Potato
The humble potato feeds the world - a starchy, versatile tuber that rewards patient gardeners with a buried treasure worth digging for.
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From the Andes to Every Table
Potatoes originated high in the Andes of South America, where Indigenous peoples cultivated thousands of varieties for over 7,000 years before Spanish explorers carried them to Europe in the 16th century. Today, Solanum tuberosum ranks as one of the world's most important food crops, grown on every inhabited continent.
Varieties range wildly in skin color, flesh color, and texture - from the waxy fingerlings prized for roasting to the starchy russets built for baking and the buttery Yukons that do almost everything well. Choosing the right variety for your purpose is half the art of growing great potatoes.
Planting & care
Plant certified seed potatoes (not grocery-store spuds) after your last frost date, when soil has warmed to at least 45 degrees F. Cut larger seed potatoes into egg-sized pieces, each with 1-2 eyes, and let them cure for a day or two before planting 4 in deep and 12 in apart in rows 2-3 ft wide. Hilling - mounding soil up around the stems as they grow - is essential: it protects developing tubers from sunlight, which turns them green and toxic.
Keep soil consistently moist but never waterlogged, especially from flowering through tuber bulking. Irregular watering causes knobby or hollow tubers. Fertilize at planting with a balanced fertilizer and side-dress with a lower-nitrogen blend once plants are 6-8 in tall. Watch for Colorado potato beetle and late blight - rotate your planting location every year and avoid planting where tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant grew the previous season.
Green Means Stop
Any potato skin exposed to sunlight turns green due to solanine production - a mildly toxic glycoalkaloid. Hill diligently, mulch generously, and always cut away any green flesh before eating. Store harvested potatoes in a cool, dark, well-ventilated spot and they'll keep for months.
How much sun does Potato need?
Potato grows best in full sun.
How often should you water Potato?
Give it about 1-2 in per week.
When is Potato ready to harvest?
Potato is usually ready in 70-120 days from planting, depending on variety.