Caring for potatoes is not demanding and will result in a rich harvest. We give tips on watering potatoes, fertilizing, propagating and general care of potato plants.
The potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) is grown in many gardens and also in pots on balconies and patios. An important part of the culture is caring for the potato. Here, particular attention should be paid to the water and nutrient supply as well as the piling up. In this article we also provide tips on how to propagate the potato plant.
contents
- Do you have to water potatoes?
- Pile up the potatoes
- Fertilize potatoes
- Cut back potato plants
- Hibernate potatoes
- Propagate potatoes
Do you have to water potatoes?
Potatoes need sufficient moisture in the soil for tubers to form. Depending on the weather and Soil type must therefore be watered more often on sandy, well-drained soils than on heavier, loamy soils. A clear sign of the lack of water is the sagging and wilting of the whole aboveground plant. Here should be acted and poured quickly. Early morning is the best time to water potatoes so the plant can absorb the water until the afternoon heat. To keep evaporation to a minimum, a layer of mulch made of plant material can be spread between the rows. It also serves soil organisms for food and can also reduce the growth of weeds.
tip: A wilt that cannot be remedied with watering can, in addition to root and stalk damage from weed picking or piling, also contribute to an infestation Potato diseases and pests lie.
Pile up the potatoes
Pounding is an essential part of caring for the potato. Depending on the vigor, soil should be piled up to the tip of the shoot every 2 to 4 weeks. The daughter tubers are protected from sunlight, which would stimulate them to form toxic solanine and turn green. Regular piling also reduces the growth of weeds.
Fertilize potatoes
Fertilizing is an important part of potato care. Potatoes are medium to heavy eaters and therefore need a nutrient-rich environment to produce healthy foliage and a good yield. The starch-rich tuber is very sensitive to nitrogen over-fertilization, which is why Fast-acting mineral fertilizers like blue grain are not particularly good for fertilizing potatoes suitable. Slow-acting, predominantly organic fertilizers, on the other hand, release their nutrients over several months or years. In spring, ripe compost or manure can be worked into the future potato bed. Also an organic long-term fertilizer like ours Plantura organic tomato fertilizer is equally suitable for potato plants in pots and outdoors. More helpful tips and details about the Fertilizing potatoes can be found in our special article.
tip: One that freezes off in winter Green manure is an ideal previous crop for potatoes. It can be worked into the soil in spring and serves as food for microorganisms.
Cut back potato plants
Healthy potato plants should never be cut back. Because only with the help of the leaf mass, sugar is formed, which is later stored in the tubers as starch. An exception are initial leaf diseases, which can be slowed down in their spread by cutting back the diseased leaves.
Hibernate potatoes
The potato plant naturally dies when its daughter tubers ripen in autumn. The tubers overwinter in the ground and sprout fresh after mild winters. However, frosts can severely damage the sensitive tubers, which is why the Storage of potatoes outside of the soil in the basement or garden shed, cool but frost-free.
Propagate potatoes
Potatoes can be propagated from tubers and seeds. Growing the seeds from the fruits of the potato is tedious and only really worthwhile for growers. The seedlings form only tiny tubers in the first year. Only after being planted again in the following year do they produce a yield that is comparable to that of potatoes propagated using daughter tubers. Potatoes form the best propagation material via their daughter tubers, because they are genetically identical and the simplest method of propagating potatoes. After the tubers have been successfully overwintered, they are planted in the ground from April next year.
tip: Everything you need to know about the Plant potatoes we have compiled for you in our special article.
After the care, depending on the variety, is carried out in summer or autumn Harvesting the potatoes. We give helpful tips on how to get the nutritious tubers out of the ground without damage.