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There is a significant difference between potatoes you purchase in a market and potatoes you grow by yourself as the latter taste much better. At the present time potatoes have become very popular vegetables grown in the garden. They are cultivated with comparative ease and in addition they can be stored for many months.
Potatoes are sun requiring vegetables. They do not tolerate even a slight shadow. In this case the harvest of potatoes may be not so rich. Underlighting causes weak flowering and potato tubers. It is worth mentioning that under normal conditions, potato stems reach 40-80 cm. The optimum temperature for flowering is 18-21°. The appropriate temperature for tuber formation is 16-18°. The vegetables in question do not tolerate negative temperatures and even by light frosts the plant dies.
It should be noted that potatoes require optimum soil moisture for growth. However overmoistering of the soil provides the negative effect to the plant. Therefore it is very important to dampen the soil evenly. To get a heavy harvest you need friable and fertile soil. The root system of the plant in question requires more oxygen than that of other vegetables. The access to oxygen has a great influence upon the friability and taste of tubers. Potatoes will grow perfectly in a slightly acid soil with a pH of 5.8-6-5.
Potatoes may be cultivated in the early spring when the conditions allow you to till the soil. However the growth of potatoes begins when the temperature of soil reaches 45 degrees F. The soil must be evenly moistened but not wetted. To provide protection to young potatoes from light frost, cover them with some straw or a temporary plastic tent. Make certain you have purchased certified seed potatoes. Certified seed potatoes are not subject to diseases and what is more they will give you the heaviest yields. You can choose between different characteristics and qualities of potatoes.
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