Onion sets and seed potatoes arrive mid-January at J&N Feed and Seed. Planting potatoes and onions are at the top of everyone’s gardening list this time of year. As everyone in North Texas knows, our late January and February weather can be a gamble— temps can be spring-like one day and fall below freezing the next.  But, the weather extremes should not deter gardeners from planting during these months.  Potatoes are top of the list for planting this time of year.

Other good go-to cold weather vegetables are root produce such as turnips, beets, and carrots as well as hardy leafy greens like spinach, cabbage, kale, and chard. Bulb veggies (onions and garlic), as well as asparagus crowns, can also be planted at this time.

Preparing and Planting Potatoes 

When purchasing seed potatoes, look for certified seed potatoes. These are seeding potatoes which have not been treated with growth retardants to prevent sprouting. Conventional potatoes in grocery markets are typically treated with retardants.

After you have planned and prepared a garden spot with well-drained, loose soil, the seed potatoes can be prepped for planting:

Cut each seed potato into quarters (sulfur dust can be applied to the fresh cut ends) and let the potato quarters set out overnight or longer until cut sides callus over.  Seed potato quarters are then ready to plant— for a good rule of thumb, potato quarters should be planted 3” to 4” deep and spaced 12” to 15” apart. To provide plants plenty of growing room, make sure rows are spaced 24” to 36” apart.

Caring for Potato Plants

Potatoes need consistent moisture, so water regularly when tubers start to form.  Before the potato plants bloom, hilling should be done when the plant is about 6 inches tall. Hoe the dirt up around the base of the plant in order to cover the root as well as to support the plant. Bury the plant base in loose soil. Hilling will keep the potato plants from getting sunburned, in which case they turn green and will taste bitter.  You will need to hill potatoes every couple of weeks to protect your crop.

When the potato plants have bloomed, new potatoes are ready for harvest.  For larger potatoes, harvest only after plant tops have fallen over. For more information on planting seed potatoes, visit the Texas A&M website.

Other Cool Weather Vegetable Plantings

Lettuce, spinach, and cabbage can be planted at this time either by seeds or plant starts. For reference, these vegetables can be planted in February with seed or starter plants.

Stop by J&N for your seed potatoes, onion sets, and other cool weather vegetables.

Mr. Heater,  America’s most popular portable heaters are available at J&N Feed and Seed. The Mr. Heater name is known and trusted by millions of people for specialized products to meet their heating comfort needs where they live, work and play. Their broad line of heating products includes forced air propane, portable heaters, garage heaters, and more.

At J&N Feed and Seed, we carry the full line of Mr. Heater, heaters from the Buddy Portable Heater all the way up to the Forced Air Personal Heaters.  Any space you need warmth, Mr. Heater has a size to fit your needs. Bring warmth and comfort with you with the Mr. Heater Big Buddy Portable Heater. This a great portable and temporary heat source for campers, RVs, hunting blinds, workshops, porches, patios, decks, sporting events, tailgating, garages, ice fishing shanties, and emergency heat.

We currently stock the following Mr. Heaters Portable Heaters:

• Portable Buddy Heater
• Big Buddy Heater
• Little Buddy Heater
• Hunting Buddy Camo Heater
• Single Tank Top Heater
• Double Tank Top Heater
• Golf Cart Heater

How Much Heat Do You Need?

You can calculate the amount of BTUs required by using the following method: Measure the space’s dimension to determine cubic feet. (Length x Width x Height = Cubic Feet). Subtract the outside temperature from the desired inside temp to determine the temperature increase. If you have measured temperature in Fahrenheit, calculate the required BTUs with this formula: (Cubic Feet x Temperature Increase x .133 = Required BTUs) If you have measured temperature in Celsius, calculate the required BTUs with this formula: (Cubic Feet x Temperature Increase x .2394 = Required BTUs)

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J&N Feed and Seed in Graham is your local dealer for Traeger Grills and Traeger wood pellets.  Be it smoking, grilling, wood-fired convection oven, or BBQ, the Traeger Grill can satisfy all your grilling needs.  Stop by and check out our selection of grills, including the new Pro-Series 575 and Pro 780 WiFi pellet grills.

Simple and safe to operate, Traeger’s draft induction technology offers continuous convection cooking to ensure even heat distribution. The results are perfectly cooked food every time, with no flare-ups, no burnt food, and no hassles.

All you do is plugin and play!  Can’t get any easier than that! Traegers require only a standard 110V household current. After an initial 300 watt heat up of the wood pellets, the grill uses the equivalent of a 50 watt light bulb, making the Traeger Pellet Grill one of the most energy-efficient grills on the market today. Using Traeger’s specially formulated natural hardwood pellets, food has a rich flavor unmatched by charcoal, gas grills, and smokers. Pellets come in a variety of woods, too— your grilling experience is only limited by your imagination.

Stop by J&N Feed and Seed in Graham and our team will happily show you our selection of Traeger Pellet Grills and accessories. We’ll get you up and grilling in no time— for many years to come!