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The potato is one of the most versatile vegetables you can put on your plate. You can mash them, dice them, and slice them. Did you know you can even grow them? But I live in the city, you tell me. No excuse! Growing potatoes is one of the easiest vegetables to grow and they look great on the patio right up till harvest.

Potatoes, a long standing staple for many cooks, will grow in almost any part of the world. They can fill an acre of farmland or decorate your patio. All you need is a container, some good soil, and a few potatoes that have been setting around long enough to begin growing “eyes.” The “eyes” are actually the sprouts or buds that will start the growth of a new plant. If you leave a potato sit for a few weeks you will see the sprouts begin.

Your patio container can be of any size or style. Anything from a plastic tub (like the ones you use to store Christmas decorations) to an old whiskey barrel will work, but I prefer to use decorative clay pots. Make sure what ever container you choose will have drainage holes so the potatoes do not sit in water. The process is simple.

First, fill your container with at least two inches of soil. Cut your potato in pieces so each piece contains at least one “eye” and lay the “eye” facing up on the soil in your container. Next cover the potato “eye” with another two inches of soil. Keep the soil moist and water when it starts to dry. As your new potato plant begins to spout and grow, you will continue to add soil to cover the new growth. Allow at least two inches of stem to emerge before adding soil. Continue adding soil to cover the stem until your container is full. The deeper your container, the more potatoes you will harvest. The potatoes will grow on the stem with the larger potatoes at the bottom.

If you live in a cold area, wait till the last frost has appeared before your begin your planting. If you live in a warm climate, you may plant year long. As the potato plant grows, it produces a nice green leafy top which looks very nice on any patio. As the potato plant matures, the tops will begin to brown and wither. This is your clue to begin your harvest. You can leave the potato crop in the soil for 4-6 weeks; but, once you dig through your container and gather your new potatoes, wash and store them in a cool place.

There could be a farmer in you that is just jumping at the chance to impress the neighbors. And what could be more impressive than hosting a dinner party with home grown potatoes. Not the usual past time or hobby of most. Think of the interesting conversation that will be be generated as you pass the potatoes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Kick

There are many different varieties of potatoes and possibly 3,000 in all. There are only about 100 which are typically grown and each has its own characteristics that are unique to that particular potato. Each potato has its own texture, shape, color and taste. I am going to give you the ones that I think are the most popular and also give you the best options for using them as well.

Russets Potatoes: ( Idaho Potato,baking potato,starchy potato, chefs potato). They are a high starch potato and have a brown skin and a white flesh to them. They have a floury texture when they are cooked and make them a very good choice for baking, and they make a really good mashed potato. This potato is also called a chefs potato, and preferred by many chefs due to the high starch and low moisture. They bake well and yield light and fluffy mashed potatoes. The major varieties are Idaho, Burbank, Centennial, and Norgold.

Long whites: They are an oval potato, and they have a thin light brown skin with tiny eyes. They are a medium starch potato and are good for pan frying or boiling. They are also a good all purpose potato. The major variety of the long whites are called White Rose.

Round Whites: They are round with smooth light brown or tan skin. They have also been called Eastern potatoes. They are a low starch potato, and they are ideal for roasting, potato salad, and au gratin, and scalloped potatoes. Some of the major varieties are Superior, and Chippewa.

Round Reds: They have a rosy red skin with withe flesh and are usually round and some oblong. The smaller ones that are harvested before they reach maturity are very low in starch and have a sweet flavor. These are often called new potatoes and they are good for boiling, roasting, and potato salads. Some of the major varieties are La Rouge, Red La Soda, and Red Pontiac.

Yellow Flesh: This variety of potato has a mild buttery texture and taste. This is my favorite potato. You can use this potato for roasting, and mashed potatoes. Some of the major varieties of this potato are Yukon Gold, and Yellow Finn.

Blue and Purple: These are the most uncommon tubers have flesh that range in a hue from dark blue or a lavender to a white color. They have a somewhat nutty flavor. If you want to preserve the color on these little beauties you will need to microwave them. It helps to keep their color intact more than any other type of cooking. You can bake them, or you can steam them which are also good cooking methods. Some of the major varieties are Purple Peruvian, and All Blue.

I hope that this information will help you when you are trying to pick the right potato for that perfect meal.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Drinkwater

ORGANIC VEGETABLE SEEDS

1. A garden fork or a digging fork is one of weeding removal tools. The tool has short tines that are used for loosening and turning soil.  With this weeding tool you remove weeds without cutting their roots.
2. To weed amongst other plants, the border fork is used which has thinner times with short closer-spaced tines. For removing weeds like dandelion which has taproots fulcrum weeder is very effective as it has a long thin handle and a split tip. It is also effective in removing fibrous roots of weeds like ferns and marigold.
3. The Cape Cod weeder has a scraping head, triangular in shape and is also used in weeding activities. The L-shaped blade is very effective since it is able to scrape the bottom parallel to the ground.
4. Cultivators are large machinery used to plant or remove weeds while aerating the soil soon after the crops have sprouted. Closely related to the cultivator is the harrow tool. It tool is effective in cultivating the soil surface.
   At the same time cultivators can be used to create shallow trenches for planting bulbs and seeds.
   5. The kirpi is another weeding tool with a curved blade and a wooden handle. It is effective in removing tough roots and for raking out roots deep in the ground.

There are many other tools used in weeding works and their supplies at Green Garden Tools depending on level of weed removal required.

Below is COUPON of GreenGardenTools.com for purchasing of WEDDING TOOLS .

Fill the inside of the tyre casing loosely with good topsoil, and then set 3-4 potato seeds into the soil. Use sticks or rocks to keep the casing rings spread open.

Add enough soil to the tyre “hole” to bring it to the same level as the soil inside the tyre.
When the new potato plants are eight inches tall, add another tyre and soil to the stack, as in the first level.

Repeat the process for your third, and if desired, fourth tyres.
As you add tyres and soil to the stack, the 8″ of the potato plant stalk is covered with soil.
By doing this, the existing stalk essentially reverts to a root status and the plant is forced to grow upward to once again find the sunlight which it needs.

By raising the soil level this way (in 8″ increments) the potato plant is able to continue growing without suffocation, and at the same time you are creating a 24-30″ tap root from which many more lateral roots can develop.

Each lateral root can then produce additional potatoes (at 3-4 levels rather than the normal single layer).

When you water, be sure that the soil is thoroughly moistened all the way to the base of the pile.
The tyres act as an insulator and heat “sink” for your potatoes.

This added warmth will cause the lateral roots (where the new potatoes form) to multiply more rapidly, thereby giving you more potatoes.

When you need fresh potatoes next fall and winter, harvest the crop from the top tyre, and remove it from the pile.

If you need more potatoes just take more tyres.

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Presently many varieties there are to grow, a far greater choice than we have from the supermarkets.    Growing your own seed gives you the opportunity to sample the many flavors and textures and you get so many from your crops that it really can save you money.    There is one more benefit when you grow potatoes as a cleaning up crop, for after growing potatoes the ground is cleaner as during the growing period the tops grow large smothering out weeds.
Of course a great deal of preparation will have gone into the soil, adding large quantities of compost to guarantee a good potato yield, also the crop does not leave behind any detrimental residues so that it is ideal for any crop that is to follow.

How to choose potatoes seed to plant by time maturity

Earlies
If you have limited area, then you should grow the earlier types. Another thing in the early types favor is that because they are lifted earlier, they are less likely to encounter problems such as wireworms, slugs and blight.
Earlies varieties are ready in 15 – 16 weeks after planting(about mid-June and July).

Second Earlies
Second Earlies take 16-17 weeks to mature after planting (about June through to August).

Maincrops

These take up the most space in the garden. But they are the best varieties to store.

Maincrops are ready 18-20 weeks after planting August through to late September.

Try grow potatoes in you garden and you see how it deal is interesting, easy and useful.

For area with long springs and hot summers take potatoes seed of early and midseason varieties three to four weeks before your last spring frost date.   If you plant late-maturing varieties in early summer they will mature in the cooler fall.  For area with cool summers, use potatoes seed for planting early, midseason and late varieties two to three weeks before your last spring frost date.
Specialists suggest that only certified disease-resistant seed potatoes have been treated. But if you see stores interesting-looking potatoes you can try to plant in on your field.
If you like taste of the potatoes than save a couple and use them as seed potatoes in the spring. So you can be sure that potatoes are free from diseases.

In rural areas, farm supply stores sell seed potatoes of varieties known to produce well under local conditions.

Get an earlier crop by presprouting your seed potatoes indoors. Presprouted seed pieces will mature up to a month ahead of seed pieces bearing dormant eyes.

Five weeks or so before planting, spread out your seed potatoes in a single layer in a warm, well-lit room, and wait for them to sprout from the eyes. You should careful when handling them as presprouted potatoes are fragile.

Large sprouts that break off of the parent potato often will grow when planted in moist soil.

Seed Potatoes

Only certified disease-resistant seed potatoes have been treated. Don’t use potatoes for planting from the store as they may be carriers of diseases.
Potato tubers are left to sprout before they are planted. This is called chitting, and it helps the tubers grow faster and make a bigger crop. If they are not left to sprout they will grow slowly when they are planted.

Soil

Potatoes grow well in sunny sites. So pick a spot that gets at least six to eight hours of sunshine every day. The soil should be very loose. If you have heavy clay soil, add texture to it. Sandy, loamy soils are the best. You can amend the soil by tilling in some compost and manure. The next step is to dig a trench, anywhere from 12 to 18 inches deep. Because potatoes like acidic soil, you may want to add a fine layer of pine needles at the bottom of the trench.
Because they are aggressively rooting plants, they will produce the best crop when planted in a light, loose, and well-drained but moisture retentive loam.

Planting

The potato bed should be a trench about 4-6 inches deep and you place the potato into the trench and cover with soil so that good peak is formed.

Always make sure the eyes are facing upwards and planted at a depth of between 4-6″ (10-15cm).
First earlies are planted 12″ (30cm) apart with 24″ (60cm) between each row.
Second earlies and maincrop must be planted 15″ (37.5cm) apart in row widths of 28″ (70cm).

When to Plant

If your going to grow potato in climates with short springs and hot summers, plant the early and midseason varieties three to four weeks before last spring frost date.
In climates with long springs and hot summers, plant early and midseason varieties three to four weeks before your last spring frost date; plant late-maturing varieties in early summer so they will mature in the cooler fall.
In climates with cool summers, plant early, midseason and late varieties two to three weeks before your last spring frost date.