Potatoes are a gratifying crop for the home gardener, offering substantial yields from a small space. Cultivating them in Ohio requires a localized approach due to the state’s variable spring weather and potential for late frost. Focusing on proper timing, soil management, and consistent care helps gardeners overcome regional challenges and enjoy a rewarding yield of homegrown tubers.
Selecting Varieties and Determining Planting Time
Selecting the right variety and timing the planting is crucial to avoid environmental damage. Ohio’s last hard frost dates range significantly, typically falling from late April in southern regions to late May in northern areas near Lake Erie. Planting early varieties when the ground is workable, often in late March or early April, allows plants to establish themselves before summer heat.
Potato varieties are classified by their maturity time. Early-season potatoes, such as Red Norland or Yukon Gold, mature quickly (50 to 70 days), making them ideal for shorter growing seasons. Mid-season varieties like Kennebec require 80 to 90 days.
Late-season varieties, including Russet Burbank, mature in 90 to 120 days. Staggering the planting of these maturity types can extend the harvest period throughout the summer and fall. Consulting a local extension office for the average last frost date helps prevent young sprouts from being damaged by a sudden cold snap.
Soil Preparation and Planting Techniques
Potatoes thrive in full sun and require well-drained soil to prevent rot and allow for tuber expansion. Ohio’s heavy clay soil often impedes drainage and must be addressed before planting. Amending the area with compost, aged manure, or peat moss improves soil structure, aeration, and water permeability.
Potatoes prefer a slightly acidic soil pH, ideally between 5.0 and 5.5. If the pH is too high, elemental sulfur can be used to lower it. Planting in raised beds or mounding the soil significantly helps manage drainage in areas with high clay content.
Before planting, purchase certified disease-free seed potatoes. “Chitting,” or pre-sprouting, involves placing the seed potatoes in a bright, cool location until short sprouts emerge from the “eyes.” Cut larger seed potatoes into pieces, ensuring each piece has at least one or two healthy sprouts.
Plant the prepared seed pieces three to four inches deep. Space them approximately 12 inches apart in rows that are two to three feet wide to allow for hilling later. Planting them deep initially helps protect the developing tubers from light exposure.
Essential Care and Hilling Practices
Hilling involves drawing soil or organic material up around the base of the plant stem. This practice prevents light from reaching developing tubers, which causes greening, and encourages the plant to form more tubers along the buried stem.
Begin the first hilling when plants reach six to eight inches tall. Scoop soil from between the rows, mounding it around the stems until only the top leaves are exposed. Repeat this process every two to three weeks, or whenever the plants grow another six to eight inches, continuing until the mounds are substantial.
Consistent soil moisture is necessary, especially when tubers are actively forming after the plant begins to flower. Aim for one to two inches of water per week, ensuring the soil remains damp but never waterlogged, as soggy conditions promote fungal diseases and rot.
The Colorado Potato Beetle is a common Ohio pest; both adults and larvae can rapidly defoliate plants. Small infestations can be managed by hand-picking the beetles and their eggs off the undersides of leaves. For larger problems, organic controls like Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies tenebrionis (Btt) can be applied to target the larvae.
Fungal diseases like early blight and late blight are common. These diseases often appear as dark, concentric spots on the leaves. Good air circulation, proper spacing, and crop rotation are preventative measures. Treating plants with an organic copper or sulfur-based fungicide may be necessary to protect the foliage and developing tubers.
Harvesting and Curing Your Crop
The harvest yields “new” potatoes and mature storage potatoes. New potatoes are small, tender, and thin-skinned, and can be harvested about seven to eight weeks after planting. To harvest them, gently dig around the perimeter of the plant and remove a few of the largest tubers, leaving the rest of the plant to continue growing.
For long-term storage, wait until the plant’s foliage naturally begins to yellow and die back. Once the vines are completely dead, leave the potatoes in the ground for about two weeks. This allows the skin to thicken and “set,” making them less prone to damage and rot. Use a digging fork, starting several inches away from the plant center, to gently lift the potatoes from the soil, taking care not to puncture them.
After harvesting, the potatoes need to be cured to heal minor skin injuries. Cure them in a dark, well-ventilated space at a temperature between 45 and 60°F for one to two weeks. This process creates a durable skin that extends their storage life, allowing the crop to be kept for months in a cool, dark location.