For me the middle part of next month always brings with it a sense

of celebration: it’s Irish potato season. Woo-hoo!

 

This is one of my all-time favorite crops to grow… and to consume.

Potatoes are a cool season crop. They do very well if you plant them

in the late winter, around mid-February. You can then harvest them

in mid-to-late May, before the heat of the summer arrives. The perfect

soil temperature is 50 degrees.

 

Rather than seeds, potatoes come from seed potatoes. These contain

buds or ‘eyes,’ which then sprout into new plants. The seed potatoes

are cut into pieces. They should be no smaller than an egg, and each

must have an eye.

 

After cutting, allow the potato pieces to dry. This helps to stop them

from rotting. To protect them even more, you can dust them with

wettable powder sulfur - a fungicide.

 

You will encourage new sprouts if you place the pieces in a dark place.

The top three seed potato varieties that do consistently well in this

area are Kennebec (white), Red Lasoda, and Yukon Gold.

 

As with most vegetables, the garden location should be well-drained,

and have lots of sunshine. An important point: potatoes love loose soil.

The looser the better. Make sure you mix in generous amounts of

compost, sand, leaf mold and hay into the soil.

 

Plant your  potato pieces 1 foot apart into a furrow 10 to 12 inches

deep. Cover with 3 inches of soil.

 

When the new shoots reach the height of 6 to 8 inches, pull more

soil around them. This will encourage more tubers. Also, as they

begin to grow, add plenty of loose mulch to help conserve moisture

and keep the growing tubers cooler.

 

In May, when the plants begin to wilt and fade, it’s time to harvest

your treasures. Unearth your new potatoes with great care, as damaged

potatoes do not store well. If your soil is loose enough,  you should

be able to do this by hand.

 

This is where the fun begins! I guess it kind of reminds me of an

Easter egg hunt. The great joy of sifting through the soil and dis-

covering hidden potatoes… is what gardening is all about.

                          Happy Potato Gardening everyone!