Purple Viking – snow-white flesh and true purple skin with pink or red splashes. It is noted that the first purple sweet potato was bred by the Japanese and grown specifically on Okinawa, hence its name. Soil texture is a critical aspect of being a successful gardener and farmer. If you live in dry climates, like Arizona for example, you might need … Add it when you are planting the potatoes and you get better harvests. Plants do not germinate after planting seed pieces. Purple potatoes require the same growing conditions as other potato types. Do not eat the sprouts and simply cut away before cooking. He harvests around 25 – 28 tones per hectare and sells at 2 euros the kilo, exporting in countries like Germany and Austria. Leave only a small portion of the growing vines exposed encourages additional root development. If you are growing in potato pots and there is any soil remaining (there may not be), then consider removing 50% of the soil and adding fresh nutrients, mycorrhizal inoculum, and new soil each. Buy seed potatoes from a garden supply store. It can be grown like other sweet potatoes and needs a long, hot growing season. We’re here to provide you with in-depth information on sustainable growing and eco-friendly products. However, you can also plant potatoes in an old compost bag, with similar results. Growing Purple Potatoes. At a minimum apply copious quantities of organic fertilizers since purple potatoes require a lot of nutrients. This inoculum can be applied to leaf surfaces to prevent leaf mold. New potatoes don’t store well and should be eaten within a day or two. Wormcastings is also a wonder fertilizer, allowing for more than 9 essential nutrients being immediately plant available. Keep weeds down with mulch or hoeing. Slowly pry up a small test area of the potato plant to see how mature the potatoes are. The disadvantage of potato pots is that you have to add your own soil, which is an additional expense. Purple potatoes are a versatile and delicious ingredient that make an excellent addition to any meal. First, growers should select a growing location and begin to prepare the soil. PS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for site to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Adirondack Blue – More blue than purple, with purplish flesh. When you do harvest, you will need to pull the entire plant from the pot anyways. Through its travels it developed many different names, but its real and true name is ‘Okinawan’. Here, Monty explains how to grow potatoes in a bag: Potatoes can be sown directly into the soil, but also do well in containers.About a week or two before planting to promote sprouting, expose the seed potatoes to direct light and warmth. As a general rule of thumb, more deeply colored vegetables and fruit have high antioxidant levels. Place them in a single layer in a warm, well-ventilated shady place for a week or two. Midnight Moon – purple skin and golden yellow flesh. Grown like other potatoes, purple strains, being original South American strains, usually thrive in harsh conditions and are often resistant to diseases. Space your potatoes 12 inches apart if growing standard potatoes with smaller potatoes spaced at 8-12 inches. Cover them with several inches of soil – this is known as “hilling” – at least twice while growing to protect tubers from light. Growing Okinawan Purple Sweet Potatoes. For growers that live at 11,000 feet, you are in luck. 1. Positively Sustainable is about merging sustainability with lifestyle by providing information on sustainable growing and eco-friendly materials. At Positively Sustainable, we are committed to providing information that will help you to make confident choices about the products you buy. If the potatoes’ skin turns green it is a result of a build-up of Solanine, a chemical that produces a bitter taste, and can be harmful if eaten in large quantities. Soils need to be high in nutrients to promote growth. Peruvian Purple – fingerling; purple throughout. I even had a black potato once when I was travelling in Bolivia. Ideal soil texture is loam. Once I got over the look, it was delicious! If you ever spend time in these countries you will find they come in all shapes and sizes – red, green, blue, purple, yellow, big, small; served many different ways. Required fields are marked *. In either case, do not wash after harvest – it encourages rot. Here in the South, we have enough rain during the summer that I don’t need to water my potato plants at all. If you have no other option, then you will need to add an extra large dose of organic fertilizer, since potatoes are “heavy feeders”. Keep potatoes well-watered during growth but stop watering once they flower to promote tuber development. Growing Purple Potatoes Luckily for growers, the process of growing purple potatoes is very similar to that of growing any other variety. Purple potatoes to grow throughout the year. Our Sustainability Score decipher brands that manufacture, What Are the Best Bamboo Sheets You Can Buy? It provides a slow-release of nutrients to the plant, when the plant needs it. Best to store them open air or in a perforated bag. Store in a dark, cold but not freezing area with high humidity. Grow them in full sun in all USDA Zones. Solanine is produced as a result of the potatoes being exposed to too much light. Same for when you are growing tomatoes. If the skins are thick and firmly attached to the flesh they are ready for harvest.Potatoes can tolerate light frost. Check out our article on potatoes planting ideas here! You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. There are over 3,500 of different potato varieties, most which you will not find outside of in the high antiplano region of Peru and Bolivia where potatoes originate. As the plants start to grow continue to fill in the trench. It’s best to make your own out of wormcastings or compost, but there are a variety of commercially available, shelf stable products that you can buy if you are not up for the task. Potatoes do best in well-draining, loose soil. Anthocyanin is in red cabbage, many different types of fruit (blueberries), but potatoes can also be a source of anthocyanin. There is also growing evidence that red, blue and purple potatoes are antioxidant-rich and help in regulating blood pressure, preventing blood clots and improving endurance. Planting purple sweet potatoes can be challenging, as they require a long growing season (around 120 days), and consistent, hot weather. Their […] 2. Research shows these potatoes have anti-inflammatory properties and are high in fiber. Adirondack Blue, Purple Majesty and All Blue potato varieties are easy to grow as well and add a splash of color to the table. Different varieties of purple potatoes will have different storage times. If the potato sprouts it means it is ready to grow. For most of us we have to settle for what is commercially available. Purple potatoes are the eye-catching gems of the potato aisle. Purple potatoes are now on the grocery store shelves and offer great antioxidant qualities. We believe in the power of ethical consumerism to hold businesses accountable and make sure that they are manufacturing products in an environmentally and socially responsible way. 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