How to Start Potato Slips

Use these gardening tips to learn how to start potato slips in your garden.

Potatoes are an interesting thing to grow. Unlike many plants, which are easiest started from seed, potatoes literally grow from other potatoes. Planting potatoes is very easy for this reason!

How to Start Potato Slips

If you want to dig up some fun at harvest time, check out these tips for starting potatoes from seed potatoes.

Tips for Preparing Soil to Grow Potatoes

First, you will want to make sure you have the right conditions. Potatoes like a lot of sunlight and they prefer a soil temperature of at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You will want to do it late enough into the Spring that the ground is not frozen, too.

To prepare the soil for planting seed potatoes, make sure it is in a n area that wasn’t previously used for similar plants such as parsnips or even tomatoes. This will almost always ensure you don’t pass on any fungus or disease.

You will want your potatoes to be planted in very rich, nutrient-rich soil. Add some compost to your soil and go down about 8 inches. You will want to also make sure your soil is loose and well-draining so you don’t promote rot.

One thing to also keep in mind when growing potatoes is don’t try to grow them from any old potato you get from the store for eating. These will have growth inhibitors in them and will not fare well for growing in the garden. Instead, buy from an organic farmer or from a seed and feed store in the Spring.

How to Chit Your Potatoes

Some people opt to chit their potatoes before planting if they are not already sprouting. This is simply the process to get them to start. You will place them in a cool area upright (an old egg container works well!) to get them to sprout. Do not place them in the dark. They will sprout there, but they won’t be as strong.

How to Grow Potatoes from Seed Potatoes

You can either leave your sprouting potatoes whole when you plant them or you can cut them into chunks. Many gardeners find that chunks yield more potatoes. To do it, just simply cut your sprouted potatoes into chunks that have 2-3 eyes on them. These can be planted just as is.

In your prepared soil, dig down about 3-4 inches and place each sprout facing up. Cover with about 2 inches of composted soil. When your potato is sprouting up through, cover it with more soil. Make sure each plant has about 3 feet of space between them.

You will want to create a hill for each sprout.  Every week, add more to your hills as they sprout. In the end, you should have about a foot height of each one of your hills. Make sure to water as you grow your hills.

For More Information on How to Grow Potatoes

How to Move Potato Plants

How to Grow Potatoes