Keep mulching as the plants grow. The potatoes will form inside the layer of mulch. Harvest small, early potatoes as soon as seven to eight weeks after planting. Harvest the main crop about two weeks after the tops have died back and before the first hard frost. Good choices include 'Irish Cobbler', 'Anoka' and 'Yukon Gold'.
Potatoes can fall prey to a number of diseases and insect pests.
Most affect commercial growers more than home gardeners, but to be on the safe side, buy only certified disease-free seed potatoes from a reputable nursery or catalog, and rotate your crops every year. Make sure you keep potatoes well-covered. If the tubers are exposed to sunlight while they're growing, they'll develop solanine, a bitter, toxic alkaloid that imparts a greenish tinge. Inc. How things get done. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy .