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How-to Grow Potatoes

5/23/2014

 
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Remember playing hot potato as a kid? Well potatoes are what's hot right now. Fingerling potatoes in particular are what all the cool people are growing and eating. And the time to plant is now! 

I roasted my fingerling potatoes in a little extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, rosemary and thyme in the oven for two hours at 350 degrees. They came out perfectly golden brown and crisp to perfection. I sliced them in half to make them even more like chips and to give them that crunch. 
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Potatoes just make the best appetizers, don't they? Isadora or Izzy from She Likes Food used red potatoes to make Roasted Potato Cups With Loaded Guacamole. And you won't even believe how she used a melon baller on her spuds! Then you say to yourself....Why didn't I think of this?

And since grilling season is officially here with the Memorial Day kickoff, Briana, or Bri from Bites of Bri made these mouth-watering Garlic Bistro Fries out of russet potatoes. Who could settle for fast food fries after this? And these are baked, not fried my friends!
And as much as I love my russets and reds; I also hear Russian blue & purple potatoes are pretty hot right now. What's your favorite spud and how do you prepare them?
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Potato Planting How-To
  • Anyhow, plant seed potatoes (pieces of a whole potato) or a small whole potato with two eyes per piece 0-2 weeks after last frost. So yes, you are re-planting an actual part of the potato. 
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  • Use only certified seed potatoes as grocery-store potatoes can harbor diseases that may ruin your entire crop. You can order certified seed potatoes from a catalog or buy them at a local nursery or garden center. 

  • Dust the seed potatoes with agricultural sulfur by putting a handful of sulfur in a paper bag, adding the potatoes and shaking them around. This protects against fungal diseases and other pests. 

  • An "eye" is a bud that grows into a brand new plant. 
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  • If you are using cut up pieces of a potato to plant to plant do so 1 or 2 days ahead of time. This will give them a chance to form a protective layer, both for moisture retention & rot resistance. Using a whole small potato is probably best. 


  • Plant potato parts in organic compost in the bottom of a trench.
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  • Plant seed potatoes one foot apart in a 4-inch trench with the eye side up.

  • Potatoes like well-drained, loose soil. They also like a cool climate, and need to be watched to prevent sunburn. 

  • Need Lots of moisture, water regularly when tubers start to form.

  • When the plant is about 6 inches tall you'll want to "hill" them. You need to hill before the potato plants bloom.

On average, 1 pound of seed potatoes should yield about 10 pounds of potatoes.

I'm not planting potatoes this year. Space issues. And I know a great roadside stand that sells them cheap. But you can bet I'll be eating potatoes. 
17 Comments
ki
5/23/2014 01:16:03 am

This article is neat because the potato is one of my favorite vegetables because its so versatile in what you can do with it. There are so many types of dishes from potato skins to a potato casserole they are just an amazing plant!

Reply
Lisa
5/23/2014 03:14:23 am

I do remember playing hot potato as a kid. I also remember my grandmother sautéing fresh baby potatoes. Wow, were those good. I have never planted potatoes before in my garden but you just motivated me to give it a try. Thanks Laura.

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Bri | Bites of Bri link
5/23/2014 07:36:56 am

Laura, Thank you for sharing my Garlic Bistro Fries recipe. It's a personal fave! Have a good holiday weekend.

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Erin | The Law Student's Wife link
5/23/2014 09:35:06 am

This might sound strange, but I think fingerling are absolutely beautiful. I can't wait until they are back in season here!

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Laura
5/24/2014 03:36:17 am

Hey Erin,

Thanks for stopping by! I'm kinda jealous of those Double Stuffed Cinnamon Crumb Buns that your family is probably enjoying even right now! Save one for me =)

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Allison @ Clean Wellness link
5/24/2014 02:02:32 am

I totally played hot potato as a kid! Those purple potatoes are stunning and fingerling potatoes are so hot right now. Izzy's roasted potato cups with guac are pretty much the best use of a potato ever! I also like them roasted with some sea salt and olive oil, like you have here -rosemary is a great idea! I've had that in restaurants and never at home, but I need to! And I didn't realize that you planted a potato to get a potato -cool!

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Laura
5/24/2014 03:37:16 am

Hi Allison!

Thanks so much the sweet words! Seat salt is definitely the way to go =)

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Donna link
5/25/2014 06:46:06 am

Nope, did not play that game, but those little spuds are so colorful and very tasty.

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Isadora @ She Likes Food link
5/25/2014 03:25:45 pm

Thanks so much for including my potato recipe!! Potatoes are one of my absolute favorite foods and I'm really not sure which ones I love the best. I always buy fingerling potatoes whenever I can find them because they are so neat looking and roast up amazingly! I also love the creaminess of the Yukon gold potatoes. No matter what kind of potato I buy, I usually do them roasted with some olive oil and spices. Those purple potatoes are so beautiful! For as much as I eat potatoes I should probably start planting some in my garden asap :)

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helen@scrummylane.com link
5/26/2014 10:19:52 am

As soon as ever I get a garden, I am coming here to re-read all of these amazing tips! I would love to grow potatoes some day - especially these pretty little things. I'm not sure I've ever seen black potatoes before. What a delicious way to prepare them, too! :-)

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Arman @ thebigmansworld link
5/28/2014 11:45:27 pm

One day I will have a garden and I will grow potatoes...the amount of $ I spend on spuds!

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Laura
5/31/2014 01:00:13 am

That's great! Gardening does save $

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Tamara Coleman link
6/10/2014 03:22:16 pm

I love fingerling potatoes AND I want my own garden one day! Nice work :)
www.prettybitchescancooktoo.com

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Jill Roberts link
8/3/2017 07:40:30 am

Thank a lot for sharing helpful guide! I've never cultivated potatoes before!I think i'll try! I found your post from Pinterest!

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Rosamonde Simone @ KetoBotyToneAvis link
8/10/2019 07:53:39 am

Your article about 'hot potato' looks very great thank you.
'

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Rosamonde Simone @ KetoBotyToneAvis link
8/10/2019 07:56:04 am

Your post looks so great about potato.

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Morgan @ Gowell Health Tips link
8/28/2019 11:57:19 am

No content is comparable and admirable then this mentioned for the explanations, a must one to read for everyone.

Reply



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    Hi, I'm Laura and hail from Western New York. I consider myself a lifelong learner who loves gardening with a 360 degree view. Thanks for stopping by!
    Laura Sproull

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