Potatoes are one of the easiest vegetables for the urban farmer to begin growing in their own garden. With just a small amount of space you can grow a large amount while saving some money on your weekly shopping.
About 2 days before planting take several whole potatoes and chop them in half. These potato halves will be the “seeds” that will grow into large potato plants.
Dig through the soil to remove and large rocks or stones and till the soil by digging out shovel fulls of earth and turning them over. Do this until the earth in the area you intend to plant is very soft and fluffy, there should be no hard pieces of soil left.
Then dig a straight line trench in the soil that is at least 4 inches (10cm) deep. Spread a 1 inch (2.5cm) layer of good quality compost or manure in the bottom of the trench.
Potatoes are one of the easiest vegetables for the urban farmer to begin growing in their own garden. Share on X
Plant each potato half at least 1 foot (30.5cm) apart in the trench and cover them with 3 inches (7.5cm) of soil. Once the plant has reached 1 feet (30.5cm) tall you will need to pack some extra soil around the base of the shoots in order to reinforce them.
Planting should be done 2 weeks after the last frost of Spring. Potatoes are very susceptible to frost which can kill off whole crops very quickly.
Potatoes should be watered regularly. In order to prevent the potato plant from being sunburned, you should pack dirt around the base of the plant when it reaches 6 inches (15.25cm) tall. Continue packing more dirt around the base every 3 weeks. Not only will this prevent sunburn but will also support the plant.
Keep a close eye on your crop to ensure that potato blight does not take hold. Potato blight is caused by the fungus Phythophthora infestans and is very destructive to potato crops. If you notice that any of the leaves with brown freckles they should be removed immediately. Should the infection be wider than a few leaves you will need to take drastic action in an attempt to save the crop. Remove all foliage, leaves and stems and destroy these by burning. This may give your crop a chance of recovering.
After 10 weeks your crop should be ready to harvest. This should be done on a dry day by digging the plant up very gently. Brush off any lose soil that is sticking to the potatoes and store in a cool, dark cupboard.
Preparing
About 2 days before planting take several whole potatoes and chop them in half. These potato halves will be the “seeds” that will grow into large potato plants.
Dig through the soil to remove and large rocks or stones and till the soil by digging out shovel fulls of earth and turning them over. Do this until the earth in the area you intend to plant is very soft and fluffy, there should be no hard pieces of soil left.
Then dig a straight line trench in the soil that is at least 4 inches (10cm) deep. Spread a 1 inch (2.5cm) layer of good quality compost or manure in the bottom of the trench.
Potatoes are one of the easiest vegetables for the urban farmer to begin growing in their own garden. Share on X
Planting
Plant each potato half at least 1 foot (30.5cm) apart in the trench and cover them with 3 inches (7.5cm) of soil. Once the plant has reached 1 feet (30.5cm) tall you will need to pack some extra soil around the base of the shoots in order to reinforce them.
Planting should be done 2 weeks after the last frost of Spring. Potatoes are very susceptible to frost which can kill off whole crops very quickly.
Care
Potatoes should be watered regularly. In order to prevent the potato plant from being sunburned, you should pack dirt around the base of the plant when it reaches 6 inches (15.25cm) tall. Continue packing more dirt around the base every 3 weeks. Not only will this prevent sunburn but will also support the plant.
Keep a close eye on your crop to ensure that potato blight does not take hold. Potato blight is caused by the fungus Phythophthora infestans and is very destructive to potato crops. If you notice that any of the leaves with brown freckles they should be removed immediately. Should the infection be wider than a few leaves you will need to take drastic action in an attempt to save the crop. Remove all foliage, leaves and stems and destroy these by burning. This may give your crop a chance of recovering.
Harvesting
After 10 weeks your crop should be ready to harvest. This should be done on a dry day by digging the plant up very gently. Brush off any lose soil that is sticking to the potatoes and store in a cool, dark cupboard.
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