Planting potatoes is this easy – whether you're growing them in a flower bed or on a balcony
Planting potatoes is no problem in your own garden or on your own balcony. They taste particularly delicious when you grow them yourself. We will show you how to plant potatoes yourself.
What time of year can I plant potatoes?
If you want to plant potatoes, the soil temperature should be at least 45 °F. You can buy special seed potatoes or organic potatoes at a gardening store. Non-organic potatoes are treated with a chemicals that stops them from sprouting, which is why they don't produce a good yield. The tubers require a lot of nutrients, so you should add organic fertilizer, compost or dung to the soil. This is best done in the fall.
Early potato varieties can be planted as early as April or even March, depending on the temperature. For this, it is important that they sprout beforehand. You can use a wooden box or egg carton and fill it with soil. Stick the potatoes halfway into the soil and leave them in a warm place at 50–59 °F for 10 to 14 days. They should also get plenty of light.
If the potatoes have pre-germinated, you can plant them in April (if temperatures are right, as early as March). New potatoes don't store well, which is why they are more suitable for immediate consumption. If you want to store potatoes, you can choose varieties that are suitable for this (e.g. 'Laura') and plant them later.
Growing potatoes in a flower bed: How deep should I plant them?
Before planting your potatoes in your flower bed, you should loosen the soil and remove any weeds. Then dig planting holes 12–14 inches apart. The distance between the rows should be about 28–32 inches. The individual holes should be about 4–6 inches deep. Place the potatoes in the holes with the sprout facing upwards. It is also possible to plant only half potatoes in the ground if there is not enough seed.
It is also important to regularly hill up the potatoes after planting. You should start doing this at the latest when the first shoots are 8 inches high. After that, hilling is important every two to three weeks. Also remove growing weeds while you are at it. If the plants are not growing properly and the leaves are light green, this may indicate a nutrient deficiency. Watering with nettle-based liquid fertilizer can help.
Good to know: potatoes should only be grown in the same place in the bed every four years so that they do not become diseased. You should also pay attention to surrounding plants: if you are also growing tomatoes, you should never plant potatoes next to them, as the tubers can transfer diseases to the tomato plants.
Planting potatoes on the balcony
If you want to plant potatoes on your balcony, you will need a container that is as tall as possible. Fill it about 4 inches with gravel or expanded clay. Make sure that there are holes in the bottom to prevent waterlogging. Then fill the container with about 4–6 inches of soil (organic potting soil is best).
After that, you can place four potatoes on the layer of soil. Water them regularly. After a short time, you should see sprouts forming. When they are about 4 inches long, you can add another layer of soil until only the tips of the leaves are showing.
Repeat this process until your container is completely full. After about 100 days, you can harvest the first potatoes.
Please note: potatoes that have started to sprout are only edible up to a certain point. Growing your own potatoes is a great way to make sure you won't waste any!
How do I know if I can harvest my potatoes?
It takes about 100 days for potatoes to be ready to harvest. When the time has come, the parts of the plant above the ground look brown-yellow and withered. Simply dig up a potato to test. If it comes up easily and you can't rub off the skin with your fingers, the potato is ready to harvest.
To sum up: planting potatoes is not difficult
Whether you plant them in a bed or on your balcony, it doesn't take much effort. Just make sure that your plants get enough nutrients and keep an eye on their growth, and you'll be on your way to harvesting your own potatoes.