It is important to buy seed potatoes for a good crop, although you can grow potatoes from ones that have sprouted in your grocery cupboard. I have found though that potatoes from my cupboard are more prone to disease and do not yield anywhere near the amount as seed potatoes.

How to grow potatoes - planting

You need to "chit" your potatoes before planting. Simple place them in a dark moist place for a week or so and they will start shooting from their eyes. When this has happened you can plant them. You need to plan a large area for a decent harvest or you can grow potatoes in tyres if you have limited space.

Dig a series of deep ridges across the width of the planned area after digging in lots of compost so that there is a ditch between each ridge. Place your potatoes into the DITCH about 20 cm apart. Cover with a little soil from the ridge.

After about two weeks you should have the beginnings of your potato plants showing. When these stems and leaves get about 20 cm above the soil take some more soil from the ridge and "bank-up" around the stems but leave the leaves and a couple of cm's sticking out. You will repeat this process once or twice again over the next 4 weeks.

Harvesting Potatoes

When you have banked your potatoes about three times they will stop growing as fast as they were and may even make these beautiful flowers like you can see on the left. From now on all you have to do is wait. Don't rush this process, it's the difference between good potatoes and GREAT potatoes!

When the flowers die you will have golf ball size potatoes to harvest, but wait a little longer until all the green plant has died and is lying like slain soldiers across the banks. They will be brown and dead on the surface..but never fear...something is going on underneath the soil.

Now is the time to dig down with your hands from the top of the stem until you reach the original ditch depth. You should feel the spuds growing there. Start digging them up as you need them from the front row to the back. Potatoes can remain in the ground and they will continue to grow. But if you have snow in winter you will want to dig them all up in Autumn and store in a root bag or cellar.

Long term care

Potatoes need to be replanted each season. There are many organic seed potato suppliers which you can find on Google. Do not plant potatoes in the same place more than once. Give the ground a break for two years by planting nitrogen fixing beans or green manure for a season before planting potatoes in the same spot again. This also prevents the overgrowth of nematodes in the soil.

A simple and rewarding way how to grow potatoes in your home vegetable garden.

Quick Notes

When to plant: All year long unless you get snow in winter.

How many plants: 20 - 30 plants.

How long to harvest: When foliage has died back

Successive planting: Every 4th week if you have the space for more than one planting.

POTATO RECIPE

Potatoes can be mashed, roasted, baked...the ideas are endless.

We love to make potato gnocchi...take a look at this photo tutorial for potato gnocchi.