POTATOES planted today 2/28/2026

[gary350]

I tilled garden soil at 2 pm then pull string for 3 rows. Rows are 30 ft long each. Seed potatoes are placed on the soft soil about 6" apart. Push seed potatoes about 1" below soil surface then rake about 3" of soil of the them. I have 90 ft of potatoes = about 180 seed potatoes. I did not count eyes like last year. Each row was given some 15/15/15 fertilizer. Rake about 3" of soil over each row.

 

[Martin Mikulcik]

Do you usually plant them that close?

 

[gary350]

Do you usually plant them that close?

YES, 6" is perfect spacing in my geographical location TN. Potatoes are like tiny hydraulic jacks, 15 new potatoes can lift heavy soil easier than 1 new potato to allow new potatoes to grow larger. Also I want seed potatoes to have a minimum of 5 eyes per potato. If each eye grows 1 lb. of new potatoes 5 eyes will grow 5 lbs. of new potatoes and 8 eyes will grow 8 lbs. of new potatoes. Also Red potatoes often will out produce White potatoes 2 to 1. I also used 15-15-15 fertilizer 2 lb. day of planting then again in 60 days. Every time plants grow 6" taller I hill soil up another 3" on both sides. We have lots of spring rain about 6 rains per week until June this washes my hill down so I have to hill up soil about once a week 5 minutes work.

 

[Meadowlark]

... I also used 15-15-15 fertilizer 2 lb. day of planting then again in 60 days.

Didn't you recently post here that a soil test on your garden soil showed insanely high levels of "P" and "K" in your soil?

Didn't you also post here that as a result of that test you would not add "P" and "K" for several years.... or did I just imagine all of that?

Regarding spacing,12 inches has been my standard here for decades and the standard as recommended by AI:
" The ideal spacing for planting potato eyes is about 12 inches"

Commercial growers use 10-12 inches when growing for larger potatoes and 8-9 inches for smaller potatoes according to my research.

Crowded plants produce fewer smaller potatoes, have limited root systems, and are far more vulnerable to disease and pests due to reduced airflow.

 

[Martin Mikulcik]

I did tight spacing last year and got fine yields but all the potatoes were small

 

[Meadowlark]

I did tight spacing last year and got fine yields but all the potatoes were small

How tight?

Curious did you notice any disease problems e.g. scab? ...or pests like Colorado potato beetle?

Also, what was the yield in pounds per plant or pounds per pound of seed potato?

 

[Martin Mikulcik]

How tight?

Curious did you notice any disease problems e.g. scab? ...or pests like Colorado potato beetle?

Also, what was the yield in pounds per plant or pounds per seed potato?

Well i don't have any numbers

I think i was shooting for 2ft rows 8-12in apart

Seed potatoes averaged maybe 3oz

There was scab
No significant beetle problems, they were all eating my true botanical seed potato starts

I think i probably got around 10-15k lbs per acre, but you'd get like half a dozen 4-5oz potatoes under each one.

And I'm guessing i applied 60lbs nitrogen per acre

 

[Meadowlark]

Thanks for that info @Martin Mikulcik

I was just interested in comparing notes on spacing and the effects on yield, disease/pests, and potato size.

 

[gary350]

Didn't you recently post here that a soil test on your garden soil showed insanely high levels of "P" and "K" in your soil?

Didn't you also post here that as a result of that test you would not add "P" and "K" for several years.... or did I just imagine all of that?

Regarding spacing,12 inches has been my standard here for decades and the standard as recommended by AI:
" The ideal spacing for planting potato eyes is about 12 inches"

Commercial growers use 10-12 inches when growing for larger potatoes and 8-9 inches for smaller potatoes according to my research.

Crowded plants produce fewer smaller potatoes, have limited root systems, and are far more vulnerable to disease and pests due to reduced airflow.

2 years ago my garden had a toxic about of P. I put no P on my garden for 2 years until yesterday. I didn't even fertilize my tomato plants last summer.

I have been watching commercial potato grower videos planting 6" seed potato spacing so I copied them again this year. 1 grower uses 15-15-15 on his 2000 acres of potatoes.

I don't intend to put any more P in my garden for a very long time. My garden should do good this year with only N & K. We get about 3 ft of rain every year that is not washing away P like online info claims it should.

I have 30 lbs. of 15-15-15 I am afraid to use. I need to buy some K fertilizer. I still have enough N fertilizer for corn and other plants this year.

 

[Meadowlark]

... We get about 3 ft of rain every year that is not washing away P like online info claims it should.

Agree as I've seen that also.