Papa's...........

I started the seed potatoes yesterday and got quite a shock when I cut into the All Blue potato variety I had picked out. I ultimately picked out the potato because of its blue skin. I had no idea that they would actually be blue in the middle. I picked it for aesthetic reasons, but after doing some research realized it's a potato high in antioxidants and is great for baking, mashing, frying, and roasting. I can't wait to grow, harvest, and cook them up and see what blue mashed potatoes and blue chips will taste like.  

I also bought 2 more varieties and will plant all of them in the box together. The second variety is an Austrian Crescent fingerling. It's great for salads, roasting, and baking. Some even say just add some olive oil and salt and they taste great. I was lucky to get my hands on some of these, because they are prized by many chefs and unfortunately the seed potatoes sell out fast. 


The last variety I purchased is a red roasting type called Desiree. Its a popular variety thats easy to grow. It has a moist creamy texture with a great flavor and is great for roasting or boiling. Just an all around great potato. 

To prepare the seed potatoes for planting I cut them up, making sure to have two-three eyes per piece. I put them in a cool place for no longer than two days to let the cuts scab over and dusted them with sulfur to prevent rotting. 

The soil in the box was watered at the time I cut up the potatoes. It will be the last time I water until I see the plants emerge. Then I will just make sure that when the soil is dry an inch down and the plants begin to wilt a bit, I will water. Water is crucial to the potatoes, but too much can cause rot. So I think it will be a huge learning curve with these first potatoes. Potatoes like a lower pH so I'm going to fertilize every now and then with Cottonseed meal and coffee grounds. I will post pics as soon as I get the first flowers and when I put the second layer of soil and the box on.