never again be satisfied with store-bought potatoes.

Mulching benefits potatoes by keeping the soil

It’s just like with carrots. Homegrown potatoes seem cooler and moister. We have found that the major
like a whole new vegetable. potato pest, the Colorado potato beetle (Leptino-
A lot of potatoes can be grown in a very small tarsa decemlineata), can be controlled more simply
space. The home garden yield from a 30-foot row and successfully by mulching than by any other
should be about sixty pounds (one bushel). That’s single practice. The major stresses on potatoes dur-
pretty good, since the average per capita per year ing growth seem to arise from inadequate mois-
consumption in the U.S. is two bushels. Even if you ture and excessive soil temperature. A thick mulch
can’t find the space to grow all your potatoes, at least is the most effective way of lessening temperature
grow some for the joy of tasting a real potato. You and moisture stress, thus enhancing the plant’s re-
may then be inspired to search out a local organic sistance to pests.
farmer from whom you can buy extra potatoes ev- We often plant a few potatoes for extra-early
ery fall. harvest in one of the cold frames or the tunnel. Put
Another delight of growing your own is the the seed potatoes in a warm room for a month be-
wide variety available. One outgrowth of the pres- fore planting to encourage them to begin sprout-
ent interest in preserving old vegetable seeds has ing.The early sprouting results in faster growth after
been an increased availability of old-time potatoes. planting and earlier harvest. If you are hungry for
Catalogs now list more than one hundred cultivars, early potatoes and don’t wish to dig the whole plant,
covering every conceivable skin color, flesh color, you can sneak your hand into the soil around the
texture, flavor, and use (see appendix D). It is defi- roots and steal a potato or two.The traditional name
nitely worth trying a number of potatoes to find the for this practice is “grabbling.”
ideal variety for your soil and taste preference. But
be sure to buy your seed potatoes from catalogs that
guarantee certified seed.
Growing potatoes couldn’t be easier. What you
eat is what you plant.You can purchase seed potatoes
to plant or, if you have healthy crops, you can plant
your own. If after a year or two yields decline or the
foliage looks odd there may be a virus problem and
you will again want to buy new certified seed po-
tatoes from the specialty growers in northern areas.
There are many systems for growing potatoes.
We use a combination of practices for the best re-
sults. We plant small, whole seed potatoes 3 inches
deep and 12 inches apart in a single row down the
center of a 30-inch-wide bed.When the first sprouts
poke through the soil, spread an inch of rough com-
post and mulch the entire bed 6 to 8 inches deep
with straw. Renew the mulch as needed during the
summer if it looks thin. Potatoes.

The Cast of Characters 

4SH AppA.indd 189 4/28/09 9:08 AM