Backyard potatoes add substance to garden
Mash, shred, fry, boil, broil or bake. There’s much that can be done with potatoes.
You could also grow them. Fresh spuds pulled from the ground are something special.
“If you get those new potatoes, those very early, small ones — those are delicious. Those are to die for,” said Chris Moats, owner of Castle Mountain Gardens Nursery in Redding.
“Fresh potatoes are just like anything else from the vegetable garden, they taste so much better,” said George Winter, owner of Wyntour Gardens in Redding.
Terrific tubers take some time and effort. Gardeners must improve the soil, prepare the seed potatoes and be willing to do some hilling. Now’s the time to think about taking on the project. Or is it? Not everyone agrees.
“I always planted potatoes in March. You really need to get them in the ground pretty quick,” Moats said.
“Plant in May. Or you could go as early as tax time in April,” said horticulturist Gordon Elliott, owner of First Choice Yard Design in Redding.
Late March and April for a spring crop, and August for a fall crop, said Gerry Long of Good Work Organic Farm in Round Mountain. Or plant in October, and then protect the plants with a thick blanket of straw through winter to get a jump on the spring season, he said.
Planting time is tricky because potato plants need warm days to grow but don’t particularly like hot weather — especially in places like Redding where summer nights stay warm, Long said. Planting in early spring can be a plus because it provides more growing time before the summer sizzle. But there’s more risk of a freeze taking out plants. Potato plants are frost sensitive, Long noted. Another worry is that if seed potatoes are planted in ground that is cold and soggy — and it stays that way — they could rot, he said.
Long suggested trying for an early start, but not too early: Plant two to three weeks before the typical last frost date (April 15 in Redding).
One of the reasons to grow potatoes is to get more of a selection of colors and flavors than what’s available in the supermarket. There are many potato varieties, Long said. Seed potatoes are sold as tiny potatoes or pieces cut from larger potatoes.
Don’t use grocery store potatoes as your starting point, says the University of California’s Integrated Pest Management website. Potatoes in supermarkets often are treated to prevent them from sprouting. Seed pieces should be certified as being free from diseases and pests, the UC site says.
“Each piece should have two ‘eyes’ on it in case one doesn’t fire up when it sprouts,” Long said.
He recommended leaving seed potatoes in indirect light for a day or two. The resulting callusing shields the potato pieces from bacteria that can lead to rot. Anther strategy is to coat the pieces with ashes from the wood stove or fireplace. The ashes are cemented by the potato’s moisture and they create a barrier to bacteria, Long explained.
Peaceful Valley Farm Garden Supply, which sells seed potatoes, suggests presprouting for a headstart and offers instructions on its website (groworganic.com). The website says potatoes do best in sandy loam but will grow in other types of soil if it drains well. It warns against using manure to improve soil structure because it can carry bacteria that cause scab.
To plant, create a 3-inch-deep trench, put in the seed potatoes and then cover, Long said. The closer plants are spaced, the smaller the potatoes will be, the UC site says. It recommends spacing plants 6 to 12 inches apart.
Potato plants are shallow rooted and need regular watering. If conditions fluctuate between wet and dry, potatoes are likely to be rough and knobby, UC says.
Long said people often don’t realize that potatoes do not form below the seed potato, which is just a few inches down in the ground. “The potato plant produces potatoes from the nodules that grow from the stem,” he said.
As the plant grows taller, it’s important to keep the potatoes that are forming covered. Potatoes exposed to sunlight turn green and produce a toxic compound, the Peaceful Valley Farm website notes. Green potatoes should not be eaten.
When plants get 8 to 10 inches tall, mound soil around them, Long said. “Hill them up until just the growing tip is showing.”
Repeat as the plant grows. UC recommends hilling three times. Potatoes that peek above the dirt should be covered immediately, Long said.
Potato plants have attractive flowers in white, purple or pink, depending on the type of potato. When the flowers fade, that’s the cue to harvest new potatoes. Use your hands to feel in the soil for the tiny potatoes, Long said. “You can have a few potatoes early.”
If you want good-sized spuds, wait until the plant dies. “It will begin to turn brown, dying from old age from the bottom up,” Long said. “That’s the time to cut off water.”
The end for the potato plants could be as early as June, depending on the variety and when they were planted. Potatoes can be harvested right away if they will be eaten soon. But if you plan to store them, let the tubers stay in the ground so the skin dries and toughens, Long said. Potatoes with soft, fragile skin are prone to rotting.
“A rotting potato is a nasty thing,” Long said.
Wait about two weeks after the plant dies before digging for the potatoes, he said. There are risks to leaving potatoes in the ground, however.
“With every day that I leave a potato crop in the ground, the gophers steal more,” Long said. “Gophers love potatoes.”
Grow your own fruit and vegetable with Bill & Sheila
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