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CONSIDER GROWING POTATOES IN YOUR NORTH FLORIDA GARDEN Every day, one or two more readers subscribe to my blog. Most who subscribe say they are a vegetable gardening beginner. Not too long ago, it seemed to be a disappearing practice. It’s a wonderful thing to see the increase in interest, and to know there are new home vegetable gardeners, because so many of the old-timers are no longer with us. Frank Ogles of Valparaiso, who recently passed away, always had a fabulous garden. While touring his front- and back yard garden in 2005, he was only too happy to share some of his huge harvest. After dining on the creamy, delicious potatoes from his garden, I knew I needed to grow a bunch of my own. Who would have thought a potato could taste so good? I have been preparing my potato bed for several weeks now by digging deeply and mixing in compost, dried grass clippings and shredded leaves. Potatoes prefer full sun and a slightly acidic soil. If the soil is too alkaline, say pH 7 or higher, scab can result (corky patches on the tubers). If you have added lime to your soil, you may want to take a soil sample to your extension office and have the pH checked before planting your potato crop. If you want to grow potatoes this year, now is the time to order your seed potatoes. Don’t use potatoes from the grocery store. They are probably sprayed with a growth inhibitor. And they may carry diseases. My custom search engine makes it easy to find seed potatoes. The varieties recommended in Florida are Sebago, Red Pontiac, Atlantic, Red LaSoda, LaRouge and Superior. In north Florida, potatoes should be planted from about Jan. 15 to March 15. If you are looking for a big harvest from a small space, potatoes are a great choice. I will be planting Red Pontiac potatoes this year. They are a great all-purpose potato that can be harvested at any stage. I’ll plant my crop about mid February. Before then, I will post more about growing potatoes in north Florida. |
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