Eventually, the potato became a staple in the diets of the Irish. The potato became so important that when late blight disease attacked the crop in the 1840s, widespread famine resulted. When selecting potatoes for planting, buy certified disease-free potatoes from a reliable nursery or garden center. Potatoes purchased at supermarkets may have been treated to prevent sprouting. Homegrown potatoes saved from the previous year's harvest may carry undetectable diseases.
Potatoes prefer loose, fertile, slightly acidic soils.
Don't apply large amounts of organic matter, such as manure, to the soil where potatoes are to be grown. The addition of organic matter may increase the occurrence of potato scab. In preparation for planting, large potatoes should be cut into sections or pieces. Small potatoes may be planted whole. Decay of the seed piece may be a problem in cool, wet soils.