- Plant Info
Botanical name: Solanum tuberosum ‘Goldrush’/ Solanum tuberosum ‘Yukon Gold’
Potatoes need to be planted in full sun during warm weather. This plant will not need a trellis. Potatoes need lots of nutrients to grow well, so we recommend both fertilizer for the soil and mulch for hilling.
For first time growers, we also recommend additional research. The following video serves as a short primer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV6-PsToR6w
- How To Sow
We recommend planting potatoes into pots or grow bags for easier harvesting, but you can plant potatoes directly in the ground.
First, add compost or phosphorous fertilizer to the soil you will use for planting and mix to incorporate. Then, fill the grow bag with 6 inches of enriched soil, and lay the seed potatoes on the soil with the ‘eyes’ of the potato facing towards the sky. For every 5 gallons in the bag or bucket, plant 1 seed potato. Next, cover with 3-4 inches of soil and water. Keep the soil damp until the potatoes sprout.
To avoid overwatering, stick your finger in the soil up to the first knuckle before watering. If your finger is still wet, don’t add more water.
- After Planting
The seed potatoes will sprout between 2-4 weeks after planting. When the sprouts reach 6-8 inches tall, perform the first round of “hilling” the potatoes.
Hilling potatoes involves mounding a few inches of compost, soil, or straw every 2-3 weeks until they flower and are ready to harvest. Each time you mound up the soil, compost, or straw, leave the top 2-4 inches of leaves exposed. This process allows more potatoes to grow and protects the earliest potatoes from sun damage.
- Harvest Time
Goldrush potatoes will be ready for harvest 90-120 days after planting. Yukon Gold potatoes can be harvested 65-70 days after planting, yielding smaller potatoes called “new potatoes”. Mature Yukon Gold potatoes will be ready 90-100 days after planting.
The best indication of fully mature potatoes is when the foliage yellows, withers, and starts to die back. When 70%-100% of the leaves die back, the potatoes are ready. Sometimes potatoes will start to poke through the soil and flowers start dropping from the potato plant as a sign of impending maturity.
When the vines first start to yellow and die back, STOP watering the potatoes! Letting the potatoes thoroughly dry out for a week or two toughens the potato skin and lengthens the amount of time they can be stored without spoiling.
When it’s time to harvest, we recommend NOT using metal spades to avoid breaking any potato skins as that prevents you from storing that potato. If you accidentally nick or cut a potato, set it aside and use it immediately. Do NOT attempt to cure an injured potato.
For harvesting, we recommend slowly tipping the pot onto a tarp or sheet, allowing you to sift through the dirt and remove the potatoes. They should separate easily from their roots, but if it doesn’t, use garden sheers or kitchen scissors to snip the root as close to the potato as possible without injuring it.
Do NOT wash the potatoes immediately after harvesting. Just lightly brush the worst of the dirt off, and set it aside for now. Washing should only be done right before you plan to cook the potato.
- Finishing Touches
A “cured” potato has a tougher skin and is better suited for storage. To cure potatoes, put unwashed potatoes in a single layer in an area that is dark, cool, humid, and well-ventilated. The potatoes should not be touching each other to allow air to circulate. Let them cure there for 10-14 days, then store the cured potatoes in breathable containers in a cool, dry, dark area.
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