Thanks to the ease of container horticulture , you do n’t even want a garden to grow a bumper crop of elegant , delicious fingerling potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum ) .
Thanks to the ease of container horticulture , you do n’t even involve a garden to grow a bumper craw of refined , delicious fingerling potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum ) . These modest , fingerbreadth - shaped potato typically take 90 to 110 days to suppurate , and they grow well in dirt temperatures ranging from 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit , making them ideal for early- or late - season gardening . Place the container - grown fingerlings in a topographic point that meet lineal sunlight for six hours or longer .
Choosing a Container
you’re able to use nearly any character of container to grow fingerling tater , including barrels , garbage can , terracotta or plastic planters , or commercially available murphy growing bags , which can be found online or at garden centers .
drain and container sizing are two of the most important factors to keep in intellect while choosing a planter . If the container miss drainage holes or only has one hole , drill at least three to five 1/4 - inch holes on the bottom to prevent miry conditions . Allow 2 to 3 gallon of planter outer space for every fingerling potato you plan to implant . If you signify to constitute three or four potatoes , select a 15 - Imperial gallon container . If you ’re only planting one , a smaller container may suffice .
Selecting Varieties
Growing potatoes from fingerling Irish potato purchased from the foodstuff store typically concede disappointing effect because the potato are care for with a pith designed to slow up sprout . or else , purchase certified disease - free fingerling potato seedsfrom a local greenhouse or from a garden catalog .
Many miscellanea of fingerling potato grow well in containers , including " Russian Banana , " a mixture with 1- to 3 - in potato with yellow skin and xanthous waxy , moist flesh . " Swedish Peanut , " which yield Tuber that arise 1 to 2/1/2 in long , has yellow , nutty - flavored flesh . For show - block off coloration , try growing " Purple Peruvian , " which grows 3/4- to 2 - column inch potatoes with purple human body and peel .
Planting Fingerlings
Prepare the fingerling seeds by cutting Tuber into little 1 - ounce round with at least two eyes on each opus . Choose a in high spirits quality , soil - less potting mixture to reduce expose the fingerling white potato vine to the disease and pests that naturally occur in garden soil .
Place 3 to 4 in of the potting mix on the bottom of the container . Mix in two fistful of constitutive starter fertiliser and arrange the seed pieces in the container . According to the National Gardening Association , fingerling murphy plant life generally grow larger and demand extra room between seed than other potatoes . Allow more or less * * 18 inch of space between the seed pieces . * * Cover the seeds with another 4 to 6 inches of soil , lightly tamp it down and water the container thoroughly .
Caring for Plants
irrigate the container regularly , adding at least 1 inch to the container weekly . experience the potting mix every few daytime , and add together weewee as needed to maintain evenly moist — but not sloshed or soggy — land . As the young potato industrial plant grow , hill them by adding enough soil or compost around the seedlings so that only 3 inch of the plant usher .
Fertilize the plants once every month with an organic fertilizerformulated for vegetables . immix or so 2 tablespoons of the fertiliser for every 1 square metrical foot of planting space into the top 1 to 3 inches of potting mix . Avoid overhead wateringand jibe the plants once a week for signs of a Colorado potato mallet plague , acclaim most commonly by the bearing of orange egg turn up on the leave ' undersurface . Remove and crush the eggs . Spray the leave of absence of the flora with Bacillus thuringiensis san diego , a food - safe insect powder , to vote down larvae .
References
Related
