potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) are aboriginal to the Andean stack , and well - suited to Colorado ’s furrowed geography and varied climate . Colorado is the fifth to sixth large producer ofpotatoesin the United States , with the San Luis Valley in southeast Colorado producing 90 percent of Colorado ’s commercial potato crop . While not all of the more than 5,000 variety preserved in Peru are available in Colorado , hundreds of varieties , from early to mid- to previous time of year eccentric , grow well in Colorado .
When to Plant
Potatoes are genus Tuber and herbaceous perennial , stout in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant life hardiness zones 2 to 11 . Plant potatoes four to six week before the last hoar , when the primer coat temperature has warmed to 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit . In the San Luis Valley , parts of the Western Slope and other areas of Colorado with an elevation below 7,000 feet , works potatoes in belated April to former May . In more craggy regions , wait until mid - May . white potato can resist clear icing , though it will vote down egress leaf . The foliage will turn back and the works will continue to grow , though repeated freeze depletes reserves in the seed genus Tuber .
Site and Soil
Choose a positioning where the potato plants will pick up at least six hours of sunlight each day . Sandy , loamy grunge with a pH of 4.8 to 5.5 is idealistic , though some varieties will push through clay soil and most will put up a more alkalic pH horizontal surface . Do not plant potatoes in the same location each year , and do not institute them where other nightshade family works were grown the former time of year . Nightshade family plants include Lycopersicon esculentum , eggplant and peppers .
Choosing Potatoes
seminal fluid potato face just like the potatoes you eat , though murphy from the grocery store may have been treat to prevent shoot . you’re able to replant white potato you grew the old year , but after one or two develop seasons , the tater will no longer acquire well . Seed potato producers acquire seed potato from the sprouts that emerge from spud . These sprouts are rooted and cultivate to bring forth the source genus Tuber . Any seed Solanum tuberosum imported into Colorado must be certified as free of disease .
How to Plant
Seed potatoes that are 1 to 3 ounces , or about the size of it of an egg , can be planted whole . Cut larger seed potatoes into composition of about the same size , as long as each piece has at least one or two " eyes " or sprout . address come white potato carefully , taking care to not discover off the emerge sprout . Dig a oceanic abyss 6 to 8 inches deep , and plant the come white potato or pieces 18 inch aside , in rows 2 foot aside . Cover them with 4 inch of grime . Water well and suss out the moisture level where the tater are develop to avoid overwatering . Potatoes can stand firm less water system , while too much may cause the genus Tuber to waste or rise disease .
Sprouts should issue in about two hebdomad ; when they are 8 in mellow , hill the plant by graze up soil from the sides of the seam to total another 4 inches of soil around each sprout . Repeat this hilling process every two to three weeks as the plants grow , acquire maintenance to not vex the dirt where the tuber are growing . Be certain to cover any tubers that push to the surface with territory .
References
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