- 1). Choose the best raised bed for your potatoes. Potato plants need plenty of sunshine and well-drained soil.
- 2). Loosen the soil underneath the raised bed. If your raised bed usually becomes waterlogged, add a 3-inch layer of gravel or stones to the bottom. Fill the bed with a garden soil that retains moisture to within 6 inches of the top of the bed.
- 3). Dig organic manure into the soil mix so that it distributes evenly. Use natural manure, such as sheep's manure, or dried and bagged manure. Test the pH of the soil. It should be slightly acidic, in the pH 5 to pH 6 range. Consult your local greenhouse owner for the correct fertilizer to add to the soil to bring it to the correct acidity.
- 4). Smooth the surface of the soil. Warm up the soil by covering the bed with dark fabric and leave it for at least one day.
- 5). Remove the dark fabric and make planting trenches in the soil. Use a trowel to make straight rows that are 4 inches deep and 1 foot apart.
- 6). Plant the seed potatoes so that their shoots are turned upwards and 2 inches below the level of the soil. The potatoes should be about 8 inches apart. Cover the potatoes with soil to a depth of 4 inches.
- 7). Water the soil in the raised bed so that it is damp but not water-logged. Water regularly, as soil in raised beds dries out faster than at ground level.
- 8). Apply mulch to the raised bed when the potato plants are 4 inches tall. Lay down four to eight layers of newspaper on top of the soil. Cut slits in this layer to allow the potato plants to grow through it. Place stones or rocks on the edges of the paper layer to anchor it. Continue to regularly water the plants through this layer of mulch.
SHARE
