One of the most generous plants is potatoes, which produce an abundant harvest. But, aside from that, they won’t give you a hard time growing them. You only need full sun, loose and fertile soil, and water. And you can now produce a potato in almost any location.
How long does it take to Grow Potatoes?
Potatoes grow differently depending on the variety, size, and planting season. The potatoes that can be ready for as really as ten weeks are the small new potatoes. Although a full-sized potato most likely takes about 90-100 days to reach its maturity.
The variety of potatoes that has a shorter time in maturing is the early potatoes. Early potatoes are called first early or new potatoes, for they are the earliest to crop.
It takes less than 90 days for the seed to grow to its full size and is ready to be harvested. With this, these potatoes would be a good fit if you live in a region where coldness dominates or if you want to harvest them early. This includes Red Duke of York, Lady Christl, Orla, Rocket, etc.
Another variety of potatoes is the mid-season. These are called Baby salad potatoes and have thin, delicate skins and a crisp waxy texture. They are commonly planted close to each other and will never grow to their full capacity, making them suitable for salads.
Mid-season potatoes are potato types that mature between 95-110 days. Examples of this are Catalina, Purple This, Russet Burbank, and many more to choose from. Ideally, this is suitable for those warm regions.
If you want to yield crops and store them throughout the winter, you might think of having this late variety that usually needs about 110 days to fully mature. However, this ideally needs to be planted in warm climates but can be stored extremely well for an extended period.
The harvested portion of the potato plant for food is called a tuber, not the roots. You can start gathering all the varieties mentioned above as soon as you find the first large-enough tuber, and you won’t necessarily wait for them to be in their full size. Young tubers taste better and are even more tender.
How Late Can You Plant Potatoes?
Typically, you can plant potatoes as soon as the ground becomes workable in early spring or mid-February. Then, you can start preparing the soil to start planting. However, potatoes will not be able to grow if the stable temperature is below 45F.
Please check your zone to determine when the last frost date is. Of course, growing potatoes depends on where you live and your climate.
Planting the early potatoes in May will give you great crops in the latter part of summer. However, you can still plant potatoes in June but be a little more careful since the later part of spring is more prone to pests.
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It is essential to know the planting time since this will determine the growth of your potatoes along the way. Soil should be well-drained, and no water can be water-dipped, for potatoes easily rotten if planted in soil soaked with water.
Hence, planting potatoes in July would give you a hard time since they will be ready to be harvested in later October or November, which is typically colder and wetter, depending on your region.
The cold and wet weather would most likely cause problems harvesting the crops, for this will either cause either waterlogged or frozen before it is harvested.
How Often To Water Potatoes?
It would be best to water your potato plant as much as 2-3 inches of water per week, at least not making it thoroughly dried out. Potatoes need to be moistened up to 8 to 10 inches underground to fully grow to their best maturity. Ensure not to drown it for two weeks after planting it in the ground. It would be best to water it 4-5 days during its first week for the vines to spread to their full potential.
After 6 to 8 weeks after planting, you can start watering them every day or two since this is where the new potatoes are made underground. By doing this, you can yield bigger and even potatoes.
The watering of potatoes may vary on the type of space you are planting them on. Planting your potatoes in a garden makes a difference, unlike planting them in a container.
It should be well moistened and not saturated, for it will rot the crop. You should aim for 1 to 2 inches of water each week. You can have either manual watering or rain. Warm areas with less rainfall can have 2 or 3 days a week with half an inch of water to moisten the soil without damaging the roots underground. ki
Beginner gardener, there are some basic tips on growing potatoes that will help you get the best results from your potato plants.
