potatoe

Teske

 

Planting Your Own Potatoes

 

Choose the variety you want to grow.

Yukon Gold.  Yellow.  60-80 Days.  Good keeper.  Thin yellow skin and meat.  Keeps color when cooked.  Cooks well in any method.  Outstanding flavor.  Dry texture.  Sweet taste.  Better when home grown than store bought.  Store in a cool, dark place.  The cooler they are stored, the sweeter they get.

 

Dakota Pearl.  White.80-100 Days.  Rich, well drained soil.  Moderate grower.  Produces many, many tubers.   Sweet flavor.  Creamy texture.  New variety bred for gormet potatoe chips, roasting, creamy soup.  Smooth, white skin.

 

Norland, Dark Red.  70-90 Days.  Early variety bred for Northern climates.  Bright red skin with white meat.  Good for new potatoes.  Good boiling, frying, roasting.  Large yield.

 

All Blue.  Blue.  90 Days.  Deep purple skin with blue meat.  Turns pale when cooked.  Outstanding mashed. Good for French Fries, Oven fries.  Add color to Potatoe Salad.   Big yield of medium size spuds.  Good for beginners.  Good keepers.

 

Kennebeck.  White.  80-100 Days.  One of the most popular.  High yield.  Large, white skin, white flesh.  Grows well in harsh conditions.  Good boiled, mashed, fried, hashed or baked.  Mid to Late Season.

 

Planting Preparation. . .

Cut into "seeds" with 1 or 2 eyes.  Let the pieces sit for 18-36 hours.  This helps form callouses and helps prevent rotting.

 

Planting in Rows. . .

Dig a trench 4"-5" wide and 6"-8" deep.  Set seeds 15" apart.  Cover with 3" soil.  Do not completely fill in trench.  Sprouts will emerge in about 2 weeks.  At this time, cover with another 3"-4" of soil.  When stems are 8" high hill with soil half way up stem.  Another hilling in 2-3 weeks again half way up stem.  Hilling every week or so with an inch of soil will prevent exposure to sunlight.

 

Planting in Straw. . . .

Dig a trench 4" deep and 12" wide.  Push seeds 1" into loose soil at bottom of trench.  Fill the trench with 6" of straw (NOT SOIL).  As sprouts emerge, add another 4"-6" of straw.  Repeat in 2-3 weeks as sprouts grow.