Planting Potatoes
This is a guest post. If you would like to guest post on Just Dabbling Along, CLICK HERE.
April is, of course, the best month to plant potatoes, and the main crop should be in the ground from between the 1st of April and the middle of May. I always put mine in the ground on Good Friday.
The time to plant your early varieties depends almost entirely on where you are. In the south it may be the middle of March and in the North, the first week of April.
Then again, selection of site will govern to some extent the date of the first planting. It is safer to plant on a warm border two weeks earlier, then to plant in the open, a fact that is often overlooked.
Opinions vary as to the best method of planting, but there is no question that the most popular method is by far the worst, i.e.,that of diner to plant the tubers.
The best method is to place the tubers in special trenches, and if the soil is heavy, to lighten-it by placing a layer of leaf mould in the bottom of the trench.
Another good method — provided the soil has been dug over in the winter— is to dig the land again, moving the line and planting as the work of digging proceeds.
A good depth to plant potatoes is four inches deep on heavy land and five inches on lighter soils.
It may be said here that if the tubers have been sprouted it is best to remove the weak sprouts and allow only two strongest to stay.
Many tubers that are bought are above the normal size should not hesitate to cut them in half, leaving at least one good strong sprout. There is, however a danger from attack from soil pest, in doing this.
To stop damage by eel-worm and wire worm to cut tubers, it is a good idea to rub old soot and lime on the wound.
Do not put any artificial manure on the soil at this time, it is best to wait until all the plants are showing leaf.
On poor land two dressing may be made, one when the plant is about two inches high and the second when the leaf is about five inches high. On good soil, one dressing will be enough.
As for planting distance, it is best to make the rows two feet apart for first early potatoes and ten inches in the row; two and a half feet between second early varieties and one foot from tuber to tuber.
The strong growing main crop need more space, and to give them a chance of giving their best it is wise to allow a yard between the rows, with fifteen inches from tuber to tuber in the row itself.
Some growers may think that these distances to be rather more than they can afford, however experience gained over many years, will prove that you will have far yields. The tubers will be able to ” breath” than from over crowded rows.
There is one question still to answer and that is; it is worth growing potatoes on a small plot, because they are so cheap in the shops.
Well my answer to that is that; potatoes do fit into a crop rotation and is very good for the soil. So grow them, even if it is only your early potatoes.
Richard Haigh writes regularly at http://the-organic-grower.blogspot.com/ and invites you to read more of his articles about organic gardening there.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Haigh/51716
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10275955
