Planting Potatoes, Onions, Garlic
SPRING PLANTING
How to Plant Potatoes (Spring)
Mid-March -- St. Patrick’s Day -- is a traditional time to plant spring potatoes in Kansas; or plant early to mid July for a fall harvest. Ten to twelve pounds of seed potatoes will plant a 100 ft. row.
• Cut seed potatoes into 1½ - 2". pieces, each with one or two good eyes (buds).
• Allow cut surfaces to heal (dry), usually about a week.
• Plant the pieces eye up about 4" deep and 12" apart in rows 2-3 ft. apart.
Days to Maturity:
• Early varieties 90-110 days
• Mid-season varieties 100-120 days
• Late varieties 110-140 days
NORLAND - red, early
DAKOTA PEARL/COBBLER - white, early
VIKING - red, mid
How to Plant Onions (Spring)
GREEN ONIONS — plant 1-2" deep and 2" apart
SLICING ONIONS — plant 1-2" deep and 4" apart
Plant in rows 18-24" apart. Matures in 60-90 days
• Plant onion sets or plants in well-drained soil, high in organic content.
• Mix Johnson’s Soil Recipe into the soil before planting.
• Water regularly. Fertilize with ferti•lome Gardener’s Special (11-15-11) every 3 weeks.
How to Plant Garlic (Spring)
• Break apart; plant a single clove 2" deep, 4-5" apart.
FALL PLANTING
How to Plant Onions (Fall)
GREEN ONIONS — plant 1-2” deep and 2” apart
SLICING ONIONS —plant 1-2” deep and 4” apart
Plant in rows 18-24” apart. Matures in 60-90 days
• Plant onion sets or plants in well-drained soil, high in organic content.
• Mix Johnson’s Soil Recipe into the soil.
• Water regularly and fertilize with ferti•lome Gardener’s Special (11-15-11) every 3 weeks.
How to Plant Garlic (Fall)
• Break apart; plant single cloves, point up, 2” deep, 4-5” apart.
• Harvest when leaves yellow and start to fall over.
October is a good time to plant garlic (Allium sativum) if you want large quality cloves next summer. Mix ferti•lome Gardener’s Special into the soil before planting. The larger the clove planted, the larger the bulb at harvest. Water in well and mulch with straw to conserve soil warmth and encourage good establishment. Harvest will not occur until next summer when most of the foliage has browned.
Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) should also be planted now (fall). It has a milder garlic flavor and is actually a closer relative to the leek than to true garlic.
Fertilizing and soil preparation for fall gardens
Large quantities of fertilizer may damage tender young plants, so use it sparingly in the fall. In general, 1-2 pounds per 100 sq. ft. of a low-analysis, all-purpose garden fertilizer should be sufficient. Save your organic matter for a late fall application.
Extensive soil preparation probably will not be needed for fall planting. Avoid deep tillage, a light surface cultivation will loosen the soil to prepare the seedbed.
Additional amounts of fertilizer may be needed later in the season to ensure maximum plant growth and production. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, and kale, plus lettuce, mustard, spinach, and turnip greens will require about 4 tablespoons of a high-nitrogen all-purpose garden fertilizer per 10 feet of row. It should be sprinkled along the row about 2 weeks after transplanting, or 4 weeks after sowing the seed. Other vegetable crops probably will not require any additional fertilization.
