We certainly have been growing potatoes for a long time, discovered by the Spaniards, on a trip to Peru, 1524, introduced to Europe shortly after, and given their Latin name Soanum tuberosum in 1596, they are now a staple on our tables today. They are considered a near perfect food, high in vitamin C, potassium, high protein content (as far as veggies go) and they are almost fat free.

With as many varieties available as there are ways to cook potatoes, I always say, "Why plant what you can buy in the store. Experiment try unique and interesting varieties, such as the fingerling or Russian blue, and besides different colours and styles are always fun to serve, even the kids get excited!" When deciding on varieties, choose ones that will mature at different times, this will ensure harvesting all season long. Depending on your needs, look at their culinary uses, some are better for baking, mashing or frying, as well if you are looking to store them, source out long keeping varieties, because not all potatoes are alike. Potatoes can be planted from mid - March to late May, any later and they may not mature on time.

Keep the following in mind when choosing your location:

    1. Choose a sunny location, and practice crop rotation each and every year.
    2. Plant your potatoes away from tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. (To prevent blights &wilts.)
    3. Potatoes prefer a well draining rich soil, with a neutral ph. Two weeks before planting, incorporate compost, manure, and rock phosphate, and bone meal into your soil.

Now you've picked out your varieties, chosen your location, and amended you soil, time to get dirty, prepare our tubers & plant. When you purchase your potatoes you are actually purchasing tubers, and each one is a package of its own, a healthy tuber will contain enough water and nutrients to help it get up and growing. The tuber may be planted whole, or may be cut into egg size pieces. When cutting, insure that an "eye" remains with each piece, and allow cuts to heal for two days before planting, just place them in a dry, low-lit area.

When planting there are two very good ways to plant, the first is row planting the second is hill planting. Row planting is a great way to make good use of space. Simply dig a trench 4" deep, 12" wide, as long as you want and space your rows 2' apart. Plant your potatoes 18" apart and cover, 4". When the flower stalks are 4" - 6" inches high mound the soil, leaving ½ of the stalk uncovered, repeat this several times through the season, ultimately you will have a mounded row, approximately 12" - 18" high when you are finished.

For hill planting simply mound your pile, like you would for squash, aprox.10" high. Plant 3 -4 tubers per hill. As the flower stalks come up continue to mound, just as you would for row planting, in the end you will have a 24" high mound that is 2' wide. Some gardeners prefer to add and stack tires, rims and various things, this works well.

Provide deep infrequent waterings, to the base of your potatoes, this will help prevent rot, skin problems, blights, and disease. A weekly application of 1/2 strength kelp fertilizer will keep the potatoes growing at a steady, healthy rate. Within 6 - 14 days you will see emergence, and, depending on variety, you will be ready to harvest in 13 - 20 weeks from planting time.

As flowers appear on your plants you can begin to harvest the "new potatoes" and when the flower stalks have died back you can harvest your crop. Curing for harvesting, this allows the skins to harden up.

    1. Give your crop one last deep water
    2. Two days later remove flower tops, and any greens.
    3. Let sit for a week. Do not water.
    4. Use a pitchfork to gently break the potatoes from their roots, and carefully remove from the soil.

Store your potatoes in a cool, dry environment, with little light. Do not store damaged, scabby, or blemished potatoes; one bad potato spoils the bunch!