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Unusual Tomato List 2003

 

Tomatoes
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Potatoes

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Vegetable Gardening
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SHERIDAN GARDENS NURSERY, INC

 

Burbank Store

817 N. Hollywood Way

Burbank, CA 91505

(818) 841-8845

www.sheridangardens.com 

 

 


How to Grow Potatoes Above Ground

Have you ever eaten a fresh picked potato?  So much better than potatoes that have been sitting on a supermarket shelf, fresh picked potatoes are less starchy, more firm and sweet.  The best part is, it doesn’t take a lot of space to grow potatoes!  They can be grown above ground!

You will need: 

  1. Disease-free seed potatoes:  These should be purchased from the garden center as grocery store potatoes have invariably been chemically treated and will not sprout.
  1. The container of your choice:  Possibilities include an expandable tomato cage, chicken wire, old tires, or even an old trashcan (bottom should be removed first for drainage)!  If you choose to use a cage or chicken wire, you will want to wrap it with burlap to prevent excessive erosion and to keep the sun from burning the potatoes and drying out the straw.
  1. Liberal amount of straw.

potatoes.jpg (62005 bytes)Start by cutting the potatoes into pieces, making sure that each piece has at least 2 to 3 eyes.  The pieces should be allowed to dry for approximately 24 hours before planting. 

When the potatoes are ready for planting, line your container choice with 12 – 18 inches of straw, then place the potato pieces cut-side down (eyes should be “looking” at you), approximately 12” apart.  Add 12 additional inches of straw to the top.  Water well.

As the vines from the potatoes emerge, continue adding layers of straw so that no more than six inches of vine is ever exposed.  

Potatoes can be harvested as desired.  New potatoes, plantable for the next season are ready once the plants have bloomed.