This is the Potatoes section of the website where you’ll find articles about growing potatoes.
My family has been growing potatoes for generations and it plays a big part in daily life. There are many different things to learn when growing your own potatoes and I have tried to cover as many as possible in this section. If you need any help or have any questions please ask. Growing your own potatoes is rewarding and never gets old!
Growing potatoes at home will provide you with the basis for many meals, from fluffy mashed potatoes to delicious home fries. These easy-to-grow vegetables do require plenty of room to grow. But when planted correctly, they will produce an abundance of large, fresh potatoes for your family. Is it important to plant potatoes at a …
Potatoes are a popular vegetable in home gardens. They are relatively easy to grow and produce well in average soil. How many potatoes each plant produces depends on how well their growing needs are met, the type of potato you are growing, and the weather conditions in your area. Typically, one potato plant produces 8 …
Many readers have told me of their concerns about growing potatoes in their clay soil. We all know the ideal soil to grow potatoes in is a free draining loam, high in organic matter with a pH of 5.5 to 6.0 – but not everyone has this perfect soil for growing potatoes in. To get …
Many articles revolve around getting our potatoes to grow to the best of our ability, but once we have got our crop to grow well and have harvested them, if we don’t provide them with the correct environment during storage they will quickly go bad. I will provide a checklist of points along with a …
It’s the time of year again when we begin to think about next years potato crop. We may have already decided where we will grow them, what variety we will plant, and how much potato fertilizer we will apply. One aspect which can make a massive difference to the speed our crop establishes and the …
How Deep Should I Plant My Potatoes: why seed depth is important Read More »
If you have ever planted potatoes and watched with joy as the tops appear through the soil, it can be quite disheartening to see those potato tops continue to grow and grow and then finally fall over onto the ground before they have had a chance to fully ripen. Let’s look at why this happens …
Potato harvesters are a great way to save manual labour during potato harvest. Before the invention of the potato harvester, most people dug their potatoes from the ground using a fork or a spade. Then they lifted the potatoes from the ground and placed them into a basket before tipping them into a hessian cloth …
Maris Piper is a versatile potato variety that is excellent for making chips and roast potatoes. They are the most widely grown potato variety in the UK – accounting for 16% of the total area grown in 2014. They are a golden-skinned, cream fleshed maincrop potato which has an excellent taste and is capable of …
Potato Variety Maris Piper: origin and characteristics Read More »
Rooster is the most popular potato in Ireland – In 2004 It accounted for 40% of the total potato crop grown. They are a dull red-skinned, yellow-fleshed maincrop potato that has an excellent taste and high yields. They are highly versatile- they can be boiled with skins on, mashed, chipped, roasted, steamed and baked with …
Potato Variety Rooster: origin and characteristics Read More »
Russet Norkotah is the second most popular potato in the US. They are a russeted, brown-skinned early to medium maincrop potato. They are very attractive potatoes with excellent processing abilities. They can be boiled and mashed but their main market is for baked potatoes or processing for French fries. Origin The Russet Norkotah were bred …
Potato Variety Russet Norkotah: origin and characteristics Read More »
Desiree is a red-skinned early maincrop potato. They are slightly waxy potatoes with a distinctive taste. They can be boiled, roasted, chipped and used cold in salads, they are versatile potatoes and are suitable for pre-packing and general ware. Origin Desiree was bred in the Netherlands in 1962. Yield and dry matter Expect high yields …
Potato Variety Desiree: origin and characteristics Read More »
Kerr’s Pink are the second most popular potato in Ireland. They are mainly cooked as boiled potatoes but are good for roasting and chipping also. They are suitable for pre-packing and general ware. Origin Although thought to be an Irish bred potato when it was introduced in 1917- it was actually J. Henry of Cornhill …
Potato Variety Kerr’s Pinks: origin and characteristics Read More »
Russet Burbank potatoes are one of the most popular potato varieties in the United States. They were bred by the US plant breeder Luther Burbank (Massachusetts) in 1902 in a bid to improve the disease resistance of Irish potato varieties being used at that time. Beginnings Russet Burbank potatoes were not an immediate success when …
Potato Variety Russet Burbank: origin and characteristics Read More »
Roast potatoes can go well with several dishes, ranging from barbecued chicken to pot roast, among others. While seasoning makes a tremendous difference, you should also consider the type of potato you’re using. This is especially the case since they don’t all roast the same. So, which potato types are the best for roasting? What …
Which Are The Best Potatoes For Roasting?- Top UK and US varieties revealed Read More »
Blight is a common fungal disease that affects potatoes. It can destroy the entire crop in less than a week if left unattended. Unfortunately, there is little you can do to save your potatoes once they have been infected with blight. This makes prevention key to raising healthy potatoes. While the best prevention for potato blight …
Copper Sulphate As A Potato Blight Spray: what is it and is it good? Read More »
Blight is a fungal disease that can affect tomatoes, potatoes and other members of the nightshade family. Early Blight is caused by the Alternaria solani fungus while late blight is caused by the Phytophthora infestans (p. infestans) fungus. Late Blight was responsible for the Irish Potato Famine between 1845 and 1849, destroying nearly 80 percent of Ireland’s potato crop. This …
Blight Resistant Potato Varieties: background and examples Read More »
Potatoes are an easy-to-grow vegetable that can be planted in the early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. They typically produce well and provide you with an abundance of tubers. While they are generally disease-free (as long as you buy certified seed potatoes) they are not immune to all diseases. Tobacco Rattle …
Eelworm is a parasitic nematode that lives in the soil and feeds on plant roots. Its host plants are nightshades and they particularly like potatoes and tomatoes. If you’re growing potatoes, it is extremely important to educate yourself on eelworms. If you like to grow a lot of potatoes and tomatoes, you’ll definitely want to …
Eelworm In Potatoes: what is it and how do I remove or prevent it? Read More »
There is nothing quite like the creamy texture of a homegrown potato. The difference in taste between homegrown and store-bought is so dramatic, that I try and grow most of my potatoes. What month I plant potatoes in is key to how many potatoes I can harvest. Since potatoes store easily for the rest of …
What Month Do You Plant Potatoes?: explaining when and why Read More »
Potatoes are one of my favorite crops to grow in the garden. They grow easily, give bountiful harvests, come in fascinating varieties, and are much more delicious than store-bought potatoes. Let me share with you some secrets to growing potatoes, so you can enjoy homegrown potatoes as much as I do. This classic garden crop …
Potatoes grow under the soil – this means it’s not convenient to look at them to see when they’re ready to harvest until you actually harvest them. This is not an issue if you have a full garden or field of them. But it can be an issue if you have only one or two …
What Do Potato Plants Look Like When Ready For Harvest? Read More »
If you love tasty new potatoes as much as I do you’d probably do nearly anything to improve their taste and yield. That’s why you owe it to yourself to try using seaweed fertilizer to grow bigger and tastier potatoes this year. Is seaweed fertilizer good for growing potatoes? Yes, seaweed fertilizer provides potatoes with …
How To Make Your Own Seaweed Fertilizer For Growing Potatoes Read More »
So you live in an apartment and you want to know the best way to store your potatoes. Let’s take a look at the options. What are the ideal conditions to store potatoes? Lets set out the rules for good potato storage: Temperature at 8 degrees Centigrade – 46 Fahrenheit. Much warmer will promote sprouting …
How To Store Potatoes In An Apartment: keeping them fresh Read More »
Do you know what size potatoes are when the plant begins to flower? Many people believe that when a potato plant begins to flower the potatoes are ready to dig up. I have dug a test hole in some potatoes I have which have just started to flower to show you their size. What size …
What Size Are Potatoes When The Plant Begins To Flower Read More »
If you’re looking for a crop to add sustenance to your vegetable garden, look no further than the mighty potato. Potatoes have been a dietary staple for centuries because they are easy to cultivate and give high yields in small amounts of space. Discover later in this article what is the recommended soil pH for …
What Is The Optimum Soil PH For Growing Potatoes Read More »
How long do potatoes take to grow? It’s safe to say that gardeners love to watch their crops grow. We wait patiently for each sprout to mature and produce perfectly ripe fruit or vegetables. But when it comes to root vegetables, we can’t just watch and wait. We have to time the harvest just right. …
French fries are one of my favorite foods and something I’ve come to make regularly at home. Restaurant portion sizes sometimes just don’t cut it and not everyone feels comfortable asking for six sides of fries with nothing else. Before you try making your own, make sure you have the best potatoes for French fries …
If you’re new to growing potatoes, at some point you’ll ask yourself, “Why are my potato plants turning yellow?”. Most likely, this is a natural part of the lifecycle, and means the plants are mature. But sometimes it can be a sign of disease, nutrient deficiency, or over-watering Potatoes are an amazing crop to grow. …
Did you know that there are whole grading systems to classify potatoes by quality and size? These classification systems vary around the world but have been introduced to standardize the sale of potatoes. But how can you tell visually how much does a medium potato weigh? In general, all potatoes will be categorized by quality and …
For most varieties of potatoes you should expect to harvest between 8 to 14 potatoes per plant. The size of these potatoes will vary due to how well you have met the growing needs of the plant. Lets examine the background details to the question “How many potatoes per plant? Your yield will be a …
The purpose of this article is to teach you the skills required to make a quick assessment about how to tell if a potato is bad or not just by looking at it. How long do potatoes last? There are a variety of factors which determine the shelf life of potatoes. It depends on the …
There is much controversy as to whether potatoes are a vegetable or fruit, and why! This article outlines exactly what a potato is, whether they’re one of our 5 a day, and if the starch within them is good for us. What is the definition of a vegetable The difference between fruits and vegetables is …
Often you’ll come across recipes which don’t state how many potatoes you need, but the weight. This can be frustrating if you don’t know the weight of a potato without using scales. It is really handy to know how many potatoes in a pound. By the end of this article, you’ll know this answer just …
Home gardeners are sometimes shocked to see something quite unusual on their potato plants: fruit! While we may often notice small blossoms in July or August, few people have seen the fruit that look like green cherry tomatoes at the top of the plants.So, should we remove potato fruit from our plants? Well, if you …
Eaten by cultures the world over, potatoes are a staple in most diets. They provide a plethora of important nutrients. Fiber, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins such as C and B6 with a relatively low caloric content. Their complex carbohydrates provide plenty of slow-burning fuel for your body. But are potatoes as beneficial to our canine …
Can Dogs Eat Potato Skins: raw or cooked answers Read More »
They are one of the most versatile and widely used root vegetables in the world. Because they are inexpensive and fairly easy to grow in rich soils worldwide, potatoes have long been a staple food for many cultures. In fact, in the mid-19th century, most farmers in western Ireland and parts of the Scottish Highlands …
The Nutritional Value Of Baked Potatoes: the facts Read More »
The length of time potatoes last is mostly dependent on the temperature they are stored at. In normal home cupboard conditions the temperature will be roughly 60 fahrenheit / 15 degrees centigrade. At this temperature the potatoes will remain firm for up to two weeks. After this time they will start to soften or begin …
How Long Are Potatoes Good For: storing and eating Read More »
How do you know if your potatoes are ready to harvest? As straightforward as this subject may sound, there are different considerations you should be aware of before you begin harvesting. How to grow potatoes Before I begin this article – If you would like more information about growing your own potatoes, please read my …
The season is almost over, autumn is around the corner and the cool temperatures at night are really starting to set in. Even with all the fun of growing a garden, it is still a lot of work and you are ready to reap the rewards. Grabbing your trowel and gloves, you head out into …
At times, history classes may not have been easy to pay attention to, yet we have all heard of the potato famine that took place in Ireland. A disease that wiped out much of the population of the country is definitely worth taking a second look at. Each plant and vegetable has its own personal …
Potatoes grow best when they have a steady supply of 2-3 inches of water per week without fully drying out. Potato plants should be watered deeply, especially if it gets very hot and dry. The soil should be moist 8 to 10 inches underground. Make sure not to overwater the potatoes for 2 weeks after …
When we start thinking about our gardens, great green bushes are pictured, along with healthy harvested onions, and beautiful bushy herbs. In this article, we will take a look at what an aphid is, aphids in potatoes, what to look for and how to avoid or manage them. What we don’t always think about is …
Aphids In Potatoes: what are they, what do they do? Read More »
To feed a family of four, start off by planting 40 potato plants. This will provide you with a potato based meal 2 to 3 times a week. The 40 plants will provide up to 6 months worth of meals. If you find 40 plants provides you with too many potatoes you can plant less …
Can you grow potatoes indoors? Well in a word – YES! Read on to discover how to grow potatoes indoors- it’s not as difficult as you might think! Everyone waits with bated breath as the months draw away from winter and towards the coming spring. We all want to get out there and plant our …
In this article we will discover how to plant potatoes from eyes. A potato plant will grow again from a potato, a sprout will emerge from one of the “eyes” – a small dimple on the potato surface. When the conditions are right a full new potato plant will grow from this sprout. Do potatoes …
How To Plant Potatoes From Eyes: finding the eyes Read More »
What is “hilling up” potatoes Gardening is always thought to be simple and easy, looking from the outside. This is the idea: Plant the seed in the ground Water. Plant grows. Pick your fresh produce. However, once I got started, I realized very quickly that it just isn’t that easy. Different plants need different amounts …
In this article i will walk you through the steps and list the materials required to show you how to grow potatoes in a bucket- a great way to introduce yourself to the wonderful experience of growing your own potatoes. There are few vegetables more versatile than potatoes. They can be baked, boiled, fried or …
Potatoes grow best when they have at least 8 hours of sunlight every day. They don’t need full sun to thrive and too much heat is not ideal – discover the facts in this article.. Spring is here! It’s time to begin planning your vegetable patch. Careful planning is crucial for the success of any …
Learning how to properly store your potatoes once they have been dug from the garden is an important part of your potato growing season. Potatoes should be stored in a cool dark room with good ventilation. The potatoes should be harvested dry or dried before entering the store- this will help to prevent rot and …
Your potato plot should be sprayed with broad spectrum herbicide 6 weeks before ploughing or digging and tilling. The planted area should be sprayed again with a broad spectrum herbicide before the potato plants come through the ground -this is known as pre emergence. The spray should have residual activity – meaning it continues to …
No matter how you slice, dice, or mash them, potatoes are delicious. A staple food for many cultures across the globe, they are a vegetable which would be difficult to live without. Although store-bought potatoes are tasty, nothing beats the flavour of a freshly-unearthed tuber from your own garden. I will help you pick the …
The Best Tasting Potatoes to Grow: variety selection Read More »
Potato blight is caused by a fungus, of which there are two different types – Alternaria solani in Early potato blight and Phytophthora infestans in Late potato blight. For a gardener, there is very little that is more heartbreaking than pouring time, energy and money into a crop only for it to fail. Some pests …
What Causes Potato Blight: what you need to know Read More »
Have you ever wondered how do farmers grow potatoes? Many farms use the following equipment when growing their potatoes: A crop sprayer – used to protect the crop from diseases. A plough to begin field cultivations. A rotovator/rototiller used to make the soil fine before planting. A seed potato planting machine to position the seed …
In this article, I will show you how to make two homemade potato blight sprays. One is called Bordeaux formula– made with lime and Copper sulphate. The other is called Cornell formula– made with dishwashing liquid and oil. Over 150 years ago, a fungal disease unknown to scientists invaded Ireland. Potato blight destroyed crops throughout …
With more and more people living in cities with limited space outdoors for gardening, many urban gardeners are turning to container gardening. This practice is great for herbs and other shallow-rooting plants, but root vegetables do not always grow well in containers. Potatoes need plenty of fertilizer to grow well. Learn how to make your …
Do you want to know how to grow a really good crop of potatoes? This article is the definitive guide! Growing potatoes can be summarised in the points below: To begin you should remove all weeds, grass and other green foliage from the soil. Next you should dig the soil over at a depth of …
To answer the question “When to plant early potatoes?” this all depends on where you live and climate. Where I live in the UK the earliest we usually plant early potatoes is in the middle of February. This is when the outside air temperature starts to heat up the ground to at least 10 degrees …
Potatoes can be planted as soon as the ground becomes workable in early spring. Usually, by mid-February you can get out and prepare the soil for planting. Potatoes will not grow until the soil temperature has reached 45F so when you plant them you will need to be patient until the soil warms to this …
How Late Can You Plant Potatoes: seed to harvest Read More »
Today I will show you how to get potatoes to sprout eyes. I do this a few weeks in advance of planting, which can mean your potatoes will be ready up to 2 weeks earlier than usual. So you have decided to plant some potatoes, but if you are unsure what steps to take to …
How To Get Potatoes To Sprout Eyes: preparation for planting Read More »
Choosing the best place to plant your potatoes will be different for everyone. We al have different areas available to grow things in. Some people may have a large vegetable garden. Others may only have access to grow potatoes in a large bag. And some may choose to grow potatoes in a tyre, raised bed …
Have you grown potatoes in the past and they turned out very small? If the answer is yes, then there will likely be a few reasons why this happened. One of the most important questions will be how much fertilizer was applied. But do you know what is the best fertilizer for growing potatoes? The …
What Is The Best Fertilizer For Growing Potatoes? Read More »