About Potato Transplants

Seed Potatoes

• Preparation starts one to two weeks before planting. Cut potatoes more than 2 inches into pieces with one to three eyes per piece. Each eye becomes a sprout. Place the pieces on a tray in a single layer with eyes up. Cover with sheets of newspaper. Place in an area with good air circulation. Avoid moisture and direct sunlight. Check the seed potatoes every other day and discard any that are molded, spoiling or soft.

Preparing the Ground

• Choose a well-drained, fertile area of your garden for best production. Remove weeds and rocks. Rototill the soil to make it softer and easier to work. Adjust the soil's pH to 5.3 to 6.0 to prevent scab, the most common potato disease. Dig a trench 6 inches deep. Apply 2 to 3 lbs. of 8-18-18 or 10-20-20 fertilizer per 100 foot row, 2 inches beneath and to each side of the row. Cover the fertilizer with 2 inches of soil.

Growing Potatoes

• Plant seed potatoes when sprouts are 2 inches long, placing them nine to 12 inches apart in prepared trenches. Cover with enough soil to level the trench. Hill plants by hoeing soil against the stems when they are 6 inches tall. Repeat hilling one to two more times to prevent sunburn on new potatoes. Potatoes need 1 to 2 inches of water per week. Dig and eat new potatoes when the plants blossom by reaching gently into the soil. Pull one or two potatoes from the plant, leaving the rest to grow. Dig all potatoes when the plants die. Brush off soil and allow to dry. Store in a dark, 60 degree Fahrenheit room.

Pests and Disease

• Colorado potato beetles, leafhoppers, flea beetles and aphids are major potato pests. Hand pick Colorado potato beetles and check the bottoms of leaves for bright orange clusters of eggs. Smash the eggs. Use an insecticide with spinosad as the active ingredient for these pests. Kill grubs and wireworms before planting. Early and late blight are deadly potato diseases. Remove plants at the first sign of both diseases. Place plants in trash bags and throw away. Do not compost plants with blight. Dig potatoes and use immediately or throw away. Dig missed potatoes when they sprout in the spring. Throw them away to avoid spreading blight.