produce potatoes in Arkansas can be a fun and rewarding experience . With its humid climate and long growing season , Arkansas is an ideal location for grow potatoes . Potatoes thrive in Arkansas ’ warm and blind drunk climate , with temperature stray from 45 - 90 degrees Fahrenheit and plenty of rain .
Potatoes can be found in late winter or spring and will be ready to glean in late summer or other evenfall . When planting , it ’s significant to pick out well - enfeeble soil and tally plentitude of constitutional thing such as compost or manure . For optimal growth , potatoes need plenty of sun , water supply , and nutrients . Some of the most pop motley to grow in Arkansas let in Kennebec , Russet , Yukon Gold , and Red Pontiac . With the right care and attention , grow potatoes in Arkansas can be a rewarding experience !
Arkansas’s Hardiness Zones And Climate
Growing zone 6 through 8 of Arkansas have a temperate mood . Summers are raging and humid , with temperature extend to as high-pitched as 95 ° atomic number 9 . wintertime are stale , with temperatures dropping as low as 10 ° F . The average one-year precipitation is around 45 inches , with most of it occurring in the spring and early summer months . The acquire season for these zones begins in April and stretch out through October . The ordinary hoar - complimentary growing time of year is around 200 days .
Different varieties of seed potatoes
When selecting seed potatoes for growing in Arkansas , it is important to be mindful of the variety ’s days to harvest and the duration of fourth dimension you have before you want to reap them .
former - season varietiessuch as ‘ Yukon Gold ’ and ‘ Red Norland ’ have fewer days to harvest and should be planted as soon as possible for harvesting in late summer .
Mid - season varietiessuch as ‘ Russet Burbank ’ and ‘ Kennebec ’ have more days to harvest and should be planted in previous April or other May for harvest in fall .
Late - season varietiessuch as ‘ Cara Russet ’ and ‘ All Blue ’ have the most days to harvest and should be set in previous April or early May for harvesting in other winter . Be sure to choose varieties with the right figure of day to harvest for your intend harvest date . Some good murphy varieties for Arkansas include :
When To Plant Potatoes In Arkansas
The good time to implant potatoes in Arkansas is late March to early April . This is when the grunge has warmed up enough for the potatoes to grow and the danger of Robert Frost has guide .
How To Plant Potatoes In Arkansas
Begin the planting process for germ potatoes by tilling the soil to a depth of 8 inches and incorporating constitutional compost . Once you have done this , find a sunny location that receives at least 8 hours of direct sunlight and place the seed potatoes .
constitute the seed potato with the “ eye ” facing upwardly , leaving a distance of 8 to 10 inches in between each . overcompensate the come potatoes with a layer of soil that is 3 - 4 inches deep , and make certain to water them adequately . As the potatoes start to sprout , tot more dirt to the rows to keep them adequately buried .
irrigate the potatoes on a regular basis and remove any weeds from the area . For those living in live and teetotal clime , you may want to cross the stain around the potatoes with drinking straw , although this is not essential .
Caring For Potato Plants
like for potato plants is pretty easy – they ’re incredibly stout and generally no - bother . Potato plants require full Dominicus and well - drained soil to thrive . They should be watered deeply and on a regular basis , allowing the soil to dry out out between tearing .
Fertilizing is also important for optimal growth . Potato plants need a balanced fertiliser with equal parts nitrogen , phosphorus , and potassium . This should be apply every four to six week , depending on the soil ’s nourishing subject matter .
It is also important to keep the stain equally moist , as white potato vine do not stick out juiceless or waterlogged conditions . mulch around the potato plants can help retain wet and reduce grass .
When To Harvest Potatoes In Arkansas
There are two sure ways to recognize your potatoes are aboutready to harvest!The first is counting backwards from your current date to their planting date . Potato variety have an rough number of day to harvest , so consult the days to reap for the particular variety of potato you ’ve plant . If you are n’t certain , seize it ’s around 100 daytime .
The appearance of your white potato plants is another dead game show . You will get it on your potatoes are ready to reap when the foliage commence to turn yellow and become flat back . Your plants will go through an intact flowering cycles/second , which is decent because the flowers are really beautiful .
Allow the territory around the plants to dry out before harvesting , but do n’t leave it to be dry for too long . Once reap , visit the white potato carefully- they should be firm and gratuitous of green or mild spots .
Carefully dig up the spud with a garden fork , taking care not to damage the potatoes in the process . Once the Irish potato have all been dug up , brush off any excess soil and visit them for any equipment casualty . Discard any white potato that are damaged , as these are not suitable for prospicient - term computer storage .
lastly , lightly place the tater in a cool , teetotal , and dark area for storehouse . It is authoritative to only stash away undamaged potatoes , as damage potatoes can chop-chop rot .
