Planting the Easiest Potatoes in the Garden

Easiest Potatoes

On this week's episode, Travis is demonstrating how to plant the easiest potatoes in the vegetable garden. In the South, the ideal potato planting time is around the middle to end of February. Typically, potatoes need to be planted anywhere from two to three weeks before the last frost date. Travis always likes to cut his seed potatoes because not only will they last longer, but they produce bigger potatoes in the garden. For example, if you plant a whole potato you'll more than likely get smaller potatoes, but if you cut them up and reduce the number of eyes planted in one spot you will get nice big potatoes instead. He also likes to cut the seed potato several days before planting because they need time for the open wound or the skin to heal over or suberize which helps prevent any fungal diseases and rot once we put them in the soil. Another important aspect of cutting seeds is the number of eyes you have per piece. Usually, the cut seeds only need around two to four eyes per piece to help ensure that there is not overcrowding in the area. The first step in planting the easiest potatoes is to mark off the rows in the desired subplot you want to plant them in. When planting potatoes his desired row spacing is three-foot apart to provide plenty of soil to hill the potatoes once they become larger. Using the Double Wheel Hoe and the plow set attachment, Travis created a furrow where the rows were marked off for planting. Then, he laid the little seed potato pieces down in the furrow with around six to eight inches in spacing. Once all the seeds are planted he took his High Arch Wheel Hoe and covered them all up along the row so they can start germinating in the vegetable garden. As they continue to grow you will need to hill the potatoes a couple of times throughout the growing season.

Potato Varieties

Of all the different potato varieties available, we offer some of the best productive varieties that all have excellent flavor profiles. The first variety is known as Adirondack Blue which contains a purple flesh potato that is rich in antioxidants. Usually taking around 85 days to mature this unique potato variety offers exceptional yields and excellent flavor. Another popular potato variety that provides the best flavor is the German Butterball. This variety is a late-season plant meaning it takes between 110 to 135 days to mature in the vegetable garden. The Red Norland is a newer variety that has disease resistant to scab, late blight, and potato virus. This is another variety that has great yield, storage, and flavor profile. The Yukon Gold is another popular variety that has been a favorite for gardeners for many years. All of these varieties work great for roasting, frying, baking, mashing, and so much more.