Potato Guide Final
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Transcript of Potato Guide Final
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8/10/2019 Potato Guide Final
1/7
rowing Potatoes
in Your Home arden
AGuidetoGrowingPotatoes
InYourHomeGarden
Yespotatoesare
nutritious! Theyarea
greatsourceofvitamin
C,potassium,fiberand
protein,
all
with
no
fat!
Potatoes,alongwith
manyothervegetables,
canbepreparedas
partofahealthydiet.
Luckily, potatoesare
versatileandareeasy
toprepare.Whether
baked,boiled,roasted
orfriedtheyarea
deliciousadditionto
Potatoesare
native
to
the
AndeanregionofSouth
America. Europeanexplorers
introducedthepotatoto
Europein1536butitdidnot
arriveintheUnitedStates
until1719whenIrish
immigrantsbroughtthe
potatowiththemtotheNew
World.
Haveyouevergrownpotatoesin
yourgarden?
Growingpotatoesisfunandnotthathard!
Homegardenerscangrowuniquevarietiesthat
arenotsoldinlocalsupermarkets.Potatoes
comeinalldifferentshapes,sizesandcolors. Did
youknow
that
there
are
purple,
red
and
yellow
potatoes?Potatoesmakeagreatgardenproject
foryourchildrenorgrandchildren.
Kelly
A.
Zarka,
Donna
C.
Kells,
David
S.
Douches
and
C.
Robin
Buell
Michigan
State
University
anymeal.
Shouldyoueattheskin? Yes! Werecommend
it! Theskinofthepotatocontainsthemajority
ofthepotato'sfiber,andmanyofthenutrients
arelocatedclosetotheskin.Washthepotato
thoroughly,cutawaygreendiscolorationand/or
sprouts,andenjoyyourpotatowiththeskinon.
Potatoesarethenumberonenongrainfood
cropintheworld. IntheUnitedStates,over1
millionacresareplantedeachyearfor
commercialproduction. Potatoesare
importanttodevelopingnationsaswell.
Potatoescangrowinharshclimatesandmany
potatovarietiescanbeproducedin90daysor
lessonsmallparcelsofland.
Potatoes
are
important
in
our
world!
Figure1.Childrenlovehelpinginthegardenand
gettingdirtyisanaddedbonus.
Figure2.
Source:
U.S.
Food
and
DrugAdministration
Arepotatoesnutritious?
Wheredidpotatoescomefrom?
MichiganState
University
and
the
Potato
Breeding
and
Genetics
Program
Figure3.Peru,South
America.Photocredit:
AllardSchmidt
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Allabout
potatoes
ThepotatoisamemberoftheSolanaceae
(nightshade)family,whichincludestomato,
pepper,eggplant,petuniaandtobacco.
Theenlarged,edible,undergroundstorage
portionofthepotatoplantiscalledatuber.
Thetuberdevelopsfromundergroundstems
calledstolons. Dormantbuds(eyes)developon
thetuber. Tuberformationbeginswhenplants
are6to
8inches
tall,
or
five
to
seven
weeks
afterplanting,andresultsfromtheproduction
andmovementofstarchintothedeveloping
tubers. Manyvarietiesdevelopfruitsand
flowers,butthesepartsarenotedible. The
fruitslooklikesmallgreentomatoesand
containthetrueseedofthepotatoes;however
theyaregeneticallydifferentfromtheparent.
Plantsgrownfromthisseedwillnotnecessarily
resembletheoriginalvariety. Commercial
potato
production
and
home
gardeners
use
tuberpiecescontainingatleastonedormant
bud(eye)thatwillsproutandformapotato
plant.Thesetuberpiecesaresometimes
referredtoaspotatoseedorseedpieces.
Thepotatoisraisedasanannualcrop,however,
tubersleftinthegardenthatdonotcompletely
freezeduringthewinter,mayemergeas
volunteerpotatoplantswhenthesoilwarms
again.
Potatotypes
and
uses
Potatovarietiesvaryaccordingtoshape,flesh
colorandskinappearance. Theyareclassified
accordingtothetubertypeslistedbelow(see
Figure4).
Long
Russet
(A): Athickskinnedpotatowitha
longshapeanddrytexture;goodforbakingand
frying(Frenchfries).Thisisthemostpopular
markettypeintheUnitedStates.Variety
example:Goldrush.
Allaboutpotatoes
Round
white/Long
white
(B):
Athinlightbrownskinned allpurposepotatowithfirm,
creamytexture;bestforboilingandfrying.
Varietyexamples: Onaway,Kennebec,Superior
(Round),
Shepody andCalWhite(Long)
Round
red
skin
(C): Athin,redskinnedpotato
withfirm,creamytexture;goodforboiling.
Varietyexamples:RedNorland,Chieftainand
RedPontiac.
Yellow
(D):
Thereare
several
varieties
with
thin,
goldenskinsandcreamysmoothyellowflesh;
goodforboilingandfrying,someforbaking.
Varietyexamples:YukonGold,YellowFinn.
Round
Red
skin
yellow
flesh
(E):Newvarieties
withvariouscolorcombinationsarebeing
releasedeveryyear.Oneexampleisared
skinnedpotatowithcreamyyellowflesh.Good
forboiling.Varietyexample:RedGold
Purple
(F):Avioletpurpleskinnedpotatowith
purpleflesh;forbakingandfrying.Theyretain
theircolor
when
cooked.
Variety
examples:
AdirondackBlue,PurpleMajesty
Fingerlings
(G):Smallvarietiesthatarenarrow
almostfingershaped.Fingerlingsarefully
maturewhenharvested.Varietyexamples:
Banana,RoseFinnApple.
Figure4:Potatoescomeinmanyshapesand
colors.
Photo
credit:
U.S.
Potato
Board
A B
C
D
E
FG
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VarietySelection,SeedPurchasingandSoilPreparation
VarietySelection
Choiceofapotatovarietyforgrowinginahome
gardendependsonfactorssuchasgardenspace
availability,desireduses,andstorageplans.
Toensurequalityandmaximumproductivity,
purchasecertifiedseedtubers. Certifiedpotato
tuberseedisseedofaknownvarietyproduced
understrictstandardstomaintainseedtubers
thatarevirusanddiseasefree. Savingtubers
fromyour
garden
will
eventually
result
in
decreasedyieldsandsmalltubersduetomore
incidencesofdisease.Forthesamereason,you
donotwanttoplanttubersfromthegrocery
store. Grocerystorepotatoeshavebeentreated
topreventsproutingsoitmaybedifficultto
evengetaplantstartedatplantingtime.
Certifiedpotatotuberseedcanbepurchasedat
areagardennurseriesorthroughtheinternet. If
youareinterestedintryingneworunique
varieties,try
purchasing
from
reputable
online
vendorsincluding:
IrishEyesGardenSeeds
http://www.gardencityseeds.net
WoodPrairieFarm
http://www.woodprairie.com
GardensAlive!
http://www.gardensalive.com
Burpee
http://burpee.com
Potato
Garden.com
http://www.potatogarden.com
SeedPreparation
Dependingonthesourceandthequantityyou
buyyouwillreceiveeithersmalltubersorlarge
tubers. Smalltubers(1to2inchesindiameter)
canbeplantedwhole. Cutlargetubersinto
blockshaped,2to21/2ounceseedpieces
(aboutthesizeofanegg)(Figure5).Theseed
piecesshould
be
firm,
with
at
least
one
eye
persectionandamaximumsproutlengthof
1/4to1/2inchtoensureoptimum
germination. Seedtuberscanbecutand
plantedonthesameday,howeverallowingthe
cutsurfacetohealoverfor47daysmay
reducetheriskofseedpiecesrottinginthe
soil.
Figure5: Tuberseedpiececuttings.
SoilPreparationandFertility
Potatoesgrowonawiderangeofsoils,butare
bestsuitedtoasandyloamorasoilthatiswell
drained. Verysandysoilsmayrequireextra
wateringtomaintainadequatesoilmoisture.
Finetexturedsoilsthatarehighinsiltsandclay
maynotbewelldrained,andtheytendto
producepoorlyshapedpotatoes.
Ifpossible,
asoil
test
can
be
performed
before
planting. ContactyourlocalExtensionoffice
fordetailsonsoiltesting. ThebestsoilpHfor
potatoesisbetween5.5and6.0.ApHabove
6.0mayincreasetheincidenceofcommon
scab(adisease)ontubers.Ifasoiltestisnot
available,followtheserecommended
guidelines:
Rototill intotheseedbedabout2poundsper
50feetofrowof121212(NPK)analysis
fertilizer.
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PlantingandCareofPotatoesinYourGarden
Besidetherow,apply1/3poundper50feetof
rowof4600(urea)fertilizeroneweekafter
plantemergenceandagainbetween4and6
weeksafteremergence. Insteadofworkingthe
fertilizerintothesoil,waterthoroughlysothat
thefertilizermovesintotherootzone.
Donotamendthesoilwithlimeormanureinthe
sameyearthatpotatoesaretobegrown.Lime
andmanureincreasetheriskofpotatoscab
disease.
PlantingandCare
Potatoesareacoolseasoncrop;ideal
temperaturesforcropgrowthare65to80during
thedayand55to65atnight. Thesoilshouldbe
cultivated6to8inchesdeepinthespring,and
largesoilclodsshouldbebrokenuporremoved
beforeplanting. Plantpotatoeswhensoil
temperaturesareabove45F. Cold,wetsoilat
plantingtime
increases
the
risk
of
seed
piece
decay,andplantingintocool,drysoilscancause
delayedsproutingandemergenceofthe
potatoes.
Figure6:Plantseedpieces3to4inchesdeepand
space9to12inchesapart.
Planttuber
seed
pieces
3to
4inches
deep.
Leaving30to36inchesbetweenrowsand
spacingseedpieces9to12inchesapartin
therowwillgenerallyproduceanacceptable
yieldofmediumsizedtubers(Figure6). Five
poundsofseedpotatoesshouldplant40
feetofrowwith12inchesbetweenseed
pieces. Youcanexpect toharvest3to5
poundsofpotatoesperpotatoplant. Larger
tubersareproducedatwiderplantspacings,
thoughsome
varieties,
for
example,
Yukon
Gold,developgrowthdefectssuchashollow
heartatawiderspacing.
Potatoplantsshouldbehilledwhenthe
plantsare8to12inchestall(Figure7).
Figure7:Whentheplantsare812inchestall
theyshouldbehilledtokeeptuberscoveredand
preventgreening.
Moundthesoiltoaheightof3to6inchesand
approximately12to15inchesfromthebaseof
theplant.
Use
care
to
prevent
damage
to
the
plantroots,whichmayextend8to12inches
fromthebaseoftheplant. Hillingmaintains
suitablesoilcoverfortubersastheyexpand.
Tubersthatbreakthesoilsurfacemayhave
greenareasthatcontainbittertasting
glycoalkaloids andshouldnotbeeaten.Discard
orcutoffthegreenportions.
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PlantingandCareofPotatoesinYourGarden
Avoidplantingpotatoesinthesamelocation
yearafteryear. Tolowertheriskofdisease
andinsectproblems,donotplantinareas
wheretomatoes,peppers,eggplants,radishes
orbeetsweregrownthepreviousyear.
WaterRequirements
Potatoesareverysensitivetosoilmoisture
anddobestwithaconsistentsoilmoisture
level.
Even
soil
moisture
levels
throughout
the
rootzoneshouldbemaintained,thoughover
wetandsaturatedconditionsshouldbe
avoided. Ingeneral,1inchofwaterperweek
fromrainfallorirrigationisadequate. As
muchas2inchesperweekmayberequired
onsandysoilswithloworganicmatter.
Drysoilalternatingwithperiodsofsaturated
soilcanresultinpoorqualitytuberswith
defectssuchasknobs,growthcracks,hollow
heart
and
internal
browning.
Long
periods
of
excessmoisture,particularlynearmaturity,
mayleadtodecreasedyieldsandpoorquality
tubers.
PestandDiseaseControl
Youcanhelpalleviatepestproblemsby
changingthelocationinyourhomegarden
wherepotatoesareplanted,throughregular
inspection,andbyremovingvolunteer
potato
plants,
which
can
serve
as
a
host
for
diseasesthatcandamagethenewcrop.
Shallowcultivationispreferredforweed
control. Forlateseasonweedcontrol,pull
weedsinsteadofhoeingthemtoprevent
tuberdamage. Mulchescanbebeneficialin
weedcontrolaswellashelpingtomaintain
soilmoisture.
Scabdiseasemaybeaproblem(Figure8).
Scabiscausedbyacommonsoilborne
organismthatcausesdiseaseonlyontubers.
Somevarietiesaremoreresistantthanothers
toscab;tolerantvarietiesincludeOnawayand
Superior. Tuberswithscabarefinetoeat. Just
peelorcutoffthecircularroughskin.
Figure8:Commonscabdiseaseinpotato.
InsectssuchastheColoradopotatobeetle
(Figure9)canbecontrolledbydestroyingeggs
whicharelaidontheundersideoftheleaf. This
canbedonebycrushingtheeggsorremoving
theleafwiththeeggsanddisposingoftheminthetrashawayfromthegarden. Additionally,
youwillwanttoremovelarvaandadultsby
hand,disposingofthemwhenthenumbersare
small.
Thepotatoissubjecttoseveralseed,foliarand
tuberdisordersthatmayaffectqualityand
appearance. SeeTable1(Page 6) for
informationonthepotatodisordersmost
commontohomegardeners.
Figure9:TheColoradopotatobeetleeggs,larvae
andadultstages.
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CommonProblemsinHomePotatoGardens
Table1. Potatodisorders,causesandremedies
Symptom PossibleCause Remedy
Seed
Disorders
Rottedseedpieces Soiltoowet/coldortoohot/dryatplanting Plantwholeseedwhensoiltemp.is>45F
Foliar
Disorders
Reddishbrowndecayorlesionson
sprout,belowgroundstemandstolons
Rhizoctonia:developsincoldwetsoilsand
whenseedisplantedtoodeep(>34
inches)
Plantwhensoiltemp.isabove45F;plant
seedpieces34inchesdeep
Black,wet
rot
of
stem,
mostly
at
ground
levelBacterial
soft
rot;
referred
to
as
"Blackleg" Plant
whole,
certified
seed
Reducedplantgrowth,palegreenor
yellowleafcolorandinwardrollingof
lowerleaves
Leafrollvirus Purchasenewcertifiedseedandcontrol
aphidstopreventspread
Olderleaveshavesmall,dark
brown/blacklesionswithconcentric
rings. Usuallyonmaturingorstressed
plants.
Earlyblight Removeinfectedfoliagefromgarden area
Avoidplantstressesbysupplying
adequatewaterandnutrients
Dark,watersoakedareasonleavesand
stems.Mayseeawhitemoldgrowthon
theundersideofinfectedleaves.
Lateblight Removeinfectedfoliage fromgardenarea
Keep foliage drybywateringatthebase
oftheplant.
Yellowing
of
lower
leaves
and
early
leaf
drop Normal
maturing
or
nitrogen
deficiency Add
nitrogen
to
the
soil
and
water
Leafandpetioledefoliation;presence
oflarvae,adultbeetlesand/orbright
orangeeggmassesontheundersideof
leaves.
Coloradopotatobeetle Byhandcollectinsectsinacontainer,
placeinfreezerfor1houranddiscard.
Leafdamageincluding:irregularholes,
drybrownleafmargins,inwardleaf
rolling
Insectdamagefrompotatoleafhopper or
cabbagelooper
Byhand collectinsectsinacontainer,
placeinfreezerfor1houranddiscard.
TuberDisorders
Greenskin Exposuretosunorotherlight
Developsovertime
Hillaroundplants,storepotatoesinthe
dark
Raisedand/or
pitted
corky
areas Common
scab Use
certified
seed
of
resistant
varieties.
Avoidlimeormanuretheyearpotatoes
aregrown.Avoidcarrots,beetsand
radishesaspriorcrops
Knobby,misshapentubers Physiologicalfrominconsistentmoisture
levels
Provideuniformgrowingconditions
Splitsinthetuberthatarehealedover
"growthcracks"
Physiological (for example:inconsistent
moisture levels)
Provideuniformgrowingconditions
Large,shallowgougesintubers Whitegrubs(largebrown/creamlarvae
oftencurledintoaCshape)
Gardensnearlonggrassareatgreater
risk
Browncavitiesneartheheartofthe
tuber
"hollow
heart"
Physiological(seedpiecesplantedtoofar
apart;
inconsistent
moisture
levels)
Plantseedclosertoavoidoversized
tubers;
water
consistently
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PlantingandCareofPotatoesinYourGarden
Harvesting
Timeofmaturityvariesforeachvariety.
Indicatorsoftubermaturityincludecomplete
vinedeath,skinset(tuberskindoesnotpeel
fromthefleshwhenpressureisapplied)and
desiredtubersize. Maturetubersstorebetter
andarelesslikelytobruiseordecaythan
immaturetubers.
New
or
small
tubers
can
be
harvested
early
withoutdestroyingtheentireplantbycareful
diggingandremovingsomeofthetubers. The
remainingtubersshouldbelefttogrowand
reachfullmaturity.
Harvestpotatoesbeforeaseverefrost. Usea
spadeorforktoloosenthesoilandgentlylift
thetubersoutofthesoil(Figure10). Toprevent
greeningandsunburndamage,donotallow
tuberstobeexposedtolightafterharvesting.
Figure10: Sincepotatoesgrowunderground,
harvesttimeisalwaysabigsurprise!
Storage
Fortwotothreeweeksafterharvest,store
tubersinthedarkat55to60Fwithhighrelative
humiditytohealbruisedanddamagedareasthat
couldprovideentrancefordiseaseorganisms.
Storeonlythehealthypotatoesthatare
reasonablyfreefromsoil.
Afterhealing,properstorageconditionsshould
includecool
temperatures
(near
40
F),
darkness
topreventgreening,highhumidityandadequate
ventilation. Storingtubersinplasticbags(orany
tightlysealedcontainer)willrestrictthe
movementoffreshairaroundthetubersand
canleadtorot. Storeabovefreezing(rootcellar)
orgarageifitdoesnotfreeze.
Acknowledgements
Theauthorswishtoexpresstheirappreciationto
thefollowing
for
efforts
in
producing
this
guide:
MSUPotatoBreedingandGeneticsProgram.
DanielZarka,JosephCoombs,KimberlyFelcher,
KarenRenner,RichardChase,AnnaZarka,Evan
Zarka
VisitMSUsPotatoBreedingandGenetics
Programwebsiteat
https://www.msu.edu/~douchesd/
MichiganState
University
and
the
MSU
Potato
Breeding
and
Genetics
Program