Growing Potatoes Is Simple
Today - Good Friday and with a waning moon - is traditionally the time to plant potatoes. However, the soil may still be too cold. Potatoes grow best when the soil is 50 to 60 degrees; any colder and the seed may rot. Though there is merit to lunar planting, in our northern climate it may be prudent to hold off planting potatoes until the week of April 11, just prior to the new moon. Hopefully by then, the soil will be warmer. If not, we can plant during the waning of the next moon - the first two weeks of May.
Growing potatoes is easy. Buy clean, certified seed potato stock. Never buy supermarket potatoes as seed potatoes because they have been treated with a sprout inhibitor; if they do sprout, the inhibitor will slow their growth.
Potatoes are grown either from small pieces of cut-up potato or from small, whole potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter). The whole potato, called a single drop, is the most desirable; because they haven’t been cut or wounded, the potential for disease is greatly reduced. If larger potatoes are chosen, simply make sure each cut piece is about 2 inches in diameter and has at least two to three strong eyes.
If using cut potatoes, make sure the wounds have sealed or callused before planting. Simply expose the wounds to air for a few hours. This curing process will help defend against bacteria or fungus entering the tuber once it’s been planted.
If the potatoes have sprouted, don’t break off the sprouts, which may insure an early crop.
Potatoes will grow in just about any type of soil. The best yields, of course, come from soil that is loose, well-drained and amended with lots of rich, organic matter.
To guard against potato scab, a prevalent potato disease in our region, acidify the soil and seed pieces with sulfur dust. Simply drop a few teaspoons of dust into a bag along with a few seed pieces and shake.
When planting, sprinkle a bit of sulfur in the planting trench or hole. Since animal manure tends to be on the alkaline side, save it for other areas of the garden. If you’ve had problems with scabby potatoes, choose scab resistant varieties such as Butte, Norgold “M,” Red LaSoda, Russet Burbank or Russet Norkotah.
What’s new
For those who have tried every method to discourage deer from destroying the yard, there’s a new material on the market that might work. It’s Tree Guard and what makes it different from other products is that it contains a bitter substance called Bitrex. The material bonds to plant surfaces with a latex formulation that supposedly resists water, allowing the material to work for an entire season. Look for Tree Guard at your local nursery or garden center.
Green things
Primrose are popping up all over the yard. These early charmers aren’t the little primroses we find in the supermarket, though. Rather, these are the hardy cowslip, candelabra, drumstick and Wanda primrose. The cowslip produces tubular, soft yellow flowers atop short stiff stems and is great for naturalizing. It grows in sun or part-shade in rich, well-drained soil.
The drumstick and candelabra are excellent primroses for our area. They, too, will grow in sun or part-shade but prefer moist soil. Both plants produce flowerheads atop tall, stiff stems that grow above mounds of broad leaves. Look for these outstanding primrose varieties at any nursery.
On the calendar
A series of eight, free, one-day composting workshops begin this week. The first will be Tuesday at noon at Spokane City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. For a complete schedule or information call 747-0242.
Nancy Gray of the Washington Native Plant Society will teach a class on identifying native plants, 7-9:30 p.m., Wednesday evenings from April 14 through May 19 at North Central High School. The fee is $37. The class includes a fieldtrip. To register, call the Institute for Extended Learning, 533-3770.
Managing Your Backyard Forest will be taught by extension forester Chris Schnepf, 7-9 p.m. Monday at the Kootenai County Extension Office, 106 E. Dalton Ave., in Coeur d’Alene. The fee is $5. Call (208) 667-6426 to register.