The Potatois widely crop in temperate regions , and its shank tubers , which spring up underground , are a popular solid food . A tender , herbaceous perennial . The works comes from South America where it was extremely value by the Indians . Its botanical name is Solanum tuberosum ; it belongs to the syndicate Solanaceae .
Growing and Planting Potatoes.
Potatoescan be civilize in many unlike form of soil , but the finest crops are dug from well - drained loamy dry land . They may be planted on the same internet site year after year with good resolution , if the ground is maintained in a fertile condition by lime , manuring and so on . In a garden of moderate size , however , it is wise to let in the Potatoes in any system of rotation of crop which may be commit so that they shall have a variety of soil periodically .
Preparing the Ground.
The ideal room to train heavy , clayey land for Potato finish is to plow or dig it in autumn ; it is give in a rough condition throughout the winter months . When the flat coat dry in saltation the dirt will break into small speck — in other words , it will be friable when disk or forked over . Exposure to rain , frost and wind does vast good to land of this type .
If this plan can not be followed , it is the custom of some gardener who have to plant Potatoes on clayey land to constitute as they dig . The tubers , set in a line , are covered by ground as the digging issue . This method acting is advantageous because once the site is planted it is not trodden on again until recent outflow or early summer when the first earthing - up or weeding is done , and by that time the surface will have dry out .
Light or well - run out loamy soil should be address or dug in natural spring , manure or compost being lay to rest in the furrow or trench as the work return . It is not necessary or worthy to muck land heavy forPotatocultivation in the garden . A restrained dressing of rotten manure or compost , put on the land and miscellaneous with it , and supplemented by several practical software of a suitable complete fertilizer , will ensure acceptable results .
Sprouting.
The homework of the sets or planting tubers , usually called “ seed potatoes , ” is a subject of great importance because it has a considerable essence on the production . It has been found that if Potato tubers already possess a few sprouts are implant , a heavier crop will result than if dormant or unsprouted genus Tuber are used .
Tubers demand for planting in spring should be chosen carefully ; those press about 2 oz . , or the size of a modest hen ’s egg , are consider to be the most suitable . Larger tubers may , however , be used ; they can be slew into piece , each part to include a few sprouts , at planting time . To grow sprouts the genus Tuber are set on end in shallow box , or particularly made tray give birth poor wooden pegleg which admit of their being placed on top of each other to save space . This is done 2 - 4 week before planting time .
What is called the “ rose ” terminal of the tuber , that which possesses the greater number of “ eyes ” or bud , is placed uppermost . The boxwood or trays must be in a light , fairly warm stead ; there the Tuber take up into growth and by planting time will possess several short , stout sprout . It is necessary that the tubers be in full open to the lighter or the sprouts will be weak and “ drawn . ”
Sprouting before set them is strongly to be urge for all types , but it is specially necessary in the cultivation of early change ; Potatoes deal in this way of life will set about into outgrowth sooner than abeyant tubers .
Reducing the Number of Sprouts.
Before the tubers are planted the head of the number of sprout to be go forth on each one must be decide .
If only one sprout is left on each tuber , the crop will lie of a special number of large Potatoes ; if two sprout are left there will be a enceinte number of with child Potatoes , and others of good size of it ; if three sprout are leave there will be a certain number of small Tuber , although most of them will be large or clean - sized . If all the sprouts are left on , or if hibernating tuber are planted , the figure of small Potatoes will be still greater .
For world-wide garden polish , the good practice is to leave two or three sprouts on each of the genus Tuber .
There is no doubtfulness as to the advantages of sprouting the tuber before embed and limiting the turn of sprouts . This ensures other ontogeny and a minimum of modest Potatoes , and thus prevents wastefulness of crop .
Potatoes as a Cleaning Crop.
Those who are face with the trouble of making a new garden on land which has not been cultivated antecedently or which has been out of finish for many years , and bringing the soil into good circumstance for sowing or planting , will find it an splendid architectural plan to cultivate it with Potatoes for the first twelvemonth . There is no comfortably cleansing crop for fresh land .
The site should be plowed or dug in spring to get disembarrass of tree diagram roots and as many perennial sens as possible . The Potatoes are engraft in spring . During the summertime calendar month the practices of weeding , hoeing and earthing - up will help very considerably to civilize the land , break down lumpy grease and get rid of coarse green goddess . By the end of the summertime or former fall , the ground will be in first - rate shape for sowing or planting after the crop of Potatoes has been lifted .
It is most significant to have the internet site thoroughly train where it is mean to make a new lawn by sow Grass seeds , and Potato cultivation is ideal grooming . other September is a worthy time to sow the Grass seeds , and if a crop of former Potatoes is grown they will be off the ground by the end of August , thus give up prison term for the final leveling and seedbed preparation . The Potato tops , or vines , should be burnt on the site , together with any other garden rubbish which has to be destroyed ; this practice helps to get rid of weed ejaculate and seedling weeds and thus save labor by and by .
There are two chief type or category of Potato — the Early , and the Maincrop or Late ; numerous varieties of each character are available .
The First Plantings.
The earlier crops of white potato are produced from planting of other varieties made as soon in spring as dirt and weather condition set aside . This will normally be 1 - 2 weeks before the average date of the last killing hoarfrost in the vicinity but in shelter location ( such as on a south - facing slope protected from cold wind by a windbreak or hedge ) on arenaceous soils , they may be planted 3 - 4 weeks before the average date of the last killing frost . This latter date vary substantially , of course , according to geographical locality . nurseryman not familiar with it , as it applies to their own garden , may obtain info from the County Agricultural Agent of the county in which they live or may be guided as to when to embed by the exercise of local experts .
On heavy ( clayey ) soils planting can not be done quite as early as on light ( sandlike ) unity . Under no circumstance should planting be done until the territory is in a viable , crumbly condition ; planting in cockeyed , sticky soil is sure to bring disappointing event .
As before long as young shoot from the Potatoes show through the surface of the primer and are 2 - 3 in . improbable , soil should be drawn ( hill ) up to them with a hoe or plow so that all except the very tips of the shoot is plow ; this serve as a protection against coldness .
genus Tuber ( sets ) of Early Potatoes are plant 4 in . deep and 12 - 15 in . apart in rows spaced 18 - 24 in . asunder . It is a great vantage to place a layer of compost or decompose manure in the furrows before planting . The tubers take root freely into either of these cloth , and vigorous growth is thus promoted .
Early Potatoes may be dug as soon as the tubers of the new crop are large enough to use . This can be ascertained by lifting a plant life or two as a trial , and will commonly be within 10 - 12 weeks from the time of planting .
flora need not be all lifted at once ; the better architectural plan for the home gardeneris to dig his Early Potatoes as he require them for board purpose , and thus to strain the harvest over a period of several week . It must be remembered that the Potato plants hale not completed their season ’s growth when the first ones are lifted at the end of 10 or 12 workweek ; if the plants are left in the ground the tubers will increase in size of it and number ( and thus give a heavier crop ) for some time after these white potato vine have been bump off .
Early variety of Potatoes will have completed their growth and mature by July or August , according to neighborhood , by which time Maincrop form will be available for digging for immediate table use . Early variety should be all rise when adulthood is reached , which is evidenced by the tops ’ dying down naturally .
It can not be said that Potatoes need a great deal of care during the summertime months ; the two point of chief importance are weeding and earthing - up . As soon as the tops show through the soil , the ground between the rows should be forked over shallowly , the land being break down into small corpuscle . afterward on , it should be hoe ofttimes to keep down weeds . The work of earthing - up will then be a comparatively simple matter for the soil will be friable and easy moved . Earthing - up , when the soil is hard and chunky , is a laborious task and it can not be carried out satisfactorily .
Fertilizers for Potatoes.
Before the soil is earthed up fertiliser should be applied alongside the plant life . Specially compound mixtures made for the purpose are sold by horticultural stores and will be find good . Or the following mixture will be found satisfactory : superphosphate , five parts , and sulfate of ammonia , two parts , the mixture being practice at the pace of 3 oz . per yard run of rowing .
Earthing - upis done by drawing up the soil on each side of the row so that it supports the Potato stems and allow only a few in of vine or growth exposed . It should not be complete on one occasion . The first earthing - up is done when the Potato tops are about 6 in . high and the 2nd about four hebdomad by and by . The purpose of earthing - up is to support the stem of the plants and to protect the tubers and help their development .
A second planting of early Potatoesmay be made 2 - 3 weeks after the earliest kinds . The tubers are define 5 in . deep , and 15 in . apart , in rows 24 in . from each other . They should be handle in the room already explained so far as the point of sprouting the Tuber , planting , the exercise of fertilizers and earthing - up are have-to doe with .
Late or Maincrop Potatoes.
These are planted in about 6 week after the first earlies ; they leave the master supplying during the wintertime and earlyspring month and will be readyto be lift in September . The genus Tuber are coiffure 5 in . deep and 18 in . aside in quarrel , 2 - 2 1/2 ft . from each other . It is a misapprehension to push them , for that prevents the territory from being the right way cultivated between the words . The other details of management — sprouting the genus Tuber , planting , the app program of fertilizers and earthing - up — are carry out in the way of life already described . In the home garden , it is unremarkably best to concentrate on early crops ; late Irish potato want a good deal of care with spraying .
Lifting Potatoes.
There is no vantage inleaving Potatoes in the ground after the leaves have twist yellow ; it is , in fact , unwise to do so , for there they are disclose to risk of damage by grease plague of various kinds .
After they have been moil , the Potatoes should be left on the primer for two or three hr if the atmospheric condition is all right , so that the skins may indurate before they are stored . If the weather is wet it is a upright architectural plan to circulate them out under binding of a shed or other suitable place .
Storing Potatoes.
The Potatoes must not be bring out to the light for more than a few hours or they will commence to twist green and will thus be rendered unfit for use in the kitchen . When ironical , they may be stored in sacks or boxes , in any cool , dark , frostproof blank space . Only sound white potato should be stored in bulk ; if pathologic unity are put away with sound ones , the latter may also be bollocks up . A wintertime storage temperature of 35 - 40 degrees is suitable for honest results .
There are a declamatory issue of varieties of Potato . These will be find oneself key out in cum catalogs . It is judicious to consult your State Agricultural Experiment Station or your County Agricultural Agent regarding varieties particularly recommended for particular soils and neighborhood .
