They were cultivated from Chile to New Grenada at the time the Spanish explorers reached South America. The Spaniards introduced the species to Europe soon after 1580, and the popularity of potatoes spread all over Europe and the British Isles by the end of the 17th century. In 1719, Irish immigrants introduced white potatoes to New England, and we are still affected by the devastating Irish potato famine which occurred in the 1840s. Here in Georgia, potatoes can provide you with both a connection to the past and fresh produce from the first part of July until the following spring. Sure you can buy potatoes at the grocery store, but can't the same thing be said about tomatoes, one of the potato's closest relatives.
Nothing tastes better than home-grown produce.
While the American Standard Russets do not grow well in most areas of Georgia, there are plenty of varieties that will do quite well in our gardens. Potato seed is available, but most gardeners will obtain the best results by growing plants from pieces of a tuber, or seed pieces. Using certified seed pieces instead of grocery store potatoes will help to avoid some potential plant disease problems. In the Athens area, potatoes can be planted in early April. Plant seed potatoes four to five inches deep, leave 10 inches between plants in the row, and space rows 30 to 36 inches apart.