Speaking of potatoes

[DanR]

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.

[Eugene]

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.

[johnny j]

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

[Don McCombs]

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.

[SONNY]

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

[dirtyred]

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?

[SONNY]

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