How to Grow Potatoes
When the chips are down
Potatoes are one of the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow, so why not give it a try? There are many varieties available, making it easy for gardeners to cultivate their favorites. To start, search for potato seed growers in your area. It's important to understand that "potato seeds" are not what most people think—they are simply specialized potatoes that have been prepared for planting by experts.
Below, we've outlined the steps for growing potatoes organically in your backyard, garden plot, or even in pots. Note that growing potatoes commercially requires a different approach that is not covered here. If you're a home gardener or subsistence farmer, this information can help you become a proud potato grower. We share our own experiences, and we are confident that if you follow these guidelines, you will successfully grow your own potatoes.
Potatoes from our very dry 2021 backyard (Siffra Variety)
Wild potato species occur throughout the Americas, both North and South America, up to southern Chile. It is believed, and it was later proved through genetic testing, that potatoes originated in the area of what is today Southern Peru and northwestern Bolivia. It was in these areas that potatoes were first domesticated between 7000 and 10000 years ago. Most probably, it was consumed in various cooked forms or even consumed raw before the French, not so long ago, came up with the ingenious idea of cutting it into strips and frying it. Maybe it was not the French to do it first, but they nevertheless got the honors for it.
Today, through selective breeding, there are more than 1000 varieties of potatoes. Because of their origins in the Andes region, it is understandable that potatoes grow well in drier climates and have therefore become the world’s fourth-largest food crop after rice, wheat, and maize. You can’t go wrong by growing your own potatoes.
Today, through selective breeding, there are more than 1000 varieties of potatoes. Because of their origins in the Andes region, it is understandable that potatoes grow well in drier climates and have therefore become the world’s fourth-largest food crop after rice, wheat, and maize. You can’t go wrong by growing your own potatoes.
They even have a family history
Understanding the classification of plants into orders, families, and subfamilies can be challenging and confusing, especially for those who are not botanists. Within these classifications, there are also subfamilies of subfamilies, often referred to as tribes. For example, potatoes belong to the Solanaceae family and the subfamily Solanoideae. This family, commonly known as the nightshade or potato family, consists of flowering plants that include many well-known crops.
The name Solanaceae is derived from the Latin word "Solanum," which is linked to the term nightshade. This plant family includes a variety of species, such as chili peppers and bell peppers (under the subfamily Capsicum), tomatoes and eggplants (under the subfamily Solanum), and tobacco (under the subfamily Nicotiana).
Plants in the Solanaceae family are often rich in alkaloids, a type of chemical substance found in their leaves that can be toxic to both animals and humans. For example, tomato leaves contain these alkaloids and should not be consumed.
The name Solanaceae is derived from the Latin word "Solanum," which is linked to the term nightshade. This plant family includes a variety of species, such as chili peppers and bell peppers (under the subfamily Capsicum), tomatoes and eggplants (under the subfamily Solanum), and tobacco (under the subfamily Nicotiana).
Plants in the Solanaceae family are often rich in alkaloids, a type of chemical substance found in their leaves that can be toxic to both animals and humans. For example, tomato leaves contain these alkaloids and should not be consumed.
How to plant potatoes
* Select a suitable area in your garden or plot to grow your own potatoes. The area should preferably level and have excess soil available that can be used at a later stage.
* Prepare the soil by turning it with a hoe or garden fork to about 30cm deep. That is about the length of a spade. Remove all weeds, sticks, and rocks.
* If water is available, water the soil after turning it.
*Dig a trench roughly 60cm wide and 20cm deep (more or less one spade deep). Space trenches 80cm—90cm apart
* Add compost and or manure to the trench. There is no golden rule here and one could use your own judgment. One can never use too much compost. Composted manure is preferred over uncomposted manure. Chicken manure should be used sparingly if not composted. Compost and manure feed and nourish the soil, and add nutrients that will be used by the plants later. If bone meal is available, one can also use a few handfuls. Ash from a fire can also be added. It should be ash only and not charcoal. This might lower the soil ph. Potatoes prefer a lower soil ph than many other crops.
* Plant the potato seeds 15cm apart in the trench. Use a measuring stick or rope to evenly space the seeds.
* Keep the soil or trench moist for the first two weeks and water every second day after that.
* Allow the potato stems to grow to about 10 cm above the soil and cover it then with excess soil. Repeat this process as the potato grows.
* Do not turn the soil close to the potato plants. The best is to leave it undisturbed. Remove all weeds by hoe or by hand. Do not use a garden fork.
* One can add compost, manure, bone meal, and ash to the areas between the rows every second week. Turn the soil lightly with a hoe or garden fork.
* Potatoes do best in unshaded areas. Potatoes are sensitive to frost so plant potatoes in frost-prone areas at the beginning of spring.
Potatoes like:
well-drained soil,
light soil,
deep soil,
soil full of organic matter,
minimum of 6 hours of full sunlight per day,
slightly acidic soils (ph 4,8-5,5),
raised beds.
* Prepare the soil by turning it with a hoe or garden fork to about 30cm deep. That is about the length of a spade. Remove all weeds, sticks, and rocks.
* If water is available, water the soil after turning it.
*Dig a trench roughly 60cm wide and 20cm deep (more or less one spade deep). Space trenches 80cm—90cm apart
* Add compost and or manure to the trench. There is no golden rule here and one could use your own judgment. One can never use too much compost. Composted manure is preferred over uncomposted manure. Chicken manure should be used sparingly if not composted. Compost and manure feed and nourish the soil, and add nutrients that will be used by the plants later. If bone meal is available, one can also use a few handfuls. Ash from a fire can also be added. It should be ash only and not charcoal. This might lower the soil ph. Potatoes prefer a lower soil ph than many other crops.
* Plant the potato seeds 15cm apart in the trench. Use a measuring stick or rope to evenly space the seeds.
* Keep the soil or trench moist for the first two weeks and water every second day after that.
* Allow the potato stems to grow to about 10 cm above the soil and cover it then with excess soil. Repeat this process as the potato grows.
* Do not turn the soil close to the potato plants. The best is to leave it undisturbed. Remove all weeds by hoe or by hand. Do not use a garden fork.
* One can add compost, manure, bone meal, and ash to the areas between the rows every second week. Turn the soil lightly with a hoe or garden fork.
* Potatoes do best in unshaded areas. Potatoes are sensitive to frost so plant potatoes in frost-prone areas at the beginning of spring.
Potatoes like:
well-drained soil,
light soil,
deep soil,
soil full of organic matter,
minimum of 6 hours of full sunlight per day,
slightly acidic soils (ph 4,8-5,5),
raised beds.
How to grow potatoes from a tyre, I mean in a tyre.
* Use recycled tyres by stacking two tyres on top of each other. One can also use a single tyre for a start. Low-profile tyres if available, work the best.
* Fill the tyre with a mixture of soil and compost, and or manure. Soil and compost can also be layered. Do not cover the bottom of the tyre to allow excess water to drain into the ground.
* Plant one potato seed in every set of tyres, covering the seed to about 2cm with soil.
* Once the potato shoot has grown to about 10cm, add another tyre and fill it with soil, allowing the top of your potato plant to protrude above the soil.
* Instead of tyres, one can also use a perforated sack. Roll down the sides of the sack to about one-third of its length. Unroll the sides and add more soil to the sack as the potato plant grows. This method requires more regular watering as water evaporates much faster from the soil this way. So it is not recommended for water-scarce areas.
* Keep soil moist for the first two weeks and water every second to the third day after that, depending on climate conditions. Potatoes can do without regular watering, so it is a recommended crop in drier climates. Potatoes do not do well in soggy conditions as it rot easily.
* Check the plant on a regular basis for pests and diseases.
* Use recycled tyres by stacking two tyres on top of each other. One can also use a single tyre for a start. Low-profile tyres if available, work the best.
* Fill the tyre with a mixture of soil and compost, and or manure. Soil and compost can also be layered. Do not cover the bottom of the tyre to allow excess water to drain into the ground.
* Plant one potato seed in every set of tyres, covering the seed to about 2cm with soil.
* Once the potato shoot has grown to about 10cm, add another tyre and fill it with soil, allowing the top of your potato plant to protrude above the soil.
* Instead of tyres, one can also use a perforated sack. Roll down the sides of the sack to about one-third of its length. Unroll the sides and add more soil to the sack as the potato plant grows. This method requires more regular watering as water evaporates much faster from the soil this way. So it is not recommended for water-scarce areas.
* Keep soil moist for the first two weeks and water every second to the third day after that, depending on climate conditions. Potatoes can do without regular watering, so it is a recommended crop in drier climates. Potatoes do not do well in soggy conditions as it rot easily.
* Check the plant on a regular basis for pests and diseases.
How to harvest potatoes
You will be able to harvest your first crop of potatoes in 6-8 weeks, depending on the climate and soil conditions. Fertile soil and warmer climates produce potatoes quickly. Potatoes can be left much longer in the soil once they have grown to their full size. It is not uncommon for commercial farmers to leave their potatoes in the soil for a few months on end. This is not recommended when potatoes are grown organically, as potatoes are easy prey for worms, moles, and other soil-bearing insects and organisms.
Those dreaded potato diseases
Potatoes can be infected by many different viruses. Accurate diagnosis is important for the correct treatment and expert advice is often needed, especially when potatoes are commercially grown. For the gardener and subsistence farmer, the best advice is to keep a regular lookout for any discoloration, mosaic patterns on leaves, stunting of the plant, leaf malformations, and tuber malformations. Symptoms are not always visible due to various conditions like the interaction between the virus and the plant, growing conditions, or the age of the plant when it is infected. This often results in the late diagnosis of diseases. The best cure for diseases by the gardener and small-scale farmer is prevention. Using certified seed tubers and providing the optimal growing conditions needed by the potato plant is the best way to prevent diseases.
The boring stuff or not-so-boring stuff - More Info on Potato Diseases
* International Potato Center - Lima Peru: Major Potato Diseases, Insects, and Nematodes PDFThe boring stuff or not-so-boring stuff - More Info on Potato Diseases
* Michigan Potato Diseases - Brown Leaf Spot PDF
* Michigan Potato Diseases - Black Dot PDF
* Michigan Potato Diseases - Early Blight PDF
* Michigan Potato Diseases - Early Blight PDF
A healthy crop of commercially grown potatoes in Patensie (Eastern Cape)
Useful link: Cornell University Vegetable Planting Guide
Visit our "Grow Your Own Food" Index Page here
Useful link: Cornell University Vegetable Planting Guide
Visit our "Grow Your Own Food" Index Page here