Potatoes should be planted when the soil temperature reaches 45 degrees F, and the soil is relatively dry. Plant seed potatoes six to eight inches deep in the soil and 12 inches apart. Plant potatoes in an area with full sun, and be sure to fertilize them upon planting and once a month after planting. Potatoes are the perfect vegetable for beginner gardeners to tackle. They're easy to grow, and, from each potato plant, you can expect to harvest at least five potatoes. As long as you give the original seed potatoes or tubers adequate moisture and full sun, they should thrive. But the key is getting them into the ground at exactly the right time, which will vary depending on where you're located. If growing potatoes is on your gardening list this spring, here are seasonal indicators you need to look for and when gardening experts say you should plant potatoes for the most abundant harvest. When to Plant Potatoes The best time to plant potatoes will depend on the climate in your region and that season's particular weather. Callie Bush, the edible gardener at R.P. Marzilli & Company, explains that potatoes shouldn't be planted until soil temperatures at at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit or above. This will differ depending on where you are located. For gardeners in the north, you might not put potatoes in the ground until late April. Meanwhile, gardeners in the south could plant them as early as February. If you're in an area where the winter sees significant snow or moisture over the winter, wait until the wettest days are behind you. "The ground needs to be fairly dry and loose because potatoes cannot handle soggy conditions," says Tammy Sons, CEO of TN Nursery. How to Plant Potatoes Potatoes are known for being easy-to-grow and agreeable in the garden, as long as you follow the right process to set them up for a successful growing season. If you are harvesting your own seed potatoes, Sons says, "Cut into sections containing at least one viable eye each and dried for one to two days before planting to prevent rot." When you plant seed potatoes, make sure the eye—the sprout–is facing upwards towards the sky. Plant seed potatoes up six to eight inches deep, and plant each seed potato 12 inches apart. Expect to see sprouts emerging from the soil in two to four weeks. While potatoes thrive in full sun, you should also take steps to protect them from hear. "Hill the plants by mounding soil around the base of the stems," Bush says. "This will encourage more tubers and will protect them from sun exposure." Typically, you'll have potatoes ready to harvest in 90 to 120 days. Where to Plant Potatoes Potatoes do best in full sun, where the top growth (the foliage above ground) can grow thick and lush. The more the top growth is able to thrive, the more it will feed the tubers down below. Ideally, potatoes should be planted in a spot that receives at least six hours of full sun a day, and up to eight hours or more is even better. However, potatoes don't love incredibly hot soil so, when they do get full sun, it's important to mulch around the area to help keep the soil temperature down. Tips for Planting Potatoes in the Garden If you're planting potatoes in you garden, here are a few tips you can follow to get the most from your crop. Use a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorous fertilizer when you plant them, then use a diluted liquid fertilizer monthly. Rather than trying to buy grocery store potatoes to get seed potatoes, buy certified disease-free potatoes. These will have a better chance of success than using the same potatoes you'd purchase for baked potato night. There are over 100 varieties of potatoes, and each has a slightly different growing season. Alternate early season and late season potatoes in your garden so you'll have potatoes throughout the harvest, from July to October. You'll know your potatoes are ready to harvest when the tops die off. This will generally happen 90 to 120 days after you plant your seed potatoes. If you're short on garden space, you can also plant potatoes in containers, just make sure to monitor their water intake carefully so you don't dry out the planters.

If you're growing potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) in your garden, you might be surprised to see them start to bloom. While we grow potatoes for their edible tubers that develop underground, it's important for potato plants to mature above the surface, too. Depending on the potato variety, potato flowers can come in a range of different colors and shapes. But should they be removed? What Potato Flowers Look Like Potatoes are a nightshade, a family of flowering plants that also includes plants like tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. Because of this, potato flowers have a similar shape to tomato or eggplant flowers. Different potato varieties produce different flower types—some might be large and vivid, while others smaller and clustered. Potato flowers can be white, purple, pink, blue, or red, with anthers (the part of the stamen that contains pollen) that can be yellow, red, or dark purple. The blooms' coloring can sometimes serve as clues to the possible colors of the skin and flesh of the potatoes growing underneath the soil. Why Potatoes Produce Flowers Flowering is a normal part of a potato plant's lifecycle, and their presence indicate the plant is healthy and maturing properly. Generally, potato plants will start flowering a few weeks before the potatoes are ready to be harvested. You should harvest baby potatoes (new potatoes) two to three weeks after they've finished flowering, and harvest potatoes for storing (mature potatoes) two to three weeks after the plant's foliage has died back. Like other flowering plants, a potato plant produce blooms in order to reproduce. If pollinated, potato blossoms will grow small green fruits that resemble underripe cherry tomatoes. Each potato berry contains around 300 seeds that can technically be planted and used to grow more potato plants. However, these green potato berries contain solanine, which is very toxic even in small amounts, and they should not be eaten. And most potatoes are grown from seed potatoes, a potato that has been grown to be replanted to produce a potato crop. If your potato plants aren't producing flowers, don't fret. Potatoes don't always bloom, and the flowers are not required to produce tubers. In fact, some potato varieties barely produce blooms at all—whether or not a potato plant flowers doesn't affect the quality or quantity of the potatoes it produces. What to Do When a Potato Plant Flowers When you see your potato plant start to produce flowers, this is an indication that tubers are developing underground and will be reader to pull up from the ground soon. When you see them blooming, you can either prune them away or leave them be—your decision will depend on a number of different factors. If you're growing potatoes in an area that small children or pets can easily get to, it is wise to remove the potato flowers to prevent them from developing into toxic green potato berries. Removing the potato flowers might also help increase potato yield, as the energy the plant would normally send to produce fruits and seeds is redirected to forming the tubers below the ground. However, removing potato flowers is an optional step. If their presence is non-threatening to children or pets, it's perfectly fine to let your potato plants flower if you want to enjoy their vibrant blossoms.

When their skin is shiny and consistently purple, it’s time to harvest your homegrown eggplants. You can watch for a few telltale signs that your eggplant is ready to pick, especially if it's reached it's days to maturity. Eggplants are ready to pick when they have reached their full size, are firm and shiny, and give slightly when you press your fingernail in the skin. Read on to get the details about picking perfectly ripe eggplants for your dinner table. When to Pick Eggplant Three factors determine when eggplant is ready to be picked: days to maturity, planting or seeding time, and growing conditions. The days to maturity for eggplant range between 55 and 70 days. Mini eggplants and some smaller Asian eggplants mature the fastest. You’ll find the days to maturity listed on the seed packet. Soil temperature has been consistently warm. Once seedlings emerge, the ideal soil temperature is around 70°F. Much hotter or colder temperatures affect seedling growth, which then prolongs the time to harvest. The plants flowered a few weeks ago. Instead of doing the math, you can also start keeping an eye on the plants once they start to flower, as the fruit will form within a couple of weeks after flowering. 4 Signs Your Eggplants Are Ready to Pick If the eggplants meet all the criteria below, they are ready to be harvested: The fruit has reached full size. Check the variety description for the mature size, usually given in length by inches. Baby or mini eggplants are harvested much smaller, around 3 inches long. The eggplants are plump yet firm. Gently press on the skin with a fingernail. If the skin bounces back, the eggplant is ready to pick. If the indentation remains, it needs more time. The skin is shiny. All immature and just ripe eggplants have glossy skin. Once the fruits are overripe, the skin will turn dull. The eggplants have consistent coloring. This is an easy one for eggplant that is only one color, and it requires a closer look at speckled eggplant varieties such as ‘Fairy Tale’ or ‘Graffiti’. How to Pick Eggplant Wear gloves when picking eggplants, as some varieties have sharp thorns on their leaves, stems, and on the star-like leafy cap at the top of the fruit. Use garden pruners/shears to cut the eggplant off the thick stem. Never try to twist or break the eggplant off the fruit, as it damages the plant. Cut the fruit about one inch above the calyx. Make sure to leave the calyx intact on each fruit. Eggplants are prone to bruising, so handle them gently. Eggplant harvest on the same plant may last from several days to a few weeks. Once you've begun harvesting, check back for ripe fruit a couple of times a week. Frequent harvesting encourages the plants to continue producing. How to Store Eggplant Store eggplant at around 50°F. Store them in the fridge in a plastic bag or wrapped in a damp dish towel. This protects the eggplant from the chilling injury and the drying air of your fridge, which is about ten degrees too cold for eggplant. In the crisper of your fridge, unprotected eggplants will experience chilling injury, which appears as skin shrinkage. Eggplants with signs of chilling injury are still safe to eat, but fruits will spoil more quickly once they've been affected. Use eggplant stored in the crisper within five days. 4 Additional Tips for Growing Eggplant Do not plant eggplant in the same location where you grew other members of the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers) for the two last seasons, preferably longer. Following crop rotation prevents pests and diseases. Staking eggplants protects them from getting knocked over by strong winds and rainstorms. A single stake is usually sufficient. Install it while the plant is still small to avoid disturbing the roots once the plants are established. Keep pests such as flea beetles away from young plants by draping a row cover of hoops. The row cover should not be placed directly on the plants. Remove the cover once the plants are flowering. Use a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus and potassium. Excess nitrogen leads to lots of foliage without fruit.