What Is A Pregnancy Wart? Monroe County Garden Club

Irish Potatoes

Most garden Irish potatoes are grown in the spring, since good seed potatoes are impossible to find for fall planting. This is one of the few vegetables recommended for growing in mildly acid soil. A soil pH below 6.0 is acceptable because it retards development of potato scab disease.

Prepare garden rows in fall by building a high bed that will permit early spring planting. Small whole potatoes or cut pieces of large potatoes are referred to as seeds. Use certified seed potatoes that are not shriveled or black on the inside when cut. Do not use potatoes left over from last year's garden because they may be diseased and result in low yields. Do not use potatoes from the grocery store, since the variety may be unadapted and the potatoes may have been treated to prevent sprouting.

Cut seed potatoes into pieces weighing 11⁄2 to 2 ounces with at least one eye per piece. Small seed pieces produce weak plants; large pieces are a waste of seeds. Cut seed potatoes several days before planting and hold them at room temperature spread in a single layer to allow the cut surfaces to dry and heal. This reduces seed piece rot following planting. You need 1 pound of seed potatoes to plant about 10 feet of row; 10 pounds should plant 100 feet of row. Space seed pieces 10 to 12 inches apart and cover with 3 to 4 inches of soil.

Spring-planted potatoes normally bloom, and some of the flowers develop into fruit that look like small green tomatoes. These fruits, the green areas on the skin of potatoes that have been exposed to light, and sprouted potato eyes contain a poisonous substance that may cause illness if eaten. Prevent greening of potatoes by keeping them covered with soil as they grow, and keeping them in the dark after harvest.

Some gardeners prefer to grow potatoes in straw mulch. Potatoes grown in such a manner are clean and easy to harvest. Cover seed pieces with 1 inch of soil. When green sprouts appear, place 4 to 5 inches of straw around the plants. Keep the layer of straw deep and moist. When potato vines die, harvest potatoes by carefully removing the straw.

Problems with Irish potatoes are seed piece rot resulting from planting in clay, wet soils; enlarged lenticels (warts) and tuber rot from excessive soil moisture near harvest; early blight; Colorado potato beetles; and aphids.

Most varieties have white flesh and light brown or red skin. Some specialty varieties have yellow or dark flesh.

Varieties

Atlantic—light brown.
LaChipper—light brown.
Norland—early; red; oblong- shaped; shallow eyes.
Red LaSoda—midseason; red; oblong-shaped; deep eyes.
Red Pontiac—midseason; red; oblong-shaped; deep eyes.
Superior—midseason; light brown.
Norchip—early; light brown; round to oblong; shallow eyes.