How to Soak Potatoes Before Planting
Potato plants can be grown by burying actual potatoes, technically known as "seed potatoes." Larger seed potatoes are sliced into sections, each containing one or two eyes, before planting. Though potato plants are relatively low-maintenance and hardy, fungi on the seed potatoes themselves can cause a variety of potato diseases, including potato scab and black rot. Soaking the potatoes in a variety of solutions kills the problem-causing fungi and helps ensure a healthy potato plant and a bountiful future harvest.
Bleach
Fill a gallon-sized plastic bucket or container with nine cups of fresh water.
Add one cup of standard household bleach. Mix the bleach and water thoroughly with a spoon or other stirring tool.
- Potato plants can be grown by burying actual potatoes, technically known as "seed potatoes."
- Larger seed potatoes are sliced into sections, each containing one or two eyes, before planting.
Drop the potatoes inside the solution. Let them soak for five minutes before removing them from the solution. This kills most bacterial and fungal diseases, according to OISAT, a European agricultural resource service for farmers and extension workers.
Commercial Fungicides
Fill a gallon-sized plastic bucket with 1/3 gallon of fresh water.
Add 3/5 teaspoon of mancozeb, a commercial fungicide recommended by the University of Hawaii. If you're using another agricultural fungicide, such as benomyl, consult the specific chemical's label for mixing instructions.
Put the potatoes into the solution. Let them soak for 15 minutes before removing and planting them.
- Drop the potatoes inside the solution.
- Let them soak for five minutes before removing them from the solution.
Borax
Pour a gallon of water into a plastic bucket.
Mix in 2/3 cup of borax.
Place the potatoes into the borax solution. Soak the potatoes for 10 minutes, then remove and plant them. Borax effectively kills the various fungi that cause potato problems, like black rot, according to Clemson University's cooperative extension service.
Potatoes Set Out Before Planting Them?
Seed potatoes larger than 2 inches in diameter require cutting into smaller pieces before you plant them. Once cut and prepared for planting, seed potatoes require drying. Drying allows the cut edges to scab over so they are less prone to rot or disease transmission after planting. Incorporating a 2-inch layer of compost and a 5-10-5 blend fertilizer into the site improves soil quality. Spacing the potatoes 10 inches apart in the row and setting rows at least 2 feet apart provides room for tuber development. Potatoes produce tubers along the entire length of their buried stem, so mounding mulch can increase crop yield.
- Pour a gallon of water into a plastic bucket.
- Spacing the potatoes 10 inches apart in the row and setting rows at least 2 feet apart provides room for tuber development.
Tip
Plant the potatoes immediately after you've soaked them.
Related Articles
References
- "How to Grow Potatoes: A Practical Gardening Guide for Great Results"; Richard Bird; 2009
- OISAT: Sweet Potatoes
- University of Hawaii: Sweet Potato Planting Material
- Clemson Cooperative Extension: Irish & Sweet Potato Diseases
- University of California Stanislaus Master Gardeners: Potatoes in Your Garden
- University of California Vegetable and Research Center: Growing Potatoes
Tips
- Plant the potatoes immediately after you've soaked them.
Writer Bio
Joshua Duvauchelle is a certified personal trainer and health journalist, relationships expert and gardening specialist. His articles and advice have appeared in dozens of magazines, including exercise workouts in Shape, relationship guides for Alive and lifestyle tips for Lifehacker. In his spare time, he enjoys yoga and urban patio gardening.
