When is the best time to plant potatoes in autumn?

Potato planting time

Potatoes are plants of the Solanaceae family, genus Solanum, also known as potatoes, ground eggs, and sweet potatoes. Potatoes are one of the five major staple foods in China. They have high nutritional value and high yield. They are the third most important food crop in the world, second only to wheat and corn. Potatoes are planted twice a year, in March in spring and mid-August in summer.

Potato sowing method

1. Cut into pieces for germination: Potatoes start to germinate in early March. When cutting into pieces, at least one bud eye needs to be retained on the piece. After cutting, mix it with dry ash, or soak it in a carbendazim solution for sterilization. After drying, place it in the seedbed for germination.

2. Land preparation and trenching: Potatoes are suitable for planting in fertile and loose soil. You can renovate the soil, remove weeds, and apply some base fertilizer. Double trenches are generally used for planting. When digging trenches, you can use large rows of 50 cm and small rows of 40 cm.

3. Sowing and covering with film: Sow potatoes in the prepared soil, with a spacing of 20 cm between plants. Cover with a microfilm and compact it tightly. Seedlings will emerge after 20 days. At this time, you can lift the film to maintain a good ventilation environment.

Key points for potato planting

When cutting potatoes, be sure to sow them immediately after cutting. Do not store them for too long to avoid affecting the germination rate. The sowing depth should not be too deep. The density should be between 4,500 and 5,000 plants per acre. The soil should be leveled to facilitate covering with plastic film.

Potatoes ripe for harvest

It takes about six months for potatoes to mature from sowing. Generally, the yield of potatoes per mu is about 2,000 kilograms. If they are properly maintained and the planting techniques are good, the maximum yield per mu can reach more than 5,000 kilograms.