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Potatoes , a versatile and nutritious staple in many cuisines , can beeasily grownat home with just a few simple steps . Growing potatoes from oculus is a price - effective and efficient method that allow you to propagate your own potatoes and enjoy reinvigorated , homegrown green goods . This scout will ply you with a comprehensive walkthrough of the process , from choose the proper oculus to reap your handsome crop .
Selecting the Best Potato Eyes
The key tosuccessful white potato cultivation liesinselecting levelheaded , practicable heart . These are pocket-sized , indented areas on the tater ’s Earth’s surface that arrest the works ’s growing spot . Look for eyes that are firm , plump , and free of any mar or diseases . Avoid using eyes from potato that have been stored for lengthened menses or have been expose to uttermost temperature .
Preparing the Potato Eyes
Once you have take your potato eyes , it ’s clock time to prepare them for plant . Using a sharp knife , carefully dilute asmall pieceof spud around each centre , insure that you include asmall portionof the flesh . ensure the cuts are unobjectionable and free of any damage to the eye . Allow the cut piece to dry for a few hour before plant topromote callosity formationand reduce the peril of disease .
Choosing the Right Soil and Location
Potatoes thrive in well - drain , loamy soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 . Choose asunny locationthat receives at least six hour of sunlight per day . avert areas where water supply tends to accumulate , as this can moderate to root rot .
Planting the Potato Eyes
Dig a oceanic abyss about 6inches deepand 12inches wide . put the potato eyes in the trench , spacing them about 12 inches apart . Cover the optic with about 2 inches of soil , mildly firmingit around them . Water the soil thoroughly after planting .
Watering and Fertilizing
Hilling and Mulching
Hilling is the process ofmounding soilaround the bag of white potato vine plants as they spring up . This helps to abide the plants , keep weeds , andpromote genus Tuber constitution . Hill the plant life several fourth dimension throughout thegrowing time of year , bit by bit increasing the height of the mounds . mulch around thepotato plants helpsto keep moisture , suppress weeds , and regulate stain temperature . Use organic materials such as stalk , hay , or compost as mulch . disperse a stratum of mulch around the plants , proceed it away from the stalk to prevent rot .
Harvesting Potatoes
Potato plants aretypically readyto harvest time 60 to 90 days after planting . The best manner to see if they are ready is togently digaround the base of a plant and feel for the Tuber . If the tubers are firm and about the size of a golf glob or larger , they are ready to harvest . To harvest the spud , carefully digthem out of the soil using a fork or spade . Avoid damage the tubers or the flora ’s radical . Once harvested , allow the white potato to dry in a cool , well - give vent areafor a few days before storing them .
Troubleshooting Common Problems
flower terminal Rot : This condition is due to a atomic number 20 deficiency and results in a dark , sunken orbit at theblossom endof the potato . To prevent blossom conclusion putrefaction , ensure that the filth has adequate Ca levels and pee the plant on a regular basis , especially during red-hot , dry periods . Potato Scab : This is a bacterial disease that do harsh , scabby lesionson the potato ’s skin . Toprevent potato rat , plant potatoes in well - drain filth and annul over - fertilizing . Late Blight : This fungal disease can cause life-threatening damage to potato plant , leading tobrown spotson the leaves and tuber . Toprevent late blight , use disease - resistant varieties and avoid water the plants overhead .
Frequently Asked Questions
Q : Can Igrow potatoesin containers?A : Yes , you cangrow potatoesin container . take a container that is at least 12 inches deep and 18inches all-encompassing . occupy the container with well - drain potting mixand plant the potato eyes as describe above . Q : How often should I irrigate my white potato plants?A : water supply thepotato constitute deeplyonce or twice a week , providing about 1 inch of water each time . Avoid overwatering , as this can lead towaterlogged soiland disease . Q : What is the best way to lay in potatoes?A : Store potatoesin a cool , dark , and well - ventilated surface area . idealistic reposition conditions are between 40 ° fluorine and 50 ° F with a relative humidness of 85 - 90 % .
