Potatoes

Potatoes are one of the easiest crops to grow in an organic urban garden, and to me, one of the most miraculous and satisfying to grow. Also, organic potatoes are expensive in the supermarket.

Drop a potato eye or two into a shallow hole, mark the place with a stake or stick and wait. In a month you’ll have a dark green plant and in two months or so from the planting time, begin harvest. After the plant blooms, carefully reach under it from the side and feel for the little orbs. Break the new potatoes gently from the root and leave the mother intact to make new babies.

If you should see a bug, squish it. Some years I never see a potato beetle, other years, dozens. The trick is to check often for the pests and get them before they multiply. If squishing the bug makes you weak kneed, shake them off into a jar with sudsy dish detergent. It seems strange and even diabolical, but I suspect that toxins sold to eliminate unwanted insects actually attract more of the little devils. That’s something to ponder.

As the plant is growing and producing, hill it up; heap dirt around the plant to prevent the potatoes from sun exposure, which turns them green. Never eat a green potato, it’s toxic.

After the plant has died back, use a potato fork to dig the gems. If a potato is damaged, eat it immediately. Hose off excess dirt, allow to dry, and store the perfect ones in a cool place. Make sure they are ventilated and that you occasionally check them. I always save the last few as seed for the next year.

Maybe it’s because I’m Irish that I’ve had such success with potatoes. On a good year, I harvest about five pounds per hill in addition to eating them all summer.