>> SPRINGTIME IS AN EXCELLENT TIME TO ADD POTATOES TO YOUR GARDEN.
HOMEGROWN POTATOES ARE ESPECIALLY DELICIOUS AND THEY'RE SO VERSATILE THAT YOU CAN STEAM
THEM, BAKE THEM, FRY THEM, MASH THEM, JUST ABOUT ANYTHING YOU WANT
TO DO WITH A POTATO, IT WORKS WELL.
NOW, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF VARIETIES THAT DO WELL IN CENTRAL TEXAS, AND ONE IS THE WHITE
KENNEBEC THAT STORES VERY WELL.
THE RED POTATOES THAT DO BEST ARE THE PONTIAC AND THE RED LASODA.
YOU WANT TO BUY YOUR POTATOES SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE IT'S TIME TO PLANT,
AND GENERALLY WE PLANT POTATOES AROUND MID FEBRUARY.
GENERALLY YOU WANT TO PLANT A ROOT CROP AROUND THE NEW MOON, SO JUST MARK YOUR CALENDAR,
BUT BUY CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES WELL IN ADVANCE BECAUSE YOU WANT THE POTATOES TO SPROUT A
BIT BEFORE YOU PLANT THAT ACTUALLY WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DAYS TO HARVEST IF
IF YOU HAVE YOUR POTATOES PRE SPROUTED.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO PRE SPROUT, THEY WILL STILL GROW, BUT I'M USUALLY IN A HURRY
SO I LIKE TO HAVE THE POTATOES PRE SPROUTED.
AND IN ORDER TO PRE SPROUT YOU'LL GET YOUR CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES AND PUT THEM OUT IN
A FLAT TRAY OR IN A CARDBOARD FLAT LIKE THIS OR I'LL USE MY PLASTIC FLATS
FROM THE NURSERY JUST LINED WITH NEWSPAPER AND PUT THE POTATOES OUT IN A SINGLE LAYER.
YOU DON'T WANT THEM PILED UP FOR THIS.
AND JUST LIKE POTATOES SPROUT IN THE KITCHEN WHEN YOU DON'T
WANT THEM TO WHEN THEY'RE IN A SUNNY AND WARM AREA, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DUPLICATE
HERE FOR THE SPROUTING.
IT'S ALSO CALLED CHITTING.
BUT YOU'LL PUT THE POTATOES OUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE AROUND 60 OR 70 DEGREES, WHICH
MIGHT BE OUTSIDE ON YOUR PORCH OR PATIO.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY DON'T FREEZE DURING THIS STAGE BECAUSE
THAT COULD DAMAGE THE SPROUTS.
ALSO, DON'T WANT THEM TO GET WET SO MAKE SURE THEY'RE IN AN AREA WHERE THEY'RE NOT GOING
TO GET RAINED ON.
I USE A SUNNY PART OF MY GREENHOUSE WHERE THEY'RE ON THE FLOOR, THE FLOOR OF THE GREENHOUSE
TENDS TO STAY PRETTY COLD BECAUSE IT'S LINED WITH LARGE GRAVEL, AND THEY GET PLENTY OF
SUN, BUT DON'T GET TOO COLD IN THE NIGHTTIME.
SO ONCE THEY'RE SPROUTED YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF EYES THAT DEVELOP ON THE POTATO INTO SPROUTS,
LONG SPROUTS.
IF THEY'RE A HALF INCH TO ONE INCH LONG.
THAT'S PERFECT.
THEN THOSE ARE READY TO PLANT.
YOU WANT TO CUT LARGE POTATOES SO EVERY POTATO THAT YOU PLANT SHOULD BE AT LEAST THE SIZE
OF A GOLF BALL OR A LITTLE BIT LARGER.
SO YOU CAN BUY JUST VERY SMALL POTATOES LIKE THIS AND PLANT THEM WHOLE WITHOUT CUTTING,
BUT IF YOU DO GET VERY LARGE POTATOES YOU'LL JUST WANT TO SLICE THEM.
AND FOR THE ONES THAT I CUT, I LIKE TO LET THEM DRY OVER AND CALLOUS A BIT.
YOU CAN SEE THIS ONE IS STILL KIND OF DAMP, BUT I LIKE FOR THEM TO DRY A BIT AND THEN
I DUST THEM WITH DUSTING SULFUR.
NOT SOIL SULFUR.
YOU WANT THE FINE POWDER DUSTING SULFUR, SO JUST TAP THAT INTO THE SULFUR KNOCK OFF EXCESS.
LET THAT DRY ANOTHER DAY OR SO AND THEN IT'S READY TO PLANT.
BE VERY CAREFUL AS THEY START TO SPROUT BECAUSE THOSE SPROUTS ARE VERY EASY TO BREAK OFF,
SO YOU DON'T WANT TO CROWD THEM IN THE TRAYS.
THEN WHEN YOU'RE READY TO PLANT, YOU'RE GOING TO DIG FURROWS IN YOUR
GARDEN, ABOUT 6 8 INCHES WIDE AND ABOUT 6 8 INCHES DEEP, PUT YOUR SEED POTATOES OUT
AND GIVE THEM SOME SPACE.
IF YOU CROWD THE POTATOES, YOU'LL GET FEWER POTATOES AND THEY'LL BE A LOT SMALLER.
SO GIVE THEM SOME ROOM, PUT THEM IN AND COVER THEM OVER
WITH SOIL.
AND THEN A FEW WEEKS LATER, 2 3 WEEKS LATER, THEY'LL HAVE
SPROUTED OUT 3 OR 4 INCHES ABOVE THAT SOIL, SO ADD MORE SOIL TO IT.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM IN YOU GARDEN YOU CAN ALSO PLANT POTATOES IN CONTAINERS.
SO SOMETHING LIKE A BUSHEL BASKET, FILL IT UP ABOUT HALFWAY WITH VERY GOOD WELL DRAINED
POTTING SOIL, ADD YOUR POTATOES, BARELY COVER THEM, AND THEN AS THEY GROW
AND SPROUT ADD MORE SOIL ON TOP.
SO YOU COULD USE A LARGE TREE BASKET, AND OLD TRASH CAN THAT YOU'VE PUNCHED DRAIN HOLES
IN, BUT MAKE SURE YOUR CONTAINER POTATOES ARE IN A VERY SUNNY AREA BECAUSE THEY DO NEED
A LOT OF SUN TO PRODUCE GOOD TUBERS.
AND ONCE THE TOPS START TO DIE BACK AND YELLOW, THEN IT'S TIME TO START HARVESTING POTATOES.
YOU CAN HARVEST SMALL POTATOES BEFORE, BUT ONCE THOSE TOPS DIE BACK, GENTLY DIG AND YOU'LL
HAVE LOTS OF WONDERFUL POTATOES TO ENJOY IN YOU KITCHEN.