Care for potatoes is not demanding and leads to a bounty harvest. We provide tips on watering potatoes, fertilizing, propagation and general care of potato plants.
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are grown in many gardens and also in pots on balconies and terraces. An important part of culture is caring for the potato. 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.
Do you have to water potatoes?
Potatoes need sufficient moisture in the soil for tuber formation. Depending on the weather and soil type, sandy, well-drained soils must therefore be watered more often than heavier, loamy soils. A clear sign of the lack of water is the sagging and wilting of the entire above-ground plant. Here should be acted and poured quickly. Early morning is the best time to water potatoes so the plant can absorb the water before the afternoon heat. To keep evaporation to a minimum, a layer of mulch of plant matter can be applied between rows. It also serves as food for soil organisms and can also reduce weed growth.
Tip: Wilts that cannot be remedied with watering can be due to root and stem damage from weed picking or piling up, as well as an infestation of potato diseases and pests.
pile potatoes
The mounding is an essential measure in the care of the potato. Depending on the growth, soil should be heaped up to the top of the shoot every 2 to 4 weeks. The daughter tubers are thus protected from sunlight, which would encourage them to produce toxic solanine and turn green. Regular accumulation also reduces the growth of weeds.
Fertilize potatoes
Fertilization is an important part of potato care. Potatoes are medium to heavy feedersand therefore need a nutrient-rich environment to develop he althy foliage and a good yield. However, the starch-rich tuber is very sensitive to nitrogen over-fertilization, which is why fast-acting mineral fertilizers such as blue grain are not particularly suitable for fertilizing potatoes. In contrast, slow-acting, predominantly organic fertilizers release their nutrients over several months to years. In the spring, mature compost or manure can be worked into the future potato patch. An organic, long-term fertilizer, such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer, is equally suitable for potato plants in pots and outdoors. For more helpful tips and details on fertilizing potatoes, see our special article.
Tip: Green manure that freezes in winter is an ideal preceding crop for potatoes. It can be worked into the soil in spring and serves as food for microorganisms.
Pruning Potato Plants
He althy potato plants should never be cut back. Because only with the help of the leaf mass are sugars formed, which are later stored as starch in the tubers. An exception is early leaf diseases, which can be slowed down by cutting back the diseased leaves.
Overwinter potatoes
The potato plant dies naturally when its daughter tubers mature in autumn. The tubers overwinter in the ground and sprout fresh after mild winters. However, frost can severely damage the sensitive tubers, which is why potatoes are stored outside the ground in the basement or garden shed in a cool but frost-free place.
Grow Potatoes
Potatoes can be propagated by tubers and seeds. The cultivation of the seeds from the fruit of the potato is tedious and only really worthwhile for breeders. The seedlings form only tiny tubers in the first year. Only after they are planted again the following year do they produce a yield that is comparable to that of potatoes propagated via daughter tubers. Potatoes form the best propagation material via their daughter tubers because they are genetically identical and the easiest way to propagate potatoes. After the tubers have overwintered successfully, they are planted in the ground from April next year.
Tip: We have everything you need to know about planting potatoes in ourSpecial items put together.
After the care, the potatoes are harvested in summer or autumn, depending on the variety. We provide helpful tips on how to get the nutritious tubers out of the ground without damaging them.