Your comments and tips

30 May 20, Laura (USA - Zone 7b climate)

Could I plant certain potatoes in zone 7B in June? I live in Southampton County, Va.

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07 Jun 20, Ross (USA - Zone 7b climate)

I live in Zone 7b in Arkansas. It's been an unusually cool and wet spring / summer. I planted four varieties in a prepared bed. (composted manure was tilled in.) The varieties were Pontiac red, Kenebek, Russet and Yukon Gold in roughly equal amounts, purchased prepackaged at a farm store. The seed potatoes were sown in rows 12 -18 inch spacing on Feb 28 by burying shallow, then covering with several inches of composted manure followed by several inches of straw, two bales on roughly 120 sq feet. I did not document when they sprouted but it seemed weak initially but success rate of sprouts was eventually good. The composted manure is weedy and so was the straw, eventually weed pressure was high so I covered with another layer of composted manure. ( I don't remember the date and the plants were 20 inches or so tall, some in blossom. ) Although at the time of harvest the bed was heavy with weeds again that worked long enough to bring in a harvest on June 4th. While harvesting the soil was still quite moist, only two or three potatoes had rotted and the yield was about 2 to 3 nice sized potatoes per plant with up to three small potatoes per plant too. I followed the harvest with a sweet corn. I contemplated a second potato planting but i think it will be too hot. I'm going to make a deep raised bed from pallets manure and straw out in a shady part of my homestead and try a few to see what happens. Hopefully that helps.

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22 Mar 20, Gretta (USA - Zone 9b climate)

I have dense clay yard soil with rocks so I may need to get ALOT of mulch to grow potatoes in zone 9b. Right? I'm a total beginner so any tips or feedback for zone 9b would be appreciated

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07 Jun 20, Ross (USA - Zone 7b climate)

I like the idea from the gardener in Australia. G'Day to you. I also have soil like you with clay and rock so digging the trench allows a quick easy replacement but drainage can be a problem with the rocky clay soil. Potatoes love water but too much and they will rot. Try choosing a location with a higher elevation if possible. Sometimes rain pooling can be avoided at higher locations by digging a small trench as a drain. Avoid areas that are already wet or are typically wet. At my place the trench filled with water and took more that a week to drain. I back filled the trench and chose another location.

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24 Mar 20, Chris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

You could try digging a shallow trench, put the seed potatoes in this, and cover with straw/mulch and compost or rotted manure. Keep topping up the straw as the potatoes grow. You'll end up with potatoes and some good quality soil.

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11 Mar 20, Chuck (USA - Zone 9b climate)

Could you please use US measurements (inches/feet) instead of metric? Gardenate reply: Each plant page has (Show °F/in) about two lines down from the top to change between metric/non metric

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20 Feb 20, Tom De Marti (USA - Zone 10a climate)

We're looking for red seed potatoes to grow in SoCal.

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05 Feb 20, Lee Godfrey (USA - Zone 7a climate)

How much sun do potatoes need.. Can they be planted in the morning shade and evening sun

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06 Feb 20, Anon (Australia - arid climate)

Most plants need about 5 + hrs. Look it up on the internet, google it.

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05 Jan 20, Veronica (USA - Zone 7a climate)

I'm not quite sure of my zone. I live in Charlotte, NC 28208. Can you please tell me? Check here www.gardenate.com/zones/#zone-US (Editor)

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