Buried tubers sprout into leafy stems a foot and a half tall, hiding the crop under the soil: the potato (Solanum tuberosum) came from the Andes to become one of the world’s most common staple foods, rich in vitamins B1 and C. It is very sensitive to drought, so keep the ground evenly moist and the yield is generous.
| Name | Solanum tuberosum |
|---|---|
| Family | Solanaceae |
| Type | vegetable |
| Height | 1 ½ feet (50 cm) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | rather light, rich and not too damp |
| Harvest | from early summer to late autumn, depending on the variety |
Planting potato tubers is easy, all the more so that it doesn’t really depend on the climate zone you live in.
Wait for Early spring in mild climates and Mid-spring everywhere else before starting planting.
In non-freezing areas or near the coast, you can even start Late winter, but it is wise to provide for cover such as cold frames or tunnel greenhouses in case frost spells hit.
→ Read also: Germinating potato at the right moment
Don’t hurry to plant because potatoes require that the ground beneath it be suitably warmed up first, since 50°F (10°C) at root level is needed for the potato to sprout.
As an alternative, you may want to try simply returning a large potato to the ground upon harvesting, mimicking what would happen in nature.
Exposure: Potato needs sun to develop well.
Although it is rather easy to care for, a potato plant benefits from being given attention to regularly in order to increase productivity and harvest.
When all plants reach a height anywhere from 1/3rd to 2 1/4th feet (10 to 55 cm), ridge their base with light soil.
Ridging means to build up a small mound at the base of the potato plant stems in order to secure the plant to the soil, protect it from wind, and let it grow at its best.
Potatoes are very sensitive to drought and do not cope well if the ground lacks water for too long.
Watering every evening is recommended when it is hot and that you see the leaves wilting. Avoid wetting the leaves as this might favor diseases such as mushrooms.
In order to remove any risk of the ground being too dry, it is recommended to mulch the base of the potato stems.
It is useless to harvest potatoes before the foliage turns completely yellow.
Once harvested, keep them in the dark in a cool, dry and ventilated place. A crate is perfect, since the openings help air circulate. Also great is a vegetable keeping silo.
Ha! Here they are grouped by flesh firmness, but there is an outlier that stands out for its color: the vitelotte noire, or ‘black vitelotte’
> Potato varieties with firm flesh
These are excellent for fries and for keeping together when preparing long-cooking stew.
‘Roseval’, ‘Belle de Fontenay’, ‘BF 15’, ‘Amandine’, ‘Charlotte’, ‘Bernadette’, ‘Chérie’, ‘Pompadour’ and the famous ‘Ratte du Touquet‘ are varieties that all boast a firm flesh.
> Potato varieties with mealy flesh
Perfect mashed and for other cooking uses.
‘Monalisa’, ‘Ostara’, ‘Désirée’, ‘Bintje’, ‘Manon’, ‘Estima’, ‘Apollo’ or ‘Resy’
> Summer harvest, from late spring to midsummer
‘Belle de Fontenay’, ‘Monalisa’, ‘Manon’, ‘Ostara’, ‘Amandine’, ‘Bernadette’, ‘Charlotte’, ‘Chérie’, ‘Rosabelle’
> Fall harvest, from early autumn to late autumn
Most famous among a great many more, there is the ‘Nicola’, the ‘Bintje’ and the ‘Désirée’
Two things decide the choice: how firm the flesh is, which settles what you can cook with it, and when the crop comes out of the ground. The table below brings both together for the varieties you are most likely to find on a seed-potato shelf.
| Variety | Flesh | Best for | When to lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Rocket’ | Firm | Boiling and salads, the first of the year | First early, early summer |
| ‘Swift’ | Firm | Boiling whole, very early crops | First early, early summer |
| ‘Arran Pilot’ | Firm | Boiling and salads, a long-kept favourite | First early, early summer |
| ‘Jersey Royal’ | Firm | Boiling and salads, eaten with the skin | First early, early summer |
| ‘Charlotte’ | Firm | Salads, boiling, gratins that must hold | Second early, midsummer |
| ‘Maris Peer’ | Firm | Boiling small, salads | Second early, midsummer |
| ‘Ratte’ | Firm | Salads and steaming, nutty flavour | Second early, midsummer |
| ‘Anya’ | Firm | Salads, roasting whole | Second early, midsummer |
| ‘Kestrel’ | All-rounder | Chips, roasting, boiling | Second early, midsummer |
| ‘Estima’ | All-rounder | Boiling, baking, wedges | Second early, late summer |
| ‘Nicola’ | Firm | Boiling, salads, gratins | Early maincrop, late summer |
| ‘Yukon Gold’ | All-rounder | Roasting, mash, frying | Early maincrop, late summer |
| ‘Red Pontiac’ | All-rounder | Boiling and roasting, red skin | Early maincrop, late summer |
| ‘Desiree’ | All-rounder | Roasting, mash, chips | Maincrop, early autumn |
| ‘Cara’ | All-rounder | Baking whole, a good keeper | Maincrop, early autumn |
| ‘Rooster’ | Floury | Mash, roasting, baking | Maincrop, early autumn |
| ‘Maris Piper’ | Floury | Chips and roast potatoes | Maincrop, early autumn |
| ‘King Edward’ | Floury | Baking and roasting | Maincrop, early autumn |
| ‘Kennebec’ | Floury | Chips and mash, heavy cropper | Maincrop, early autumn |
| ‘Bintje’ | Floury | Chips and mash | Maincrop, early autumn |
| ‘Russet Burbank’ | Floury | Baking and deep-fried chips | Maincrop, mid-autumn |
| ‘Sarpo Mira’ | Floury | Mash and baking, shrugs off blight | Maincrop, mid-autumn |
| ‘Pink Fir Apple’ | Firm | Salads, served cold | Late maincrop, mid-autumn |
| ‘Vitelotte’ | Floury | Colour on the plate, purple right through | Late maincrop, mid-autumn |
Firm flesh for the pan and the pot, mealy flesh for the masher: the cooking use decides the choice as much as the harvest date does.
Potatoes are nonetheless vulnerable to certain diseases and parasites that must be taken care of and treated quickly.
Together with tomatoes that are part of the same Solanaceae family, potatoes can also be attacked by a moth called the tomato pinworm or leafminer. This parasite can destroy up to 100% of a harvest.
Potato originated in the Andes mountain range in South America and were introduced in Europe at the end of the 16th century, after Christopher Columbus had discovered America.
Studies show that potato has been in use for over 8,000 years, but it is only after it arrived in Europe that cultivation spread across the world. Today, potatoes are grown in more than 150 countries and grow under virtually all climates.
Potato undoubtedly forms one of the most common staple foods in the world.
At planting time, after digging your rows to a depth of 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm), place your tubers and cover them with the finest possible soil. Remove sticks, rocks and hardened clods.
