Poh tay toes!!

Hooray! Yesterday, I purchased some potato starts.

I love potatoes almost as much as Kayne loves Kayne.

All kidding aside, I am really excited to continue my gardening preparations.

I picked these bad boys up at a nearby grocery store. (In WA state, you can purchase seeds and starts with food stamps!)

I have limited space right now as I currently only have four raised garden beds. But since these need to be started now, I have time before I'll transplant my tomatoes and start my corn.

The first 8 potatoes on the left are Yukon gold and the 8 on the right are russets.

Have you ever grown potatoes? If not, don't worry about it! Last year was my first year. And tell you what... it was not difficult at all. 

Here are the basics. 

Part 1:

1. Pick your potatoes! Decide what kind you want.
2. Purchase your taters. (You can use organic potators as starts but I've heard conflicting information on it.)
3. Place them in a window so they can grow eyes (you know when potatoes start growing green sprouts after you don't use them? That's what you are going for here). You'll want a warm area with lots of sunshine. It can take 2-3 weeks.
4. After several eyes are established on the potatoes, cut them into about 2 inch squares.
5. Let them calluse (potatoes can mold if you don't do this). This can take around a week or more.

After this first step, you can bury them once the weather is continously over 50 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Part two:

1. Dig about 1 foot down into soil and add fresh compost and place them about 1.5 ft apart, with the cut size down.
2. Cover with 3-4 inches soil. Within two weeks, your potatoes should have stems emerging. 
3. Add another 3-4 inches of soil. Now, let the stems grow to aboit 8 inches high. 
4. Once 8 inches high, add another 3-4 inches of soil. 
5. Water regularly and keep the area weed free. If you see any potatoes peeking out of the soil, cover quickly with more soil. The exposed potato could turn green, which can be toxic. 

Once the fall frost comes in, the stems will likely die. You can harvest your potatoes during this time. You'll want to store them in a cool and dry place. 

It may seem like a lot of steps, but I can tell you thr reward is well worth it. While potatoes aren't super expensive, you gain skills, independence, and a sense of pride from growing something yourself. Plus, homegrown potatoes (well, produce in general) tastes far better than store bought potatoes. 

If you have any questions, leave me a comment below! 

Katie