How to Start Potato Plants
- 1). Check your climate. Potatoes have a high tolerance for hot weather but are only able to tolerate a mild frost. You should grow potatoes in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zones 6 through 11. Potatoes also grow best when they receive a minimum of six hours in direct sunlight each day.
- 2). Loosen the soil and make small hills of soil about three feet apart. Potatoes root aggressively and will require a light, loose loam with good drainage. The soil should be slightly acidic with a pH between 5.8 and 6.5.
- 3). Prepare the seed potatoes about three weeks before the last anticipated frost of the spring. Store the seed potatoes at room temperature where they will be exposed to plenty of sunlight. Allow the potatoes to sprout for a week or two until two days before planting.
- 4). Cut the larger seed potatoes into cubes approximately two inches on a side and ensure that each "seed" has at least one eye. Wait another day or two before planting the potato "seeds". Plant three potato "seeds" in each mound of soil about three inches deep.
- 5). Water the soil to keep it evenly moist, but not soaking wet. The potato plants should start to grow once the soil temperature warms to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, provided the soil doesn't become waterlogged. Cover the young plants with a loose layer of straw to protect them from frost.
Source...