Red potatoes
The red potato is a type of tuber that stores water for the above-ground plant. It is a cool-weather vegetable, and the tubers form only when the soil temperature is between 60 and 70 . Red potatoes grow best in the cool temperatures of northern gardens in Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas. Other states in the U.S. can as long as they are planted from October through November or February through March. Some warmer areas, such as California and Florida, can even grow red potatoes in December and January.
Instructions
1. Choose a place in the garden with well-drained soil and full sun. Perform a home soil test. Red potatoes do best in soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5. If the soil is basic, add 5 to 6 inches of compost to the soil and work it in to a depth of 3 feet.
2. Dig holes about 4 inches deep and 11 inches apart. Place the seed tubers into the holes and cover them with 4 inches of soil. Space the rows of potatoes about 2 feet apart. Plant the potatoes when the soil is 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Add 1 inch of water to the red potatoes once a week. Allow the water to soak into the roots. Sandy soil will need water two to three times weekly.
4. Remove weeds from around the red potato plants. Pull them up by hand.
5. Harvest the red the leaves of the plants dry. Till the ground lightly with the spade fork to bring the potatoes to the surface. Pick them out of the dirt.
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