Once they arrived in Europe, plant breeders focused their efforts on creating the familiar edible tubers we’ve come to know and love today.In cooler climates, potatoes can be planted as early as two to three weeks before the average last-frost date in spring, but only if the soil has dried out a bit.While most potato varieties do well in various climates, check with your cooperative extension or a few fellow gardeners to discover the best choices for your part of the country.They’re easily found by searching the seed potato for small, dark indentations or, if the eye has already begun to sprout, swollen bumps.Select a potato planting site that receives full sun, and work plenty of compost into the area.Choose a spot, if possible, where other members of the nightshade family, such as tomatoes and peppers, have not been grown within the past few years.Hilling increases the underground surface area for tuber production, but an alternative to this process is to simply mulch your potato plants with a thick, 8- to 10-inch layer of straw.Not only does the straw layer serve to increase the underground surface area, but it also suppresses weeds and cuts down on the need for watering.You can easily harvest a handful of new potatoes while still leaving the plant intact for continued tuber production.These tubers take a bit longer to develop, and there are a few necessary practices to ensure the spuds are truly ready for harvest and storage.The plants continue to grow for the next several months, and eventually the leaves and stems start to turn yellow and flop over.Mature storage potatoes are ready for harvesting a few weeks after the foliage has turned brown and died back completely.If a root cellar isn’t an option, put your harvested potatoes in a wicker or plastic basket, a brown paper bag, or a cardboard box and store it in a dark basement or cool garage.For this method, put a thick layer of fresh straw over the plants after they have died back, and dig the tubers up as needed.Some gardeners might experience a high rate of rot in potatoes stored in-ground, particularly during periods of wet weather.Also, potatoes stored in the ground are left vulnerable to voles, chipmunks, mice and other tuber-munching mammals that enjoy burrowing under the straw mulch.Potatoes can be a trouble-free crop if you follow a few simple practices, though they’re not immune to typical garden problems.These two pests can affect yields by reducing the amount of photosynthesis taking place in the leaves.These two pests can affect yields by reducing the amount of photosynthesis taking place in the leaves.If you find teeth marks on your harvested potatoes, you might need to set a few mousetraps inside sideways, empty tin cans to control them.If you find teeth marks on your harvested potatoes, you might need to set a few mousetraps inside sideways, empty tin cans to control them.The soil-dwelling larvae of several different species of click beetles, wireworms tunnel into the tubers, creating shallow holes that extend into the potatoes only by about 1/2 inch.The holes are easily removed when the potatoes are peeled, but their presence can limit their storage life.The soil-dwelling larvae of several different species of click beetles, wireworms tunnel into the tubers, creating shallow holes that extend into the potatoes only by about 1/2 inch.The holes are easily removed when the potatoes are peeled, but their presence can limit their storage life.After harvesting, pull the smallest tubers from the bunch and store them in a dark box or bin, wrapped in layers of newspaper
