when the potatoes get the little growth on them.....I take a very small knife and cut carefully around those little growths and leave about an inch of the potatoe with it....might get 20 cuts.....some more....some less, I let them sit on the porch until they cut end dries a little......then plant in a mix of good very old horse or cow manure with some lime, old grass, leaves, mulch and or straw or old hay...we use a cultivator to mix it in.....after you plant in hills.....water and sprinkle hay on the top......to keep the weeds down......easier way to plant them.