Potatoes

PRESPROUT for harvest a month earlier (start in late February or March) five weeks before planting spread seeds in a single layer in warm, well-let room, and wait for them to sprout from the eyes. Fragile! Large sprouts that break off of the parent potato will often grown anyway when planted in moist soil

PLANTING:
In climates with short springs and hot summers, plant early and midseason varieties three to four weeks before your last spring frost date - plant late April or early May

In climates with long springs and hot summers, plant early and mid season varieties three to four weeks before your last spring frost date; plant late-maturing varieties in early summer so they will mature in cooler fall.

Potatoes like acidic soils (below 6.0) at least 10 inches deep

Prepare beds early April – compost or rotted leaves, along with a half-ration of alfalfa meal, soybean meal or other high nitrogen organic material – do not use manure because it is correlated with an increase in rough patches on the spud skins

Prepare the seeds two days before planting

Cover plants with blankets if a late frost is forecast – they will recover

Mulch heavily

HARVEST:
Begin digging when the foliage starts to yellow and wither; allow the tubers to dry indoors covered with dry towels for a day or two; take care to protect them from sunlight which causes them to turn green and bitter; store most perfect potatoes in a cool 50-60 degree place to be used as seed next year.

Or:

Blooming flowers are a cue that potatoes have reached "new potatoe" size. If you want to harvest new potatoes, dig out a full plant and its tubers, leaving neighboring plants undisturbed. Vines may die back on their own as the potato crop matures, but if they don't show signs of doing so, cugt them off at soil level 2 weeks before you want to dig your crop. This will trigger the potatoes to harden, which helps them LAST LONGER IN STORAGE.

COVER CROP:
After harvest replant space with buckwheat.

SEED SAVING:
Save the most perfect potatoes for seed; need about six pounds of potatoes to plant a 50 foot row – yield will vary from 75-125 pounds