Okay Murphy, NC now is the time to get your potatoes ready for planting! Earlier this week we had a lot of rain, but the sun has been shining bright and everything is starting to feel like spring again. Yes, it's time to start thinking about your gardens and planting your potatoes.
So here is a great little tip for getting started... Instead of buying those really expensive seed potatoes, just pick up a 5 pound bag of organic potatoes. We've just ordered some from the Co-Op we belong to - one bag to eat and the other to plant. Put your bag in a cabinet for a couple weeks and "forget" about them. Let them sprout and, when it is time to plant, just cut them into two or three sections, leaving a good sprout on each section. Put them on the ground, sprout up, and cover them carefully with 8-10 inches of good compost/garden soil. We have been composting for years and its easy to do and great for gardens or even just adding to your container plants or around trees and flowering bushes.
Water them in well. Make sure to plant them by the dark of the moon in March. Cherokee County, NC residents and the Farmers Almanac all say that you need to plant potatoes and other root vegetables by the dark of the moon. This goes for sweet potatoes too. Add some leeks and onions later to help keep pests away. We also like to add some organic garlic cloves in too. If you haven't dug up all your potatoes by Fall, just cover the mound with about 10 inches of leaf mold or mulch to protect them from freezing. Then just dig some out when you're ready for more fresh potatoes for dinner or a big batch of potato salad.
Having a garden is another great thing about living out in the country here in Murphy, NC and the western North Carolina and north Georgia Mountains!
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