If you ask yourself, “Why are my tomatoes so small?” you are not alone; many people around you suffer from the same problem. They want to grow giant potatoes and try different fertilizers but get the same result in the form of smaller ones. The small size of potatoes is a sign of lack or excess of some essential nutrients.
Besides this, there are several other reasons including lack of sunlight, nutrient deficiency, harvesting ground too early, high temperature, and improper watering. This guide explores the possible reasons behind small-sized potatoes and the ways to fix these issues. So, if you are unaware of these problems then read the complete guide and be an informed gardener!
Why Are the Potatoes That I Grow Small
Potatoes are the food that is being grown all over the world. You have to plant the potatoes in spring, water them, and feed them according to the requirements. Most of us must learn how much potatoes need water and when to harvest them. If you harvest the potatoes and they are smaller after fulfilling the proper requirements of the potatoes, then you must wonder, “Why are my potatoes so small?”. Many reasons can cause this smaller size; let’s get to know what those reasons are:
- Nutrient Deficiencies
- Early harvesting
- Lack of sunlight
- Improper watering
- Poor quality of seeds
Now, let’s delve into the specifics of these reasons and ways to fix these issues:
1. Nutrient Deficiencies
Potato plants store energy for future use by providing the potatoes we eat and enjoy. To keep the power for the future, potato plants need proper fertilization. If you do not correctly fertilize the potato plant and the plant suffers from nutrient deficiency, that will result in smaller potatoes. Potatoes need three nutrients for efficient and better growth: phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium.
- Nitrogen: Potato plants need nitrogen to grow green leafy sections. Nitrogen is responsible for all green sections of plants, like leaves and stems. If you see any yellow leaves or stems on a potato plant, it indicates that the plant lacks nitrogen.
- Potassium: Potato plants need potassium for vigorous and healthy growth. If the potato plants have proper potassium in the soil, their growth will be healthy and prevent pests and diseases. Potassium helps the plant fight against various diseases and enables the plant to grow efficiently without any worries.
- Phosphorus: Providing phosphorus to the potato plant ensures healthy roots, flowers, and fruits. Without phosphorus, the plant lacks phosphorus, responsible for the roots’ development and functions.
Solution
If the potato plant lacks nutrients and has unhealthy growth, fertilize it during the growing seasons. This will help the plant get all the nutrients it needs for better growth. Adding the perfect amount of fertilizer will prevent the plant from being underweight and growing small potatoes.
If you are growing potatoes at home, make sure to fertilize them in 10-10-10; you must provide an equal amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the plant. The main problem is that no science tells how much your potato plant needs fertilizer just by looking at it. You can purchase a soil test kit from Amazon that indicates how much your plant needs fertilization.
2. Poor Quality of Seeds
You will harvest the smaller potatoes if you plant lower or bad-quality seeds. The quality of the seed will directly affect the harvesting of potatoes. At the start of the growing season, when you start planting the seeds in the soil, make sure to use high-quality seeds. Go to any store where you want to get the seeds for potatoes; it will not be as expensive as you thought. High-quality is also cheaper, but you are within if you need better harvesting or use low-quality seeds to grow potatoes.
Solution
If you are serious about growing potatoes at home, get high-quality seeds. The high-quality seeds will ensure the more significant growth of the potatoes you want. Every year, more and more varieties are in stores, so check the soil quality while purchasing potato seeds from any market. You can read the customers’ reviews on the internet website and then buy one seed that gets much appreciation from the customers.
3. Early Harvesting
If you grow potatoes on your lawn and harvest them earlier than time, the tubers will be so small. Potatoes store energy for the next season; the longer the potatoes grow, the more energy plants store for the next season. Common wisdom says that when the plants stop flowering, the early potatoes are ready to harvest between two to three weeks. If you plant the early potatoes, you can harvest them after three weeks, but if you sow maincrops potatoes, you cannot reap them until the foliage dies.
If you harvest the potatoes too early, they will be smaller. Harvesting them earlier than the time indicated by their skin can rub away quickly. If you harvest the tomatoes too early, the plant will not get enough time to send the energy to the tubers, resulting in small potatoes.
Solution
To get the larger potatoes, you must not harvest them earlier than their harvesting time. After planting them, you can reap the potatoes after waiting 2-3 weeks until the foliage has died. It will enable the plant to provide enough energy for the tubers to grow larger. When you harvest them, you will surely get the larger potatoes.
4. Lack of Sunlight
According to the research and the University of Maryland, potatoes like to grow in full, bright sunlight. If you are wondering how much direct sunlight the potatoes need daily, provide 8 hours of sunlight daily to the potato plants. If the potato plants do not get proper direct sunlight, they will die, and their growth will also stop. The lack of sunlight indicates a less photosynthesis process and less energy in the plant, resulting in smaller potatoes.
If the plant does not get enough sunlight, the vines and leaves will not provide energy to the tubers, and as a result, when you harvest the potatoes, you will see smaller potatoes. If you plant one potato plant in bright, direct sunlight and another in a shady place, you will see both plants grow healthy and tall. But when you harvest them, there will be a massive difference in the potatoes of both plants.
Solution
Firstly, when you plant the potato plant seeds, ensure that the seeds are not in a shady place. If you grow the seeds in the shade, that will result in inadequate or small potatoes. Ensure that your potato plant is not covered with tall trees or bushes; plant or grow the plant farther than other tall plants. Whenever you want to develop a potato plant in your garden, plant it where it gets direct sunlight.
Secondly, you have to plant the potatoes farther away from each other. Do not plant them too close to each other; if you plant them closely, they will shade each other, resulting in something similar. So, plant potatoes in direct sunlight and farther from each other whenever you want to plant them.
5. Improper Watering
Potatoes need regular watering during seasons for better and proper growth. Water them more when you see the potatoes swelling and developing. During the growing seasons, potatoes need much water to produce energy and grow better. When the potatoes do not get enough water for their growth, the plants dry out, and as a result, they fail to provide enough nutrients to the potatoes from the soil.
The best soil for potatoes is sandy and light soil that requires more water for growth. Light and sandy soil drains much faster than the other soils. So, it will be best to provide regular water to the potato plants to ensure their better growth. If you want larger potatoes, you must fulfill its requirements.
Solution
If you notice that your potatoes are suffering from a lack of water, you must follow these steps:
Make sure to dig it in plenty of well-rotted manure or homemade compost. The best compost will improve the quality of the soil and provide moisture to the soil and plant. Secondly, you must mulch around the plant to prevent the water from evaporating. If you do not want to buy the mulch from a store, you can make it home, as do fresh grass clippings, plastic sheets, or straws.
Conclusion
Suppose you wondered what the problem is causing your potato plants to grow smaller. In that case, there are various reasons behind the smaller size of potatoes including inaccurate watering, sunlight, nutrients, and early harvest etc. I hope reading the article helped you know which issues are and what tips and solutions you must consider for increasing the potato size.
FAQs
1. How Do You Increase the Size of the Potatoes?
Nitrogen is an essential part of potatoes. Ensuring the proper amount of nitrogen and other nutrients is to enlarge the size and growth of the tubers. You have to give the appropriate sunlight, water it daily, and fulfill all of its requirements correctly, ensuring better and more significant growth of potatoes.
2. What Is the Thing That Affects the Size of the Potato?
The seeds’ size and quality, balanced nutrition, and ideal sunlight are essential things you must consider while growing the potato plant. If the seed size is smaller, you will get smaller potatoes in return; if the seeds are more extensive, you will surely get larger potatoes. The larger seeds give rise to many actual plants, like a hill.
3. Which Fertilizer Is Best to Increase the Size of Potatoes?
If you want to increase the growth of your homegrown potatoes then consider applying nitrogen-rich fertilizers to the plant that includes Ammonium Nitrate. You can use it either in granular form or apply it in liquid form to the plants to enhance potato plant growth.