Potato gardening is becoming more popular and each year potatoes are planted by an ever increasing number of vegetable gardeners in their home gardens and allotments.

And its not surprising why. They are easy to grow, look after, harvest, store, cook and the taste is just fabulous.

Now the humble potato originates from the highlands of Ecuador and Peru and they are a species of perennial plants grown for food in most countries around the world. They are one of the worlds most important staple food crops along with rice maize and wheat.

There are thousands of different varieties of potato and they are the most common food grown and eaten in Western civilization.

They are part of the Solanaceae family and known botanically as Solanum Tuberosum. They are related to deadly nightshade and tomatoes.

In temperate climates potatoes are grown three times a season, as first earlies, second earlies and main crop, giving a succession of crops ready for harvest from May through to October.

Potato growing is easy and the best place is a sunny spot where they will be in the sun most of the day and not in shade. Avoid areas that are frost pockets.

Just about any soil type will do but to get the best size and tastiest crops dig the ground over to at least a spade depth in autumn, fall, and add plenty of well rotted manure or garden compost and leave the weather to break it down until the following spring.

You should only use certified virus free seed potatoes from reputable suppliers.

You will need to buy them as early as possible so you can chit them six weeks before planting.

What’s ‘chit’ them?

Seed potatoes need to be forced into growth before they are planted to produce the best crops. They need to produce strong shoots.

Now if you look closely at a potato you will see they have a ‘rose’ end which is usually the largest end and it is where the ‘eyes’ are formed and where the shoots will grow from, which need to be about 25mm (1 inch) long before they are planted.

Chitting is easy, just place your potatoes in egg boxes, rose end uppermost and keep them in a cool, light place which is frost free and out of direct sunlight.

You could use a seed tray, flat, or something similar with about an inch of dry horticultural sand in the bottom and stand your potatoes, rose end uppermost, in them.

First earlies are planted in March, Second earlies are planted in April and main crop are planted in late April to early May.

In spring and two weeks before planting your seed potatoes sprinkle a well balanced fertilizer over the ground and work it into the soil with a rake.

The best way to plant your seed potatoes is to make a ‘V’ shaped trench with a draw hoe or an up-turned rake to a depth of around 15cm (6 inches) deep.

Just place your chitted potatoes, being careful not to break off any shoots, in the bottom of the trench and space them 30cm (12 inches) apart for first earlies and 70cm (28 inches) apart for second earlies and main crop and draw soil over them making a slight mound about 10cm (4 inches) high.

Looking after them is easy, as the shoots appear draw soil over them which will protect them from any late frosts and increase you’re crop size. This is known as earthing up or hilling.

Keep weeds to a minimum and if you are using a hoe don’t go to deep or you will damage the growing potatoes and roots.

Keep them well watered especially as the plants start to show the first signs of flowers.

Every couple of weeks give them a good feed of a well balanced general fertilizer just before you water them.

Harvest times will depend on local weather conditions, site and type of potato but they will be ready to harvest when they are in full flower, just dig them up carefully with a garden fork.

Its best to harvest first earlies only as you need them and dig one or two plants up at a time. Leave the rest to grow on until you need them but dig them all out by July. First earlies do not store well so use them as soon as you can.

Second earlies and main crop potatoes do store well and can be stored in trays or hessian or plastic string bags. Keep them in a cool dark, frost free place.

Potatoes don’t suffer from many diseases and pests and buying certified seed stock goes a long way to disease control.

The only thing you may encounter, through poor soil conditions, is blight, scab or blackleg and this can mainly be avoided by rotating crops every year so you don’t grow the same crop in the same piece of ground for four years.

The only real pests are slugs which usually are not to much trouble and are easily controlled.

You can grow potatoes in containers for real early crops in your greenhouse or conservatory.

Plant four or five seed potatoes towards the bottom of a 30cm (12 inch) pot filled with a peat free compost in early to mid February and if your greenhouse or conservatory is unheated protect the containers from frost with gardening fleece, bubble wrap or sacking.

As soon as shoots start to appear remove the fleece but if frost is forecast cover them over again.

They can moved outside to the sunniest spot when all danger of frost has passed.

Always keep the compost moist, but not water-logged and feed them every two weeks with a soluble or liquid general purpose fertilizer.

Find out all about potato gardening at http://www.freegardeningplants.com/potato-gardening.html and for other vegetables and gardening plants visit http://www.freegardeningplants.com

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Gardening is one of the most enjoyable things (in my opinion) a person can do. But like any other hobby, it can cost quite a bit of money, if you don’t plan ahead.

In this article you’ll learn 5 tips that can save you a bundle this spring and summer season.

1. When planning your vegetable garden it’s a great idea to talk to your neighbors and see what they are planting.

This way if you all plant different vegetables you can share and save some money on produce bills. Often I’ve had too many of one kind of vegetable I couldn’t give away because my friend’s were ripe at the same time.

2. When planting your flowerbeds, opt for perennials instead of annuals.

As the perennials multiply each year you can cut them back and exchange them with your friends and neighbors so you all have lush gardens and save money at the same time.

3. I cannot stress enough how wonderful it is to home compost.

People are intimidated by it but it is so simple to do and has such wonderful benefits. Compost your kitchen scraps such as coffee grounds, egg shells, fruit peels etc… The compost you make will be so much more nutritious than any potting soil you can buy.

Talk about saving money - it’s free and it’s a wonderful way to really recycle.

4. Many people use mulch in their flower beds, but mulch can be very expensive. Try using small pebbles or rocks instead as a ground cover.

Not only will you save money every year because the rocks and pebbles will not need to be replaced as mulch does, but it’s a wonderful way to spend time with your children if you have any. Make a big deal with them of going rock and pebble hunting. Not only will you save money but you’ll make memories as well.

5. One area that will save you money is actually by spending more in the beginning.

Don’t skimp when buying gardening tools. So many people try saving money here but it only backfires. Good tools will last for years and years actually saving you money because they won’t have to be replaced every couple of years.

The same goes for gardening gloves. Make sure you buy the best that you can afford. You hands and wallet will thank you.

Happy Gardening!

Gretchen Walsh is an avid gardener who loves nothing more than helping living things reach their beautiful, full potential. At her blog Organic Gardening 101 you can learn all about home composting as well as how easy it really is to grow an organic vegetable garden.

Thanks To : BabyForMom.com

Most herb gardeners who are just starting out need a lot of help in figuring out which garden herbs and plants will go best with their garden. It’s up to the gardener to decide whether or not he or she is planting herbs for cooking, tea drinking, or garden decoration. Either way, here’s a list of popular garden herbs and plants which are easy to use and readily available almost anywhere.

1. Jasmine

One of the heads of the tea family, this herb and its flowers can rival being the prettiest among garden herbs and plants. Use it for decorating your garden with its beauty, and relaxing your senses with its gentle scent.

2. Lavender

The pretty flowers of this herb are what leads it to be mistaken as just a flower plant, rather than a useful herb. Lavender makes a great soothing and sweet smelling tea.

3. Mints

A great plant to have in your garden, but with the tendency to try and take over everything! Mint is a great herb with many uses. Just keep your types of mint away from each other because they will all end up tasting the same. Also, give them a lot of sunlight in order to control their love to spread all throughout the garden.

4. Basil

Extremely popular in Italian cooking, there are many kinds of basil that go with a lot of different types of cooking too. To keep it safe, choose sweet basil as this is a good all around option for most dishes.

5. Sweet Marjoram

This foot tall plant makes a great potpourri apart from being a great seasoning element to many dishes.

6. Dill

Great for salads of all kinds, and freshening the air around the home! Dill is a great smelling herb which grows up to three feet tall. Plant it in the outer parts of your herb garden.

7. Lovage

A tree like herb, growing up to several feet tall. It makes for good garden hedges, plus it tends to all its surrounding plants, making sure all other garden herbs and plants are growing healthy and happy.

8. Rosemary

Crushed rosemary is extremely flavorful, and it adds a great zing to many dishes. It’s easy to grow and it’s stalks can also be used around the house.

9. Sage

Great for meats, this woody herb grows just as tall as your dill, and will be a good companion for your rosemary plants. It definitely enhances the flavor of rosemary and vice versa.

10. Caraway

Often used for its seeds, not so much for its aesthetic qualities, planting caraway would be a good choice for a gardener who is just starting out because it tends to aerating and tending the soil for you.

Though there are many more herbs to choose from, and so many you can order off the world wide web, these are the plants and seeds you are very likely to find in your local neighborhood plant and gardening store, so you’ll never have to worry about spending too much for your garden!

Want to know what other plants you can grow in your herb garden? Get a better idea of the different ways you can raise herbs by checking out Herbal Tea Gardens, then looking through the other site articles for all you’ll need to know about herb gardening!

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