Time to plant potatoes and onions

Tyler—If you have been waiting for a sign that it is time to start your spring vegetable garden, this is it. Late January through February is when East Texas gardeners roll up their sleeves and get onions and potatoes in the ground. These two cool‑season staples are always the first act of the spring garden and planting them early sets the rhythm for everything that follows.

Onions are practically a point of pride in this part of the world. Between the famous Noonday onion and the beloved Texas 1015Y, we have every reason to treat them like royalty. They thrive when the weather is cool and the days are short. Once the heat arrives and the days lengthen, they stop making leaves and start making bulbs. That is why planting early is so important. Late planted onions simply do not have enough time to size up.

Onions are sold as small bare‑root transplants called sets. They should go in the ground from late January through mid‑February and earlier is always better. They need full sun and well‑drained sandy or loamy soil. Before planting, work in compost and a complete 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer. Raised beds or raised rows are ideal, and containers the size of a whiskey barrel work well too. After planting, water them in and let them settle. 

When the plants reach about six inches tall, side‑dress with a high nitrogen fertilizer and mulch to conserve moisture and keep weeds down. Every leaf an onion makes becomes a ring in the bulb, so the more foliage you grow during cool weather, the bigger your onions will be. Green onions can be harvested anytime, but bulbing onions are ready when the tops fall over and the necks soften. Pull them, cure them for several days, and enjoy the sweetest taste of spring.

Potatoes follow close behind. For generations, East Texans have planted potatoes on Valentine’s Day or President’s Day. It is a tradition that works because potatoes love cool weather and need to be planted about four weeks before the last expected frost. They are grown from small potatoes or pieces of larger potatoes called seed potatoes. Certified seed potatoes are sold at feed stores and garden centers and should be spaced eight to twelve inches apart in a shallow furrow. Cover them with loose soil, water them in, and wait for the sprouts to appear.

As the plants grow, pull soil or compost around the stems to create a mound. This protects the developing tubers and encourages more production. Mulch well and keep an eye out for potato bugs. When the plants bloom, you can gently probe beneath them for a few tender new potatoes, though the main crop is ready when the tops yellow and die back. If you want them to store longer, cut the tops and leave the potatoes in the ground for a few days to toughen their skins.

If no arctic blasts are in sight, mid-late February is also time to plant a host of other cool season vegetable crops including beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cilantro, cabbage, carrots, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, parsley, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnips.

Greg Grant, Ph.D., is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Tyler