Potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables. They can be served as a side dish, baked into a casserole, or mashed into a delicious potato salad.
You can also grow potatoes in your garden, but you need to know how often to water them so they don’t rot.
How Often to Water Potatoes?
The answer depends on the size of your potato plants. If the soil is dry and the leaves are wilting, it’s time to water your potatoes.
If there’s plenty of moisture in the soil, you don’t need to water your potatoes at all until they begin to flower. To test whether or not they need more water, lift up a few leaves and look at their bases. If they’re still green and plump, your plants aren’t dry yet.
You should water your potatoes every other day when they are young (about 2 inches tall), but once they reach maturity you can water them once a week.
How To Tell It’s Time to Water Your Potatoes
Growing potatoes is a simple process. Plant the seeds, water them and wait for the spuds to grow. However, if you want to get the most out of your harvest, you need to know when to water your potatoes.
How do you know when to give them a drink? Here are some tips on how to tell if your potatoes are thirsty:
Check the color of the soil around their stems. If it’s dark brown instead of light brown or gray, it means they’re too dry.
Look at the leaves at the top of the plant — they should be green and healthy, not yellowing or wilting.
Dig up a few tubers and see if they’re soft and moist inside. If they are hard and dry, they’re probably thirsty!
How to Water Potatoes
The best way to water potatoes is with drip irrigation. If you don’t have drip irrigation available, use a soaker hose or a sprinkler head that puts out a slow, steady stream of water.
Potatoes should not be overwatered or overwatered, which can cause them to rot. If you have very sandy soil and the ground is dry, you may need to soak the soil before planting your potatoes so that the roots can grow into the moist soil rather than just through it.
Potters can use a hose with a nozzle attachment on it to spray water onto their plants. This method is effective because it allows them to get close enough to their plants without damaging them by stepping on them with their feet or accidentally knocking down their vines with tools in hand while trying to water them.
Signs of Excessive Potatoes Watering
Symptoms of potatoes watering can be very obvious or very subtle. The most common signs that a plant is suffering from excess watering include:
The leaves are yellow or pale green. This occurs when the plant gets too much water and cannot absorb the nutrients it needs through its roots. When this happens, it will not grow properly and may die if left untreated.
The leaves become limp and hang down on the stems. This is another sign that the plant is getting too much water and needs to be watered less often.
The leaves curl up at the edges. This happens when the plant has been overwatered for some time and has lost its ability to absorb nutrients from the soil. It’s like when your hands get wrinkly after being in the water for too long — except worse!
How Much Water Do Potatoes Need?
Potatoes are heavy feeders, so they need plenty of water.
Water needs can vary based on the type of potato you are growing and the conditions in your garden. Here’s some information about how much water potatoes need:
Planting – The soil should be kept moist until germination occurs (about 7 days). After that, deeply soak the soil once or twice a week depending on weather conditions.
Growing – As your potatoes grow, they will need more frequent watering. If your soil is sandy and drains quickly, you may only need to water once or twice a week as the plants grow larger. If your soil drains slowly or is clay-like, your plants may need more frequent watering because their roots will not grow as deep into the ground for moisture.
Watering frequency depends on how hot and dry it is outside as well as how fast your plants grow. You will likely have to check and water every day at some point during this stage depending on how quickly your plants are developing!
Final Thoughts
In general, potatoes need to be watered every several days. However, during hot spells and when the soil is very dry, they need to be watered daily or even twice a day.
