Weekend Gardener: Potatoes, Greens and Onions

This weekend we start our Weekend Gardener column. Throughout the growing season, we will check in with our Weekend Garden expert, Laura Stone from as to what you can work on this weekend in your garden. Vineyard Gardens was recently voted Best Garden Center in our

Laura’s advice for this weekend is:

“Make sure your potatoes and greens and onions are planted!”

Onions are an excellent source of vitamins A and C. There are many different kinds of onions. They can be planted from seeds, small bulb sets or transplants.

Transplants are most common and should be planted at a depth of ¾ of an inch deep and 3 inches apart.  Do not plant onions more than 1 inch deep.  Onions grow best in full sun and in well-drained soils.

Potatoes are American’s favorite vegetable. The part of the potato plant that we eat is the underground stem that is called a tuber (it is not a root). Potatoes contain two percent protein and eighteen percent starch and when properly prepared, they provide lots of vitamins and minerals.

You can grow potatoes in almost any sort of environment. My husband’s father grew them in pots in the garage that he took outside for sun during the day. They like loose soil, that needs to be built up around the potatoes as they grow, but it doesn’t need to be particularly rich. They do like a good, steady supply of water and full sun.

Greens are usually grown for their leaves. But some, like turnip greens are grown for leaves and their roots. Greens are high in minerals and vitamins A and C.  Collard greens are another great variety of green.

Greens need a lot of organic material in the soil. Plant seeds 1/2" deep and 2" apart in rows spaced at least 18" apart. Greens also grow best in full sun and in well-drained soils