Growing potatoes for Dummies?
 

I would like to try growing potatoes but I don't have any experience, and I would need to know which varieties could handle a hot dry summer. Hopefully we won't have a heat wave like last year. If any one can point me in the right direction I would be very grateful. I am ashamed I don't know more as most of my childhood was in South Eastern Idaho. We even had spud vacation! I guess I should call my grandpa and ask him a few questions.

Thanks,
Tyffanie

Anytime someone says hot dry summer and potatoes it brings to mind [b][i]earliness[/i].[/b]

Unless you have rain or good watering venues, I would go with the earliest maturing types to escape the yield and quality devastations that occur with stress during the heat wave that you may yet experience again.

Earlies are potato varieties such as Cobbler and Norland. Any variety that compare with those would be a good choice. Depending on where you get your seed potatoes, you might investigate which are comparable in maturity. My experience in Kansas proved that early is a must when high heat and no rainfall hurts the late maturity classes.

Tom

[FONT=Arial]How often should I water potatoes under normal conditions, and hot conditions.
Thanks for the info.

Tyff
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Potatoes need about an inch of rainfall per week to grow at their optimum. During the extreme heat of summer, they can use 3 to 4 times that amount. That translates to watering them every second or third day during the worst of the heat.

Soil preparation is much more important with spuds. They like soil just a bit on the acid side. Good tomato soils run about 6.0 ph and they will grow pretty well down to 5.5 if the soil fertility is high.

Fusion

We have alkaline soil here. I often get iron chlorosis on my raspberries and a tree I have if I don't apply iron/sulfur. What would I add to the soil to make it more acidic?

Thanks,
Tyffanie

Quick summary:
Soils: moist climates [B][COLOR=white]acidic[/COLOR][/B]

Soils: dry climates alkaline, or basic
[B][COLOR=black]Soil[/COLOR][/B] pH lower than 7.0 is [B][COLOR=white]acidic[/COLOR][/B]

Soil pH higher than 7.0 is alkaline.

[I]Attempt #1:[/I]
[I] Lowering the [B][COLOR=black]soil[/COLOR][/B] pH [B][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/B][B][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/B][B][COLOR=white][/COLOR][/B][/I]
[B][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/B][B][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/B][B][COLOR=white][/COLOR][/B]Sulfur used to lower the pH. [B][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/B] Mix in 1 oz to 3 oz. of rock sulfur per sq. yard depending if the soil is sandy or not.


[B][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/B] Attempt #2/Alternates: [B][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/B]

Sawdust, compost, wood chips, cottonseed meal, and peat moss.[B][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/B]




Tom
[FONT=Arial][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial] [/FONT]

Thanks Mr. Wagner. I usually add peat moss to the planting holes of my tomatoes and compost. I guess I am doing the right thing. The sulfur/ iron mix I bought has nitrogen in it also. Should I buy something different for potatoes? It is called Hi-Yield Iron plus. I have access to city compost, which is made from yard waste and treated sludge. I use it once in awhile, but I am afraid to use it with root crops. What is your opinion on that?
Thanks again,

Tyffanie