Whenever you visualize the ending product of a well cooked potato, persons hardly ever consider the effort that goes into producing it. Potatoes can be purchased from any local supermarket and are quite easy to prepare with so many different dishes which is what makes it such a great choice for the kitchen. Potatoes can be baked, mashed, or placed into soups but in most cases it is used as a compliment to other foods. Potatoes are one of the simplest ground produces to grow and there are a couple effective techniques for growing it. Most potato harvest will produce great quality vegetables however, it needs time and consistency to be grown successfully. Once you practice caring for them constantly your produce will come out looking nice and plump.  If you own a moderately sized yard or farm land you can think about planting your home grown potatoes. Potatoes will be even more tastier after knowing that you were the person that actually planted them.   

Required Tools:
Garden spade
Garden fork
Shovel  

Required Materials:
Water
Potato seeds

Instructions are as follows:
1. Buy your potato seeds and keep them some where warm that is placed in light for around a week or two before you intend to plant them. This will induce them to start sprouting about a day or two before planting. Utilize a blunt, clean knife to sever the larger potato seedlings into tinier seeds so that each seed is about 1½ - 2 inches square with at least 1 or 2 buds, the smaller potatoes can be planted as whole. In the next days the seed will form a thick callous over the cuts, which will aid to prevent it from rotting once it is grown.
2. The earth on which the potato is going to be grown should be evenly damp but not extremely wet or soggy. Potato harvest should be planted during early spring. The potato wont start to grow until the temperature of the soil is around 45 ?degrees F.  
3. The area where you plant the potatoes must be exposed to full sunlight because potatoes need the full sun to flourish fruitfully. Because potatoes are easy to rot, the best crops are produced when they are planted in sunlight. To have a really successful crop you can begin sowing the seeds in the early season around end of April or early May when the soil is warm enough.
4. There are a couple methods you can employ to grow the potato crops, they can be grown in rows or mounds. If you are planning to grow potatoes year after year then the best practice is to grow them in rows. Growing them in rows will promote big and healthy potato crops. If you basically want to plant a tiny bunch of potatoes instantly in a tiny space then the best method to employ is to grow them on a mound. Around five to eight potato crops can be sown for each mound. When sowing the potato on a mound, they should be planted in a circle so that each potato will have adequate room. If you are planting the potatoes in rows then you can use the fork and the shovel to excavate a set of trenches and space the seeds fifteen inches separate from each other so each potato has adequate room to grow.   

6. During growth period, the earth should be mulched with well drained, moisture retentive loam that is light and free. Whenever the peas are ripe or the potato plant begins to flower then it is time for it to be reaped. During this period it should also produce a yellow looking vine that sometimes die.  
7. Each time the potatoes are being stored they should be kept in a dark location where the temperature is around 40 degrees.

Tips and Warnings  
* Because potatoes are so prone to several serious bacterias, make sure that you purchase authorized seeds that are disease free that have been chosen to provide the best results with the most chance of getting a successful crop. These seeds can be found at most quality nurseries and garden centers. Don't utilize the potatoes from in the supermarket as your seed even if they appear healthy but they are not appropriate for gorwing potatoes.
* When it is time to plant potato seeds, don't use soil that is water logged for growing the potatoes, this will result in the soil to block up and your seeds may rot before they get the chance to develop.
*After planting potatoes you should setup a system for frost protection for them while they are young. You can implement a loose covering of straw or a plastic tent temporarily and take it off it during the sunny days. If you need to keep potatoes throughout the winter, you can plant a second crop as late as June 15.  
*Potato crops should always receive adequate sunlight and water every day while growing. To get the best results, wet up the potatoes very early in the morning so they get time to soak up the water and dry during the day. This should boost the chance of having a very successful crop.  
* If you want to cultivate potatoes every year, the potatoes should be spun on a 3 year program which means you need 3 suitable sites