Nearly in every part of the world potato has a great importance and place in the diet plan of every one. Whether you are an active gymnast or a normal human being that is working 16 hours or 8 hours a day, potato is always in your diet plan. They are rich source of carbohydrates and have a delicious taste.
You go to the vegetable market to purchase them to have them in your tasty dinner plate without even knowing whether it is treated with excessive hazardous pesticides that causes cancer or it is grown by organic method or is safe to eat but what if I guide you to plant potatoes in your home garden very easily without having much trouble?
Will you still go to the market to purchase them? I know you are excited, get relaxed because in this article I am going to guide you on “how to plant potatoes.”
Potato is a root vegetable and that can be grown as a summer crop in temperate or hilly regions and as a winter crop in tropical regions. Cultivation of potato began in America and spread worldwide.
Over 4000 varieties of this root vegetable that can be grown all over the world but you only need to start with one variety that is suitable to be grown in your region.
The vegetative portion of this vegetable plant i.e. leaves, stem, etc. are not fit for human consumption but the tuber part that grows inside the soil is nutritious and useful.
Let’s now start discussing on “how to plant potatoes.”
Table of Contents
Growing Season and Soil
Potatoes can be grown as a summer crop in temperate or hilly regions and as winter crop in tropical regions like India. It can grow in nearly all types of soil but can’t tolerate alkaline and saline soil.
For vegetative growth of this plant average temperature of around 24 degrees celcius is considered good and for tuber formation it should be around 30 degrees celcius.
Selection of Pot
Growing potatoes in a poly bag is considered good for terrace gardening. You can also use large sac bags or 25 litres capacity plastic bucket by creating drainage holes in them for growing potatoes.
Select growing container that is 20 to 25 inches in diameter with at least 18 inch depth. Make sure that the selected growing container has good drainage holes.
Potting Mix
Prepare potting mix with 50% normal garden soil + 40% any organic compost like vermicompost + 10% cocopeat and mix them thoroughly.
Planting of Potatoes
This is the most important step in growing potatoes, if you understand it well then you will be able to grow potatoes like a pro. You can either purchase seed potatoes from the nearest vegetable nursery or can select potatoes that have eye (buds) on them.
In the growing container fill potting mix to 5 to 6 inches from the bottom. Place 4 to 5 seed potatoes having eye at the top. Keep at least 4 to 6 inch distance between each potatoes.
Cover this planted potatoes with 6 inch layer of potting mix and again plant 4 to 5 seed potato in the soil and cover them with 4 inches of potting mix.
Keep this in semi shade for at least 10 days. Keep maintaining moisture in the soil by a water sprayer but do not over water. Within 6 to 10 days you will notice plants coming out of the soil.
Now you can place it under full sun for better growth and development of the plant.
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Sunlight
This root vegetable plant requires at least 6 hours of daily sunlight to grow properly. Place your growing pot in an area where it can receive at least 6 hours of sunlight. Sunlight helps in vegetative growth and development of the plant.
Watering
Potatoes need moist soil to grow properly but this doesn’t mean to over water them. If you see top layer of the soil drying up then apply a little amount of water.
You can also add waste decomposer solution in the water and apply it once in every 14 days for better growth and development of the plant.
READ MORE: ALL ABOUT WASTE DECOMPOSER
Care
Harvesting
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