Vermiculite

Final Word

I hope you can harvest potatoes you can grow and then save the seeds for next summer. There is nothing more exciting than seeing those plants peek through the soil. Please be prepared for the unexpected. May God bless you and your family.

Copyright pictures: Rows of potatoes: AdobeStock_42370722 by Digitalpress, Planting seeds: AdobeStock_152938221 by Fotoduets, Mature plants: AdobeStock_60611786 by Ruud Morijn, Harvesting: AdobeStock_43713997 by Imaginatino, Harvested: AdobeStock_70962287 by Pixavrl, Growth Chart: AdobeStock_113417338 by KazaKova Maryla

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