Well I hope everyone had a great start to the New Year. As we all know Spring is just around the corner. Those veggie gardeners are biting at the bit to get started. Onions are ready to be planted now. The cold weather should not bother them. Certified seed potatoes should be planted in February. If you go by the Almanac you plant your seed potatoes by the dark of the moon. The dark of the moon is February the 2nd.
How to plant certified seed potatoes:
Take a potato and quarter it. Make sure there is at least 1 eye in every quarter.
Let the ends of the potato dry over night. They should be ready to plant the next morning. You can dust with dusting sulfur if your potatoes have rotted in the past.
Plant your potato quarters 3” to 4” deep and 12” to 15” apart. Space your rows 2’ to 3’ apart.
Harvest after the potato plant has bloomed for new potatoes. For larger size potatoes wait until the tops have fallen over.
Brush the dirt off the potatoes but do not wash them until ready to use them.
Store them in a cool and dry place around 65 to 70 degrees.
NOTE: What makes a certified seed potato is that it has not been sprayed with a growth inhibitor to stop sprouting.
Other veggie seeds that can be planted now in January are English peas and Spinach. Check the Spring Planting Guide for veggie seed planting dates.
February will be the time for pre-emergent, there will be more to come on this topic later.
Let me know if there are any topics or question you have on your gardens.
This entry was posted
on Saturday, January 1st, 2011 at 11:57 pm and is filed under Mike's Monthly Garden Newsletter.
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