How to Grow Potatoes

How to Grow Potatoes At Home

Each day, many people are considering growing their own vegetables at home (including myself). And the question is: How to grow potatoes? Can we grow potatoes at home?  The answer is... YES! Growing potatoes is easier than you think.

They are also easy to plant and to get at least some potatoes from. The fact that potatoes were easy to grow was one reason they became so popular in Europe.

When to plant potatoes

Potatoes are grown as annual plants, with fields planted each spring, and harvested in the fall.The best time to plant potatoes is in March but it can be done as early as February. It is possible to have about 5 crops a year,  growing from March right through to November. and they rarely need watering.

When planting potatoes you should know that, although potatoes grow underground, they are stems, not roots, and are known as "tubers." The best temperature for tuber formation occurs at soil temperatures between 60° and 70°F. 

The picture shows how the potato begins to grow.

The picture on the left shows you how the potato plant looks like when it begins to grow.

How to plant potatoes

1- Buy a bag of certified disease free) seed potatoes.

2- Set the rows about 2 1/2 feet apart.

3- Cover the seed potatoes to a depth of 4 inches.

The potato plants produce flowers, and the fruit that grow from these flowers look a lot like green tomatoes, but you can't eat it. Depending on weather, location, and time of year, potato plants begin to grow about 2 to 6 weeks after planting.

 
When to harvest potatoes 

Potato plants are harvested in the fall. You should wait until the plants are about 12-18 inches tall.

Growing a herb garden

After digging up the potatoes, please do not expose them to the light. Potato plants can survive periods of dry soil, it is a good idea to keep the soil well drained.

What is a chia herb garden?

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