Lets grow Potatoes!

 

When I order our seed potatoes, my thoughts go back to our farm in Michigan where I spent many hours in the dankness of our root cellar desprouting potatoes for market and cutting seed potatoes for planting. I have always had good luck growing potatoes in Truckee and we have many customers who raise bumper crops.

This year I picked out a new variety to try along with our old favorites, Yukon Gold, Red Norland, All Blue, Kennebec, Russet and Yellow Finn. “Epicure” is an organically grown, early season potato with thin white skin and creamy flesh. It is best boiled and its leaves recover well from frost. We also have a number of fingerling potatoes this year which produce a lot of potatoes late in the season. Russian Banana, Rose Finn and French Fingerlings are available.

It is important to prepare a good soil bed at least a foot deep by incorporating mature compost. Ph should be 5.5-6.5. Potatoes require well balanced nutrition. A vegetable formulation by Dr. Earth will provide that.

Potatoes from our nursery are generally pre-sprouted because of the time we have to buy them. I cut my seed potatoes into pieces with two strong eyes on each and let them scab overnight. Very small potatoes will be planted whole. I usually wait until late May to plant my potatoes in order to avoid frost when the vines come up. I plant potatoes about 3-4" deep and 10-12" apart. Drip irrigation works well for potatoes but overhead irrigation will work too. I recommend fertilizing twice with Dr. Earth during the summer. Do not fertilize when vines are in bloom. I usually wait to harvest after we’ve had a hard frost in September. Early varieties such as Epicure can be harvested sooner. It is always exciting to dig up potatoes, especially for kids.