From its humble beginnings in the Andes Mountains of Peru, the potato has become one of the world’s staple foods. Baked, fried, mashed, or stuffed - you name it, and people will eat it. The average American consumes 126 pounds of potatoes each year. Sounds like a lot until you hear about the 745 pounds per capita consumption in Belarus!
The potato is a great vegetable. It is rich in protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin C. And by selecting the right colored varieties you can add antioxidants.
Varieties commonly grown in Mississippi include: ‘Red LaSoda’, ‘LaRouge’, ‘Superior’, ‘Atlantic’, ‘Norchip’, ‘Kennebec’, and ‘Yukon Gold.’ These all have white flesh except ‘Yukon Gold’ which is buttery yellow.
If you want to be the star of the potato patch this spring, plant some ‘All Red’ which has red skin and red flesh. ‘All Blue’ has blue skin and blue flesh. These plus some of your white-fleshed varieties will make a truly patriotic potato salad for the Fourth of July picnic. These specialty potatoes will have to be ordered.
January through early March is the best time to plant in Mississippi. You can also plant them in the fall if you can get seed stock. Potatoes prefer loose, loamy, well-drained soil. Planting in heavy clay can result in a bumpy looking potato. Plant your potatoes on a raised bed that is 12-15 inches high to prevent damage during heavy spring rains. Most roots and all tubers will develop at the same level and above the level that the original seed potato was planted.
Buy certified disease-free seed potatoes from local farm supply stores or through mail-order catalogs. Do not use potatoes from the grocery store (unless they are organically grown) because they have been treated with a chemical to inhibit sprouting. Cut the seed potatoes into 11/2 to 2 ounce seed pieces with at least one ‘eye’ on it. Store the cut potatoes in a warm spot for a few days to heal over the cut surface.
Plant your potatoes in a trench 10-12 inches deep with the seed pieces 10 – 12 inches apart and cover with 3-4 inches of soil. As the plants grow taller, gradually fill in the trench with soil around the plant. Some gardeners prefer to cover with straw mulch instead of soil. This makes harvesting easier. Each potato plant will produce 2-4 pounds of potatoes.
Potatoes are a cool-season crop and grow best when the day temperatures range from 60-65 degrees and night temperatures are between 45-55 degrees. Tuber production will stop when the temperatures exceed 85 degrees.
Harvest at the appropriate time for the type of potato you want. ‘New’ potatoes are harvested in May while baking potatoes are harvested sometime in June. Use a spade or fork to dig up the potatoes. Immediately use any injured potatoes before they rot. Store the good potatoes in a cool (40-50 degree), dark, humid place. Remember the old-fashioned root cellar. Store the potatoes in the dark because light will cause then to turn green and make them inedible.
It is still cold at night but the soil is warm enough to get potatoes growing. Make the effort to grow your own potatoes and be the envy of the neighborhood. If you need more information, contact your local extension office, or search www.msucares.com for Information Sheet 1507, Commercial Production of Irish Potatoes in Mississippi.
The potato is a great vegetable. It is rich in protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin C. And by selecting the right colored varieties you can add antioxidants.
Varieties commonly grown in Mississippi include: ‘Red LaSoda’, ‘LaRouge’, ‘Superior’, ‘Atlantic’, ‘Norchip’, ‘Kennebec’, and ‘Yukon Gold.’ These all have white flesh except ‘Yukon Gold’ which is buttery yellow.
If you want to be the star of the potato patch this spring, plant some ‘All Red’ which has red skin and red flesh. ‘All Blue’ has blue skin and blue flesh. These plus some of your white-fleshed varieties will make a truly patriotic potato salad for the Fourth of July picnic. These specialty potatoes will have to be ordered.
January through early March is the best time to plant in Mississippi. You can also plant them in the fall if you can get seed stock. Potatoes prefer loose, loamy, well-drained soil. Planting in heavy clay can result in a bumpy looking potato. Plant your potatoes on a raised bed that is 12-15 inches high to prevent damage during heavy spring rains. Most roots and all tubers will develop at the same level and above the level that the original seed potato was planted.
Buy certified disease-free seed potatoes from local farm supply stores or through mail-order catalogs. Do not use potatoes from the grocery store (unless they are organically grown) because they have been treated with a chemical to inhibit sprouting. Cut the seed potatoes into 11/2 to 2 ounce seed pieces with at least one ‘eye’ on it. Store the cut potatoes in a warm spot for a few days to heal over the cut surface.
Plant your potatoes in a trench 10-12 inches deep with the seed pieces 10 – 12 inches apart and cover with 3-4 inches of soil. As the plants grow taller, gradually fill in the trench with soil around the plant. Some gardeners prefer to cover with straw mulch instead of soil. This makes harvesting easier. Each potato plant will produce 2-4 pounds of potatoes.
Potatoes are a cool-season crop and grow best when the day temperatures range from 60-65 degrees and night temperatures are between 45-55 degrees. Tuber production will stop when the temperatures exceed 85 degrees.
Harvest at the appropriate time for the type of potato you want. ‘New’ potatoes are harvested in May while baking potatoes are harvested sometime in June. Use a spade or fork to dig up the potatoes. Immediately use any injured potatoes before they rot. Store the good potatoes in a cool (40-50 degree), dark, humid place. Remember the old-fashioned root cellar. Store the potatoes in the dark because light will cause then to turn green and make them inedible.
It is still cold at night but the soil is warm enough to get potatoes growing. Make the effort to grow your own potatoes and be the envy of the neighborhood. If you need more information, contact your local extension office, or search www.msucares.com for Information Sheet 1507, Commercial Production of Irish Potatoes in Mississippi.
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