Potato

[I am not a Nutritionist nor am I a Doctor, and nothing on this website should be taken as medical advice. All statements made are simply my opinion.]

Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

One of the best survival foods has got to be the humble potato. Full of carbohydrates and nutrients, this tasty tuber is a game changer for self sufficiency. It is possible to grow hundreds of pounds of potatoes on a relatively small plot of land, or even in grow bags or cardboard boxes on an apartment patio.

Potatoes are not typically grown from seeds. Rather the tubers are used to grow more tubers. The tubers are planted into the ground once the soil temperatures are between 50-85 degrees F, which in my area (zone 8b) is from early to mid February until around the end of April. Around here we can usually get another late crop planted toward the end of August also. This will normally give them the 90-120 days needed for good tuber production before freezing weather sets in. And if an early freeze kills the tops there will likely still be a decent harvest of “new potatoes”.

When planting into the ground you want to dig a trench 12-18 inches deep and work in some manure or compost of some sort. Then you will lightly back fill the trench to around 8 inches deep. Space seed potatoes about 12 inches apart in the trench and cover with a couple inches of soil. As the plants grow continue to loosely mound up more soil around the plant to provide more area for tuber development. As tubers continue to grow make sure that they remain covered with soil, as direct sunlight on the potato itself will turn it green and cause it to be slightly toxic due to the production of solanine. According to the USDA though, you can remove the green portions of the potato and the rest is safe to eat. The stems and leaves of the plant itself, like all plants in the nightshade family, are very toxic, however, and should never be eaten. And if you are raising chickens, or other poultry, the caterpillars taken off of nightshade plants(i.e. the hornworm) should never be fed to your birds. It will kill them.