Growing Fall Potatoes
Potatoes have to be one of my all time favorite foods. They are nutritious, delicious, versatile and inexpensive, even less so if you grow your own.
Potatoes can be tricky to grow, especially in the south where our spring can end up with wide temperature fluctuations, frost, killing heat, copious rain, humidity….you get the idea. In addition you will fight blight and Colorado potato beetles.
My secrets is to grow them in the fall when most of the diseases and insects that will create issues are almost nonexistent.
It is a bit of a process to grow off season but I really love potatoes. Put it down to an Irish heritage or growing up in central Kentucky where rice won’t grow and any “fancy, foreign food,” like pasta, was suspect. Bottom line is potatoes were acceptable fare three times a day and economically filled many small tummies all throughout the year.
If you live in growing zone 7 or above you need to purchase some organic potatoes at the grocery. Conventionally grown potatoes are treated to prevent sprouting so organic is a must.
For zone 7 I recommend purchasing them around July, 10-15. Look for blemish free and avoid any that seem to be covered with small dots that look like freckles. Take them home and place on a wire rack and allow a fan to blow on them for a few hours to ensure they have no external moisture. Keep them away from direct sunlight.
Next place them in a paper bag with some small ventilation holes punched in around the top. Tuck down the top of the bag and secure with a clip or clothespin. Place the bag in a dark, cool place in your home. A basement is great but not required. An air conditioned closet, under a bathroom sink or in a kitchen cabinet that is not in on an exterior wall work just as well. Do not use the refrigerator- it is too cold! Potatoes ideally require about 120 days of cold storage to provide good seed but I still get about 60-70% germination with this method.
Leave the potatoes to “cure” until about August 20th. Remove from the bag and cut into quarters, halves if they are small, leaving 2-3 eyes in each piece. If any of the potatoes have sprouted gently brush the sprouts off with your hand. Place the cut potatoes on a rack in a cool place cover lightly with newspaper, for 24 -36 hours to dry out a bit – this provides them with a tough, dry skin on the cut edges and will help prevent them from rotting when planted.
Now it’s time to plant. Potatoes like rich, loose, loamy soil rich in organic matter. Plant 3inches deep about 8-10 inches apart in rows 2ft apart. Water deeply about every 4-5 days. Hopefully you will get 1 inch of rain a week and be able to skip the watering after your planting day.
When the plants are about 10-12inches tall hill up around them with compost or straw until only the tops are visible.
That’s all there is to it folks, fall potatoes!
Now, if you are like me, on the greedy side and desirous of bigger potatoes install a simple row cover using 1inch PVC for the supports and a light weight row cover fabric. Right before your first frost place your row cover. Potatoes like cool weather but don’t tolerate frost. Problem now solved – you can allow your potatoes to continue growing through November, ensuring a goodly supply for Thanksgiving mashed potatoes and gravy…unless you don’t want to share, then hide them in the pantry until company’s gone and you take a notion to put on a pot of potato soup.