Potato-Po-tah-to

by Leslie Worthy

One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four! Five potatoes, six potatoes, seven potatoes, more!

As a young girl in the country, I remember reciting this nursery rhyme with my little friends, all the while thinking of my mom’s potato salad that she made from our own grown potatoes. Nothing described a summertime BBQ to me more than this!

The flavor and texture of homegrown potatoes are far superior to the store-bought varieties, and with potatoes being so simple to grow, this can (and maybe should!) be a staple in anyone’s garden.

So, let’s get growing!

The variety of potato to plant is, of course, completely up to you. Typically you’ll find a choice of white, yellow, or red potatoes, however, there are purple and blue varieties as well.

My personal favorite is the Yukon Gold potato. It’s so versatile, and perfect for mashed potatoes or potato salad. There are also the Kennebec white potatoes which are ideal for baking and grilling. Another great variety is the red potato, which tends to harvest earlier than the others. Reds are great for roasting or steaming, and are perfect in potato salads.

To purchase your seed potatoes, head to your local nursery or farmer’s co-op and get your seed potatoes there. You can’t miss them in the giant bins, and they are the least expensive option I’ve found. • Potatoes can be planted very early in the gardening season, as soon as you can work the soil. • Plant potatoes in loose ground that has good drainage.

Prepare your potatoes for planting. • If the seed potato has more than three ‘eyes,’ cut the potato to make more pieces to plant. You’ll want just two to three eyes on each piece. Make sure to do this the day before planting so the flesh has time to harden before planting. This will prevent them from rotting once in the ground. • Dig a trench 4 to 6 inches deep. A Warren hoe works perfectly for creating your trench. At the bottom of your trench, it’s vital to add compost and/or organic fertilizer to the soil. • Plant potatoes at the bottom of the trench, about 12 inches apart, with as many eyes facing upward as possible. • Rows need to be about 36 inches apart. • Then, cover the potatoes with dirt. At this point, we simply wait. • When green sprouts reach 8 inches in height, bury all but their top 4 inches with soil, chopped straw, or shredded leaves. • Repeat this step again when potato plants grow another 8 inches. The more you hill, the more abundant your harvest is likely to be. I usually hill mine to a height of 18 inches. • Stop hilling when the vines flower. • Full-sized potatoes take about 80-100 days to reach maturity. • To harvest, wait until the vines die back. Dead vines signal that the tubers have reached maturity. Now reach into the soil with your hands and pull the tubers up.

photos: shutterstock.com

Flower of the Month

What are you seeing all a’bloom now?

Becky Shasta Daisy

These gorgeous flowers just scream summertime! Becky’s bloom from June to September when planted in a full sun location. They are a perennial and will come back each year, giving years of beauty to any lakeside garden.