Solanum tuberosum 'Red Gold'
Potato
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Potato (Solanum tuberosum 'Red Gold') - Description
This Northern European farmer favorite has a unique nutty taste that is superb. This is an all purpose potato that can be mashed, roasted, baked or fried- all with delicious results. Yellow flesh and tan skin with pretty raspberry-red 'eyes' will make this potato stand out in any display. Expect this tuber to take around 90 days until it is ready to be dug up and be used in the kitchen.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum 'Red Gold') - Growth
Potatoes develop best when the night time temperature is roughly 10 degrees cooler than the day time temperature. When the potatoes have reached 6 or 8" tall, begin piling on loose dirt around the base of the stem. This is called "hilling" and will provide more soil for the potatoes to develop in. When the plant has reached full height, put mulch over the hills to retain moisture and to stimy weed growth.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum 'Red Gold') - Planting
Dig a hole one foot wider and about as deep as the plant's rootball. Do not plant too deep. Roots should be visible at the surface of the soil and the top of the rootball should be even with the surrounding soil. In clay soil, the rootball should be slightly higher.Remove plants from their containers. Place plants in hole. Loosen roots by making four or five slashes, about one-inch deep vertically down the rootball with a knife. Then tease the roots out so they will grow into the surrounding soil. Be careful not to knock too much soil from the rootball.Backfill with a mix of existing soil and 1/2 soil amendment thoroughly mixed. In sandy porous soils, use sphagnum (Canadian) peat moss. In dense clay or poorly drained soils, use soil conditioner (finely ground pine bark).Water thoroughly. Then only water when the soil is dry to the touch about 1 1/2 inches or knuckle deep. Check regularly and only water when necessary.To give your new plant a head start, use a very mild solution of water soluble root-stimulating fertilizer which is high in phosphorous and potassium.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum 'Red Gold') - Pest
Athracnose can be very problematic. The use of a fungicide can prevent or reduce the infection. Cover young plants with protection to reduce the infestation of flea beetles. In areas where gophers are prevalent, you may want to grow the potatoes in a raised bed that had chicken wire buried under the soil.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum 'Red Gold') - Interesting facts
Ireland may be known for growing potatoes; however, the plant is a New World plant and is native to South America. The potato did not reach Ireland until the 1550's, at which time they were embraced for their abundance of stored carbohydrate in their tubers.The actual potato is not a root. It is actually a stem. Evidence of this is provided by the "eyes" of the potato. Those "eyes" are actually dormant axillary buds. An axillary bud is a bud that is found in the axil of a stem and a leaf. The bud can break dormancy and become another stem or flower. This is why it's best to store potatoes in dark spaces. If they are stored where there is a lot of light, the buds will break dormancy and will develop into stems. Additionally when a potato senses light, it will begin to form chlorophyll and turn green. When the potato turns green, it also produces an alkaloid compound that is mildly toxic. This is why it's best not to eat green potato chips.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum 'Red Gold') - Soil and irrigation
Does best with regular water and soils that are acidic. Any potatoes that poke through the top soil layer should be covered with mulch to prevent any light penetration.
