Potatoes are an easy to grow tubular that requires a little attention and can be grown in a small area. Many claim the harvest over 100 pound of potatoes from a 4 square foot gardening area. All the care required is to add soil to the mound as the plant grows.

Garden seed potatoes aren't really seeds. They are full-size potatoes that are allowed to start producing shoots in the potato eyes. You've probably seen this happen when you've stored potatoes in the kitchen for too long. Planting potatoes from the grocery store is a gamble. Some individual potatoes are treated with a growth inhibitor to keep them from sprouting so you need to wash them. Buying bulk potatoes usually don't have growth inhibiters.

A week or two before you plant your potatoes you'll want to sprout your seedlings. Put them in a warm location with 60 to 70 degree heat and in the sunlight to accelerate the sprouting process.

The day before planting you will want to cut up the seed potatoes. Cut a 1-1/2 to 2 inch cube containing at least 2 eyes. Leave your cut potatoes open to the air overnight. A callous will cover the cut part and will prevent the seed from rotting in the ground.

Potatoes need full sun and loose, well-drained soil. If your soil is full of clay make sure to add compost and lots of peat moss so the vines can grow easily. Make sure they get about an inch of water a week.

One can use build a potato box or automobile tires as a garden accessory and plant place 6 seed potatoes inside filling the tire or container half way with soil. When the vines grow about 6 inches high place another tire on top or add boards to your container and cover the vines half way with soil. Keep adding soil and tires until you reach the desired height. Tires can be stacked 4 to 8 levels high.

Potatoes begin sprouting in a few weeks and when the plant gets 2 or more inches in height, add some soil to partially cover the plant. Hilling the plant will cause more of the tubular to spread and produce even more garden potatoes. Add a few inches of soil to your potato mound every few weeks.

Days to Harvest: 2 - 4 Months. The entire crop is ready to harvest once the tops of the plants die off. You can leave the potatoes in the ground for a few weeks longer, as long as the ground is not wet. Store the perfect ones in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place.

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