Poorly drained soils often cause poor stands and low yields. Heavy soils can cause tubers to be small and rough. Remove rocks, large sticks and trash from the soil before spading. Spade the soil 8-12 inches deep. Turn the soil over to cover all plant material.
Bedding is very important for drainage.
Because potatoes need adequate fertilizer in early season, apply most of the fertilizer just before planting. The fertilizer should not touch the seed piece. Using the corner of a hoe or stick, open a trench about 4 inches deep on each side of the bed. Hypertext markup and graphics colorization by Gretchen Eagle and Dan Lineberger.