Plant of the Month: February

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Plant of the Month by UF IFAS Extension and Florida Master Gardener volunteer with a photo of potatoes in the dirt on the ground

Potatoes are one of America's most popular vegetables and they are also a very easy crop for home gardeners to cultivate to produce high yields.

What is a “seed potato”?
The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences defines a “seed potato” as a potato tuber that has been grown to be replanted to produce a potato crop. Potatoes of the same variety are genetically identical to their parents, so the ‘seed’ that is used to grow potatoes looks like a normal potato. “Seed potatoes” differ from those sold in grocery stores because grocery store potatoes are treated with a sprout-inhibitor that prevents the potatoes’ eyes from developing while being stored on the store shelf.

When to Plant
The potato is a cool season annual crop and should be planted in early spring or late summer, according to UF/IFAS. In Central Florida, the crop should be planted in January or February. Many gardeners plant again in mid-August or early September, missing the hot summer and winter frosts. These tuber vegetables, unlike many other vegetables, thrive in darkness, which is why they grow underground. Their stems grow above ground and are bright green, which produce non-edible flowers.

Potatoes thrive best in the full sun, according to Gardening Know-How. Smaller potatoes should be planted whole. They are aggressive rooting plants, and they will produce the best crop when planted in light, loose, and well-drained soil. Potatoes prefer a slightly acid soil with a PH of 5.0 to 7.0. A week or two before your planting date, set your seed potatoes in an area where they will be exposed to light and temperatures between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. This will begin the sprouting process. A day or two before planting, use a sharp, clean knife to slice the larger seed potatoes into smaller pieces. Each piece should be approximately two inches square and must contain at least one or two eyes or buds.

Quick Tip for planting potatoes: “Hilling” potatoes versus using “Growing Bags”
According to Gardening Know-How, Hilling potatoes will produce the following benefits: weed management, quality control, drainage, and a yield increase, but growers will need ample garden space to produce a crop this way. If you have limited space, another effective method of growing potatoes is inside “growing bags”. Growing bags are specially manufactured to grow a variety of vegetables in small spaces and this method allows for easier weeding and pest control.

Types to Plant in North Central Florida
According to the UF/IFAS Extension, only two types of potatoes grow very well and have robust yields in Florida. The two varieties are: White-skinned varieties: La Chipper, Sebago and Yukon Gold and Red-skinned varieties: Larouge and Red LaSoda.

Check out Alachua County Library District materials on growing vegetables in your Florida garden

By Cheris on February 18, 2022