Gold Yukon Potato

• Overview: 

A Yukon gold potato is a cross between a wild South American yellow potato and a North American white potato. Yukon gold potatoes were developed at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Like many potatoes, it is common in most personal gardens. Here is more information about growing and harvesting the yukon gold potato:

• Difficulty Codes: 

  • Seed Harvesting: Green (easy difficulty)

  • Growing: White (easy difficulty)

• Preparation:

  • Cut your seed potatoes into pieces that have 2-3 eyes (sprouts) on each piece

  • Allow the cut pieces to dry out for a few days until the flesh is no longer wet

  • Seed pieces or tubers need to be planted deep, about 6 inches below row top

• Planting Instructions:

  • Potatoes can be planted 2-4 weeks before your last frost in the spring. Just be sure to cover the baby plants if a late frost is in the forecast

  • Because few tubers are set and they grow rapidly, whole or cut seed tubers must be planted close together

  • 8-10 inches apart in the row are recommended for fresh market production

  •  Plant seed potatoes when the soil has warmed up to at least 45 degrees F

  • full sun locations that receive a minimum of 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day

  • They also prefer loose, well-drained soils with a slightly acidic pH between 5.0 and 6.5

  • Avoid planting potatoes where other nightshades like tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant were grown the previous year to minimize disease problems

  • Dig trenches or individual holes that are about 6 inches deep and 6 inches wide. Alternatively, use a potato grow bag.

  • Place your cut pieces of seed potato into the planting hole or trench with the eyes facing up.

  • Space the seed potato pieces about 12-18 in apart for new potatoes and more like 24-30 in apart for larger midseason potatoes.

  • Cover the seed potatoes with about 2-3 inches of soil.

  • Water thoroughly after planting.

• Water Requirements:

  • They like 1-2 inches of water each week, and more during hot, dry weather

  • To determine whether you need to add water, use a rain gauge. Water with a drip irrigation or soaker hose if possible

• Harvesting: 

  • To harvest new potatoes, use a trowel to gently dig into the top layer of soil and unearth the potatoes

  • Take only a handful from each plant if you plan on harvesting full-size Yukon Gold potatoes later in the season

  • Replace the soil after harvesting and water the plant

  • To harvest mature Yukon Gold potatoes, dig down into the soil with a garden fork and remove them from the ground

  • Lift and turn the soil carefully to avoid damaging the tubers as you pick them out of the earth 

  • Brush off excess soil

• Miscellaneous Information and Storage:

  • If storing the potatoes, leave them out in the sun for 1-4 hours and then brush off the dirt prior to bringing them indoors for storage

  • After harvesting, store the potatoes in a dark, dry location for a week at 65-70 degrees F to dry out a bit

  •  After that, store potatoes in a cool dark location (like a root cellar) at about 35-40 degrees F

  • Potatoes may also store better if you wait to harvest for 2-3 weeks after the plants die in the fall

  • Common potato plant diseases include potato scabs, gray mold (botrytis), potato blackleg, potato blight, verticillium wilt, and powdery scab

  • Most common bacterial and fungal diseases can be controlled by organic bacterial and/or fungal sprays

  • Plants will tend to be less susceptible to disease when grown in full sun with good air circulation and when watered and fertilized consistently

• Health Benefits:

  • High in Vitamin C

    • One medium Yukon gold potato meets one half of your daily vitamin C needs, and contains nearly twice the amount of vitamin C as a regular baking potato

  • High in Potassium

    • which may help lower your blood pressure, by decreasing the effects of sodium

  • Great for our blood

    • Yukon gold potato meets 6 percent of your daily value for iron

• Recipes:

  • Potato salad (Full instructions available online)

  • Potato soup (Full instructions available online)

  • Roasted potatoes (Full instructions available online)

References

Duford, Mary Jane. “Yukon Gold Potato Variety & Growing Guide.” Yukon Gold potato variety & growing guide. Home For The Harvest, April 5, 2023. https://www.homefortheharvest.com/yukon-gold-potatoes/#:~:text=These%20determinate%20potatoes%20are%20a,potatoes%20are%20a%20great%20option. 

Yukon Gold: Management Profile. University of Nebraska: CropWatch, July 22, 2019. https://cropwatch.unl.edu/potato/yukongold_management#:~:text=Yukon%20Gold%20matures%20in%2080,get%20over%20500%20cwt%2Facre. 

Corleone, Jill. “Benefits of Yukon Gold Potatoes.” Healthy Eating | SF Gate. SF Gate, November 27, 2018. https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-yukon-gold-potatoes-10069.html.