Blue potatoes grow well in loose soil.
Potatoes are cool-weather vegetables that grow best in moderate temperatures. Some types of blue potatoes are heirloom varieties that have been saved as seed potatoes from year to year by home gardeners. Other blue potatoes are new varieties and there are more types being developed each year. Some blue potato varieties include Fenton Blue, Cowhorn, All Blue, Skerry Blue, Adirondack Blue and Blue Pride.
Instructions
1. Remove the weeds, plants and debris from a planting area that gets full sun. Loosen the soil to the depth of 12 inches with a shovel. Collect any stones and sticks that you find and place them in an out-of-the-way spot.
2. Mix a 2- to 4-inch layer of organic matter like compost, well-rotted manure or peat moss into the loose soil. Rake the soil smooth and level.
3. Dig the potato rows 3 inches deep with the edge of a garden hoe. Drive wooden stakes into the ground with a hammer on each end of the row to mark where the rows are so you do not accidentally walk on the newly planted potatoes and compact the soil. Create more rows 24 to 36 inches apart. The advantage of 24-inch spacing is that the potato plants shade out the weeds.
4. Wash a sharp knife in soapy water. Rinse in a mixture of one part bleach and nine parts water. This disinfects the knife and prevents the spread of plant disease. Cut the blue potatoes into seed pieces with one to three eyes on each piece.
5. Drop a seed piece into the furrow every 10 to 12 inches apart. Once all the blue potato pieces are placed in the row, cover the pieces with 3 inches of soil. Water the rows of blue potatoes to settle the soil. Spread a 2- to 4-inch layer of straw over the planted blue potatoes and onto the pathway to reduce the growth of weeds and preserve soil moisture.
Tags: blue potatoes, 4-inch layer, inches apart, loose soil, pieces with, rows inches
