Growing potatoes at home is easy and fun . In this guide , I ’ll teach you the simple technique for planting white potato in your North Texas garden .
When to plant potatoes in North Texas
Mid - February through other March is the best time for planting white potato in North Texas . This give potato industrial plant enough time to get established before the acute heat energy come .
Where to find “seed” potatoes
Seed tater are typically available at local independent nurseries at planting time , but call ahead before visiting to verify that they have them in stock .
North Haven Gardens stock a large selection of white potato vine that perform well in our surface area .
Avoid buying seed potatoes from place improvement store . These potatoes typically have n’t been stored properly , and are not potential to be varieties that will do well in North Texas .
Seed potatoes are available from online supplier , but be careful – many of these suppliers do n’t pop out ship seed potatoes until March . This is too late for our area .
A follower of late suggested that Hoss Tools ships seed potato at the right planting clip .
Recommended potato varieties for North Texas
variety that perform well in our sphere include :
‘ Red laSoda’‘Kennebec’‘Red Pontiac’‘Irish Cobbler’‘Yukon Gold ’
Can you plant grocery potatoes?
Many North Texas gardeners successfully plant organic potatoes from the grocery . verify to only purchase organic potatoes .
Treat this as an experimentation , however , because these potatoes were not turn to be replant . Also , these potatoes are not certified disease - free .
For the good chance of success , use come potatoes from a nursery or on-line supplier .
Preparing potatoes for planting
Small tuber can be set whole , but larger tubers should be cut into pieces before planting . Each piece should have one or two “ eyes ” .
After cutting up , dust the piece withpowdered sulfurand the allow the pieces dry for 4 - 5 day to let them callous over . This help to prevent fungal bunk .
How to plant potatoes
Potatoes can be grown in the ground , in raise beds , or in containers . Because the bulk of the soil in North Texas is grievous clay , it ’s easiest to grow potatoes in raised beds or containers because potatoes need very well - drain soil .
It ’s also very important that spud get plentifulness of sun . Plant in an arena that gets 6 - 8 hr of direct sun per day .
In-ground or raised bed planting
Container planting
Potatoes can be maturate in regular garden containers or in“grow bag ” . For the best results , use a container or bag that is at least 10 gallons . you may plant one seed potato for every 3 congius of container size .
How to care for your potato plant
Water your Irish potato plants enough that the soil stays systematically damp but not soggy .
Potato beetle and flea mallet present the outstanding threat to your spud plant . To prevent these plague from decimating your plants , do the following:1 . Never plant potatoes in the same place year over year.2 . debris plants withfood - gradediatomaceous earthweekly . Re - utilize after it rain .
How to tell when potatoes are ready to harvest
Once the white potato vine plant begin to flower , you could start harvesting the young Solanum tuberosum , love as “ novel potatoes ” . Simply get the picture down into the soil and pull out them out .
Potatoes are mature and ready to reap once the tops start to move around yellow and die back . Though each variety will have a different number of days to maturity , protrude to check your plants for signs of decease back once they have been in the priming for around 100 days .
labor gently into the soil , and pull the potatoes out .
If you are growing in container , gently dump the potbelly out or turn it on its side and pull out the potatoes .
Storing your homegrown potatoes
Since most rest home in North Texas do n’t have root cellars , we must take care to hive away our potatoes in a cool , dry , dark shoes . If potatoes commence to plough green ( due to pic to sunlight ) , they are uneatable and must be toss into the compost pile .
Resources and supplies:
Hoss Tools
North Haven Gardens
Micro Life Multi PurposeFertilizer
Nicholson - Hardie
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