Valentine's Day Tradition...planting potatoes

[Meadowlark]

Since about 1980, I have been planting the spring potato crop on or about Valentine’s Day. That is the traditional planting day across much of the “South” in the USA. I’m getting the jump a bit because rain is predicted for Valentine’s Day here.

That first potato planting time back in 1980, I purchased a 100-pound bag of seed potatoes and ended up with well oner 1000 pounds of new potatoes harvested. Lesson learned...Never again.

Now I try to limit myself to a target harvest of 200 pounds of new potatoes and limit seed to 20 pounds but went over that a bit this time with: Red Lasota (10 pounds), Red Port (experimental 5 pounds), Yukon Gold (5 pounds), Sarpo Mira (2 pounds), and Sarpo Uni (experimental 2 pounds). Most of the Red Lasota’s, Sarpo Mira’s and Yukon Gold’s are home grown seed from this previous past winter crop…been rolling the seed forward for many years now along with adding a few new to try.

My single potato row for this year was actually started last spring a year ago with the application of home-grown composted cow manure, plantings of peas and beans, followed by Sunn Hemp which was chopped into the soil green. This winter that row had cover crops which were also turned back as green manure.

The row tested out at N= 112 ppm. , P= 67 ppm., K= 133 ppm., all well above what is considered more than “good enough” for garden. No synthetics were ever applied, and no fertilizers will be needed or applied during the growing season which lasts until the end of May depending on rainfall.

Here is the potato row. Notice all the organic matter evident.

I dig holes spaced at app. 12 inches and about 4 inches deep as shown below.

That is followed by laying the seeds pieces in the holes and then covering/hilling up a bit. A last step will be to companion plant some Amish Peas but that will wait a couple weeks.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

[oneeye]

Since about 1980, I have been planting the spring potato crop on or about Valentine’s Day. That is the traditional planting day across much of the “South” in the USA. I’m getting the jump a bit because rain is predicted for Valentine’s Day here.

That first potato planting time back in 1980, I purchased a 100-pound bag of seed potatoes and ended up with well oner 1000 pounds of new potatoes harvested. Lesson learned...Never again.

Now I try to limit myself to a target harvest of 200 pounds of new potatoes and limit seed to 20 pounds but went over that a bit this time with: Red Lasota (10 pounds), Red Port (experimental 5 pounds), Yukon Gold (5 pounds), Sarpo Mira (2 pounds), and Sarpo Uni (experimental 2 pounds). Most of the Red Lasota’s, Sarpo Mira’s and Yukon Gold’s are home grown seed from this previous past winter crop…been rolling the seed forward for many years now along with adding a few new to try.

My single potato row for this year was actually started last spring a year ago with the application of home-grown composted cow manure, plantings of peas and beans, followed by Sunn Hemp which was chopped into the soil green. This winter that row had cover crops which were also turned back as green manure.

The row tested out at N= 112 ppm. , P= 67 ppm., K= 133 ppm., all well above what is considered more than “good enough” for garden. No synthetics were ever applied, and no fertilizers will be needed or applied during the growing season which lasts until the end of May depending on rainfall.

Here is the potato row. Notice all the organic matter evident.
View attachment 112774


I dig holes spaced at app. 12 inches and about 4 inches deep as shown below.

View attachment 112775



That is followed by laying the seeds pieces in the holes and then covering/hilling up a bit. A last step will be to companion plant some Amish Peas but that will wait a couple weeks.

View attachment 112776


Happy Valentine's Day!!

That loam looks super! Valentines days is the deadline for me to have everything pruned before the leaves start growing. I'm behind a little but have gotting a lot done already. Next week I'm putting out some beneficial nematodes if all goes well.