In case you’re trying to figure out when to plant potatoes in Southern California, the best time to do so is in February and August. If you’re aiming for a late spring harvest, you’ll need to do your potato planting in February. However, if you’re looking to reap harvest during late fall or early winter, you have to plant your potatoes in August.
What Is The Best Month To Plant Potatoes?
When you plant your potatoes in February, you get full advantage of Southern California’s rainy season – which means that you won’t have to water your plants that much. Aside from the fact that less watering is required, planting your potatoes in February won’t require you to closely monitor your plants.
What Can I Plant Now In Southern California?
If you’re itching to plants something right now in Southern California, you might want to start with summer vegetables that include pole beans, bush beans, kohlrabi, carrot, cucumber, sweet corn, melons, leaf lettuce, spinach, long-day onion, melons, mesclun, Swiss chard, turnip, pumpkin, parsnip, radish, and squash.
What Can I Plant In April In Southern California?
During the month of April, try sowing seeds of pole and bush beans. You may also try beets, sweet corn, carrots, lettuce, pumpkins, spinach, squash, radishes, onions, kohlrabi, cucumbers, melons, and Swiss chard.
How Do You Grow Potatoes In San Diego?
Although true seeds can be used to grow potatoes in San Diego, they can also be grown from pieces of the tuber. Aside from requiring consistently cool yet frost-free weather, they also need about 3 to four months to fully develop. In case you’re not aware, breeders managed to develop various seed varieties that are able to provide their growers with amazing benefits that include ease of storage and protection from diseases that are usually transmitted from one generation to the next.
Here are some of the tips you need to apply when you’re planting potatoes in “America’s Finest City”.
Use a loose, acidic, and well-drained soil
To make sure that your potatoes grow healthy, you need to make sure that they’re planted into a loose, acidic, and well-drained soil. Furthermore, they tend to grow best between pH 5.0 and pH 6.8. Keep in mind that potatoes become more susceptible to scab disease when their pH level is at 6.5 or higher.
Mix fertilizer before you plant the potatoes
Before anything else, you’ll need to mix in your organic or chemical fertilizer before you scatter it evenly over the soil’s surface. Next, make sure that you mix the fertilizer in 8 inches deep.
Organic fertilizers need to be mixed into the soil for about 2 to 4 weeks before you plant the potatoes. Moreover, to leach the excess salts that are found below the surface, you’ll need to irrigate the soil on a weekly basis.
When you’re using manure, it’s best to use a commercially composted product instead of fresh manure because the latter contains bacteria that can cause harm to your potatoes. However, if you’re using organic fertilizer, just apply it based on the directions of the label.
Cut whole seed potatoes into pieces
Compared to using pieces of tuber, it’s better to plant certified seed pieces because these are free from diseases. If you decide to purchase whole seed potatoes, you need to have them cut into pieces that are about 1.5 to 2 ounces. Before planting these cut pieces, they need to be placed at room temperature for about 1 to 3 days in order to dry out the cut surfaces.
Dust the callused pieces with a fungicide
As soon as the surfaces are dried, a callus, which is responsible for decreasing rotting, will begin to take form. You may choose to dust these pieces with the use of a fungicide. To do this, you’ll place about a dozen of these pieces in a bag and add a teaspoon of soil sulfur or any type of fungicide.
Plant the dry and callused pieces
Within 5 days after cutting, you’ll need to plant them.
Avoid planting potatoes too close to each other
When it comes to planting, you need to make sure that you provide your potatoes with enough space. Placing them too close together will only lead to soil compaction when the tubers are already trying to spread out.
Remember to prepare the soil in rows that are approximately 2 to 3 feet and where the soil can be hilled up as your precious potatoes are growing. While you’re at it, make sure that you plant your potatoes in areas where they can freely soak in the rays of the sun.
The Key Benefits of Growing Your Plants in a Greenhouse
Seasoned gardeners and horticulturists can attest to the wonderful benefits that greenhouses can offer including the ability to control temperature and humidity, as well as greater protection from extreme weather conditions, pests, and animals. In other words, you can never go wrong with greenhouse gardening. Let’s dive in to get a closer look at the benefits of greenhouse gardening:
It allows you to control the temperature and humidity
This is one of the best reasons why you should set up your own greenhouse. When you’re able to control the temperature and humidity inside the enclosure, you can cultivate the most demanding plants. This also means that you’ll be able to establish the optimal climatic conditions that are suitable for your plants’ stages of growth.
It improves the overall quality of your plants
Plants that are grown in greenhouses aren’t under a lot of stress compared to those that are grown outdoors. Since greenhouse gardening provides them with the most suitable environment for growth, the plants are able to flourish
It provides protection from harsh weather conditions
When you set up your own greenhouse, you won’t have to worry about exposing your plants to heavy rain, hail, snow, and strong winds. The structure provides your plants with the protection they need from extreme weather conditions.
It protects your plants from harmful bugs and animals
Unlike traditional outdoor gardening where plants easily fall prey to diseases, pests, and weeds, greenhouse gardening allows you to steer clear of these issues. Plants that grow under the cover of a greenhouse are shielded from harmful insects and animals that can stunt their growth or damage them completely.
When To Plant Potatoes In Southern California Greenhouses
Knowing when to plant potatoes in Southern California is crucial to producing the harvest that you’re looking to reap. However, taking your gardening experience to the next level may mean growing your potatoes in a greenhouse. If you’re planning to embark on a greenhouse gardening journey, check out Krostrade’s top-quality, strong, and durable greenhouses today!