Nothing can beat the taste of fresh, succulent young potatoes grown in your own kitchen garden and eaten in butter. Harvesting baby potato when it’s at the height of flavour and texture can be tricky, but once you’ve figured it out, it’s rewarding too.
To grow baby potatoes, cut mature tubers into 1-inch pieces and then choose soil that's loose, well-drained, acidic, and in full sun. Water baby potatoes 1-2 inches per week i.e. more often during foliage growth. Harvest baby potatoes two weeks after foliage stop growing. Don't wash baby potatoes before storage.
Baby Potatoes are interesting & little different from most garden vegetables, because we don't start them from seeds, and we can't see the thing you're growing, since it's underground. But when we harvest baby potatoes, it's like opening a present without the wrapping paper. Plus, baby potatoes are easy to grow.
Baby Potatoes grow easily where there is well-drained soil and sun and it's pretty simple that's why they're such a widely-grown crop around the planet. Most of the potato varieties are a hardy crop, and many varieties can withstand a light frost.
Although they were first commercially grown in Europe, Idaho is now the largest producer of baby potatoes. Baby potatoes began to take over other crops in Europe since they grow so easily in most climates.
Baby potatoes are also a filling crop and it doesn’t take many young potatoes to sustain a person. The complexity of the carbohydrate is difficult for the human body to break down and this provides energy for a sustained time.
While it takes about four months for most baby potato varieties to come to full fruition, then the baby potatoes are generally pulled out a month or two earlier. This results in smaller young potatoes, but also sweeter and less starchy plants at the same time.
Baby potatoes are super gratifying to grow because they can be quite expensive in stores, and also don't take up too much garden space!
Let’s look at how to grow them:
Planting Baby Potatoes:
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Most baby potatoes are generally planted in the same manner: from mature tubers that are then cut into small pieces with one or two stem buds.
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Set these about a foot or so apart directly into the ground, in the raised bed, containers, or low mounds.
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For best results and to avoid decay, allow the cut tubers also called seed pieces, to dry for a few days until they can heal properly. Before planting them, dust them with natural garden sulfur.
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Plant these in spring when all chances of frost are gone.
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Baby Potatoes need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, so be sure to plant in an area with full sun.
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At planting baby potatoes time, add a small amount of all-purpose fertilizer.
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As the baby potatoes start to grow, pile soil or mulch around the bases to keep the lower stems completely covered for good growth.
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This is a really important step as it will prevent tuber “greening” which can make the baby potatoes taste bitter.
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Water potatoes regularly.
Harvesting Baby Potatoes:
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Approximately three months, you can gently start to sift through the soil to check potatoes.
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Grab the stem gently to gather the baby potatoes.
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Do not wash the baby potatoes, but rather just dust them off and store them in a cool, dry place.
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Consume baby potatoes within a week or two.
Most baby potato varieties can be harvested while small, but there are a few varieties that are already small and can be directly grown in the garden.
So now that you know how to grow baby potatoes in your garden, it's time to roll up your sleeves and begin planting.
