I have a big dark secret and can no longer deny it. I crave starches. I dream of pasta and potatoes. I get giddy over bread. Cupcakes can rescue a horrible day. I will not be living a Keto lifestyle. The South Beach diet was difficult. The Atkins diet is torture. Maybe you want to admit that you have a love-hate relationship with carbohydrates. Join the club.
Recently, I found out about a tuber originating in South America. This plant is the hairy potato. What? Not Harry Potter. Its name is hairy potato. Since I love all carbohydrates, I had to investigate.
In doing research, I discovered that most of the world’s potatoes are mainly grown in Russia. I am curious. Is this due to the production of vodka? Hmmm, that is something to consider. Potatoes are a staple in much of the world’s diet. The term hairy potato has been used for the taro root and the kiwi fruit. We will leave those for another time. Today, we will focus on the tuber hairy potato.
Nothing is more frustrating than putting lots of time, money and effort into a project, only to have it ruined by outside sources. Whether it is a rain shower after you washed your vehicle, a homemade cake falling in the oven, or insects eating your home-grown produce. If you have ever grown a garden, you may know this dilemma first-hand.
Pests can undermine any crop rapidly. Potatoes are susceptible to pests, particularly the Colorado potato beetle, leafhoppers, and flea beetles. These pests are why the hairy potato was developed.
This unique spud grows naturally in Bolivia in dry regions at high elevations. It is the ancestor of the South American hairy potato. It was developed by crossing a wild potato, Solanum berthaultii, with another potato, Solanum tuberosum. The plant grows three or more feet high and produces blue, purple and white flowers and green berries.
With sticky hairs on their leaves, hairy potatoes have a natural defense against insects. The sticky hairs trap the pests so they cannot feed or escape. Larger insects such as the Colorado potato beetle can break free from the trichomes, or sticky hairs. However, they avoid this potato plant. Thus, home gardeners can grow these potatoes without using pesticides.
The original hairy potato tubers were too small for commercial use. Researchers from Cornell University crossed the Berthault’s potato with garden potatoes.
Did you know that royalty must have had an affinity for potatoes? There are several royal types of spuds. You may have heard of the Jersey Royal. In addition, there are the Princess Laratte variety, the Red Duke of York, the King Edward potato, the Prince Hairy and even the King Harry. Who knew?
The first hybrid, the Prince Hairy takes 130 to 140 days to mature. It is not practical for many regions. The King Harry variety takes 70 to 90 days to mature. What a relief. Who wants to wait any longer for such goodness?
Around the Crossroads, many gardeners plant Yukon gold or Kennebec white potatoes. The organic King Harry variety will flourish here. If you did not know, potato plants grow from seed potatoes. They are easily grown in non-commercial gardens.
I was unable to find a local source for hairy potatoes. However, you can find these seed potatoes online. They are relatively new and upcoming in the United States. In the future, we may be enjoying this royal treat. In the meantime, I will be compiling my potato recipes and hope you will, too.
Happy new year!
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
Victoria County Master Gardener Association
