Plant potatoes in Mid-March around St. Patrick’s day. Then scroll down for a yummy herbal recipe for you colorful harvest!
If you do not have the in-ground garden space for potatoes, consider growing them in pots.
Start with a pot at least 12 inches across and 2 feet deep. There are also nifty fabric and plastic grow bags that work well too.
Good soil drainage is vital, so make sure there are enough drain holes based on the size of the container.
Add about 5 inches of good organic potting soil to the bottom of the pot. Do not use soils with extra added fertilizers or water holding hydrogels.) Plant 3 to 4 seed potatoes (depending on the pot size) leaving, about 5″ between each. Seed potatoes are small pieces that have “eyes” on them. A good size seed potato to plant is about the size of an egg. If they are larger, they can be cut in half, just make sure there is an eye on the tuber.
Cover the seed completely with about 2 to 4 inches of soil -do not fill up the container with soil! Water well. In a few weeks, as the leaves emerge to about 4 inches, cover them with more soil until only about an inch of leaves are showing. Every time the plants grow up another 4 inches, cover them until the plants have reached the top of the pot.
Keep the container watered and in a sunny, warm spot. When plants begin to flower in the summer, the potatoes are forming. Wait a few weeks until the flowers are fully open and starting to fade and harvest some baby potatoes for fresh eating. Once the whole plant begins to die and dries up, the potatoes are fully formed and ready for end of season harvest.
Picky about potatoes! What variety to choose?
Grow varieties by how you love to cook with them.
Low-starch or “waxy” potatoes don’t break apart when subject to heat are best for boiling, roasting, grilling, sautés, stews, and salads. The fingerlings are some of the best low-starch varieties.
Medium starch like Yukon Gold and many red varieties will keep their shape during cooking but are creamier and best for steaming, roasting and in mixed bakes dishes like au gratin recipes. High starch varieties, like the classic Russet Burbank in cooking, will fluff to a light dry texture and are best as a baked potato and for frying and mashing.
Colorful Potato Salad!
All Blue, All Red and Yukon Gold Potatoes,
Rinse fresh potatoes and add to boiling water. Medium boil until they start to soften and you can easily push a fork into them (don’t overboil them!) Drain away the water and allow potatoes to cool. Refrigerate the boiled potatoes overnight for ease of cutting and best color.
Cut into cubes. Mix the colorful potatoes with fresh cut chives(shown), parsley, lemon thyme and a touch of rosemary. Add a clove of fresh, crushed garlic, chopped onions and salt and pepper to taste. Toss all ingredients with with an herb infused mayonnaise or olive oil for a lighter taste. A feast for the eyes and tastebuds!
The Herb Lover's Garden 
I think I might have to try growing some potatoes!
Can we grow Japanese Sweet Potatoes here, in a container?
I have a hard time finding them anywhere except Marlene’s, in Federal Way. They are so creamy and tasty.
Thank you!
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Hi Lori,
Japanese Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea) are a vine and unlike the regular ol’ potatoes (Solanum) sweet potatoes can be tough to grow in our area. They grow best in long warm, humid summers and need warm soil . Our cooler soils that are late to warm up enough usually stop them from producing anything pickable in our area. It would be an experiment to try them- if you have a warm spot to put them in and start them early and large black pots (which will hold heat in the summer) to grow them in!
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