Soil preparation for potatoes

When planting any type of vegetable, the location and soil are always important things to consider with each plant variety chosen to plant. Potatoes are no different. If the conditions are right and the right location is chosen, it can be easy to grow potatoes with very little care.

Prepare soil for planting

Potatoes require full sun, so they need to be planted in a sunny location in the garden. After the location is chosen, dig a trench approximately a foot deep and a foot wide. After creating the trench, add fresh compost, manure and some bone meal into the soil. For good production, potatoes will need a slightly acidic soil. Therefore, it will be helpful to test the soil before planting. Potatoes need a soil that is loose so the compost is important to prepare the soil for the potatoes. If the soil in your yard is dense, clay soil, make sure to add plenty of compost.

Creating acetic soil

If increasing the acidic level is necessary, there are a few ways to accomplish this. An organic method would be adding coffee grounds, peat moss, or even some wood chips to the soil. Another way to create acidic soil is to use commercial fertilizers which work faster. The problem with those types of fertilizers is that they may work too fast, resulting in burned plants. Whichever method is preferred, it's best to always check your acid levels after adding the fertilizer.

Making soil more alkaline

While soil may not be acidic enough, it could be that the soil is too acidic and has to be made more alkaline. However, that usually isn't the case for potatoes. Adding alkaline additives to the soil usually isn't recommended because of the possible damage to the potatoes. If it is still desired to try, then add some ground limestone or calcium carbonate to the soil when mixing it in the trench. Another way to lower the acidic soil is to add some wood ash to the soil and mix it in. Again after you mix things together checking your soil is a good idea to make sure what your soil level is.

Using straw for potatoes

Straw can also be used to grow potatoes. First, dig the trench as stated above, mixing the compost and manure in the trench. Then, add a layer of straw to the trench and blend this into the soil as well. Finally, add another layer of straw and it is ready for planting the potatoes.

Regardless of the type of potatoes planted, planning ahead and preparing the soil should yield good results. Remember, soil is important since it is the base to hold the potato's roots and provides food for them to grow from.