Farmall Cub

I have an area about 2K sq.feet that I will turn for the first time this year. I'm thinking about planting some red and sweet potatoes there. I have grown about everything editable over the years but never a potato. The soil is not great as it is red clay. Soft but still red clay. Normally I would not plant a root crop in that kind of dirt. Since I have no other plans for that area I thought about trying a potato. Honestly, am I going in the wrong direction? If so, wild flowers would look good there.

Short answer. I don't know. Give it a try.

Suggest getting the soil tested. Find out what you have and need to add to it.

I've been working on a garden plot for two years in Missouri clay. I've been adding a bit of sand every year and green manure and composted manure to improve the soils condition and fertility.

Sandy soil works best for potatoes. lime and 10-10-10 fertilizer. I'm in Maryland and try to plant by ST Patrick's Day .
Let us know how it turns out

Dan,

Start looking for your seed potatoes very early. Maybe even now down where you are. Southern States and Agway both ran out way early last year around here.

We had spuds here on first year sod, and they were the best we ever grew.---will plant some this year on more first year sod!----less bug infestation in new ground! thanks; sonny

we have sandy soils here and they grow great potatoes. Give it a try and find out. they grow peanuts in clay soils so why not a potato?

A guy in Michigan grows thousands of acres of potatoes for Frito-Lay, and its on sandy ground, so I would plant them on that kind of ground if I had it!---they can expand better as they grow and be cleaner/easier to dig too! thanks; sonny