As of: February 16, 2024, 7:30 p.m
By: Joana Lück
Comments
Press
Split
There is a lot to do in and around the garden in February.
For example, you can prepare early potatoes for a harvest in May.
Sprouted potatoes – that sets off alarm bells for many people.
But while table potatoes with later shoots should be thrown away because their solanine content increases and consumption would be poisonous, the situation is different with seed potatoes.
The latter should and may pre-germinate so that they can be harvested earlier.
Pre-germinating new potatoes – that’s how it works
Pre-germinated potatoes can be harvested as early as mid-May.
© O. Diez/Imago
Early potatoes can be harvested earlier anyway.
But if you pre-germinate them, you save time again.
Driving also improves the harvest because diseases and pests have no chance.
This is how you do it:
You should start pre-germinating about six to eight weeks before the planting date.
That means you can get started in mid-February.
Old egg cartons or crates are suitable as containers.
Choose the healthiest and most beautiful potatoes so that you have the most successful harvest possible later.
Fill the container of your choice with a mixture of sand and compost or use loose soil.
Then place the potatoes on the soil, making sure that the side of the potato with the most sprouts is facing up.
Leave the germination boxes in a bright place for about six weeks and water the potatoes.
Plant the potatoes and their sprouts carefully in the soil as soon as the soil temperature is above five degrees Celsius.
They should be eight to ten centimeters underground.
As soon as the young shoots are on the surface, they are sensitive to frost, warns
lubera.de.
You can find even more exciting garden topics in the regular newsletter from our partner 24garten.de.
My news
Clean the shower cubicle: If limescale cleaners fail, a dab of toothpaste will help
Court rules: Tenants are allowed to stay in the apartment despite notice of personal use
Tip for a clean kitchen: Shampoo makes the sink shine
Cut tulips correctly: This way the spring flowers stay fresh for longer
Roses for Valentine's Day: If the flowers droop quickly, it's usually due to incorrect water reading
Do you have to wash new clothes before wearing them?read
What else you should know
Is it mandatory to pre-sprout potatoes?
No, but if you don't pre-germinate potatoes, you can
expect a lower yield, according to
Lubera.de .
Also remember that due to crop rotation, potatoes can never be grown in the same place for two years, as
Floristik24.de
emphasizes.