potatoes under straw PART II

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This message was edited Jan 8, 2010 9:39 AM

Carminator1,
Some of the seed potatoes I received are smaller than a golfball, so I don't need to cut those. Others I could just cut in half and end up with a golfball size. They aren't huge potatoes. Also, I got approximately 4 potatoes of each variety I ordered. Wondering if I ordered enough!

My potatoes should arrive today according to the UPS website. How exciting!

Hey Linda~Happy Birthday!! Hope you have a great day!

Happy birthday, Linda!

Gymgirl,

First of all, Happy Birthday!!
How many varieties did you get? Since you have more than one variety get them out of the bags and put them on separate paper plates or pie tins with a label so they don't get mixed up. I usually cover them with newspaper but now I am reading they can be put in a lighter place. Must try that myself this summer.

Don't cut anything the size of a small egg or golf ball. Don't cut any of them until you see definite eyes. Last year I got some big potatoes with very few eyes so it was hard to know where to cut. Let them go until they just begin to show eyes and sprout. Then cut them to keep two to three eyes in each piece. I usually find two is just fine. It's better to have a bigger rather than a smaller potato piece to plant since the sprouts rely on the body of the potato piece for nutrition. Let them sprout and plant when weather permits.

Ronniger always says that 1 lb should yield about 10 seed potatoes when cut. Depending on the size of each potato 4 does seem like very few per pound but they must be bigger (?) so you can cut them to get about 10 seed potatoes. Based on this year's experience you will know better how much to order next time.

I planted 5 varieties last year and don't know what to do with them all. Of course some came up from pieces accidently left in the soil the year before when I harvested. The volunteers always produce really well but after having Late Blight this year I am told I must pull ALL volunteers this summer since they can harbor the Blight. Each plant should give you 4-5 or more decent sized potatoes.

Keep us up to date on how things go!! Good Luck!! Jessica

Happy birthday Linda! Hope you have a great one.

Boy just came from Lowes they are selling potato seed for $3.95 a bag, they had red potato, and all white potato, the blue type and the one that I am going to try to grow the yucon gold, if I had more space I would definetely buy some more, I love taters, I just hope the ones that I bought do well expecially since they are not seed potatoes and just the organic type bought at a store

Happy Belated Birthday Linda!
I found a good container for potatoes are old plastic drums, preferably one that held agro products as opposed to petro or chemical products. I can get these locally for $10. I just saw them in half and drill a dozen or so 1-11/2" holes around the base and bottom for good drainage. Ric

I used a compost soil mix in the bottom and as the plants grew I added straw and promix. I had good sucess last year and plan to double the effort this year. The containers are very efficent water wise and it's the first time I ever dug potatoes with my hands. LOL Even amended with years of compost our heavy clay soil is not well suited to potatoes. We have 3 hens that free range in the garden, I've never had better pest control. I may have to seperate the tomatoes after they start to ripen as "the girls" find them quite tasty. Ric

My potatoes came yesterday! I've opened the box and taken the paper out, but I need to set them out and all that stuff. They should have plenty of time to start growing. If these do well this year, I'm going to order double next year.

Ric those pictures look great! How many containers did you use for your potatoes last year? What you are describing is what I am going to attempt to do. The only problem here in Mobile is that it constantly rains here as soon as summer hits and I am not talking about light rain either but the pouring type rain so I really need something that can drain all the water and not get waterloged. Last year I planted many herbs and different lettuces in some Earth Boxes and also I made some containers out of rubbermaid tubs to plant more stuff, placed a nice fluffly mix in all of them and planted some seeds, well with all the rain we had the plants never got very big and the medium was completely soaking wet, I even raised the containers to let them drain better and to no avail.

I bought a smartpot to grow my taters on, supposedly it lets the water drain better than conventional pots, plus I would imagine that filling it with a mix of potting mix and straw will help a little with the drainage as well but we will see.

carminator, I was a little concerned by some heavy rains also, but I also know what kind of rain you can get in the gulf states. Could you use a partial slat type cover to deflect some of the heaviest downpours? I used 3 drum sections and added medium as often as twice a week, watering as needed. I had a 1/3, a 1/2, and a 2/3 heigth drums, all preformed fairly equally. I also tried 3 different varieties, Potomic reds, Yukon gold, and Kennabecks. My reds and golds were a little larger but the Kennabecks finished a little later and produced more weight.

Thank you Holly Ann, I would imagine since I am going to have a mixture of soil and straw the straw will get the soil to be not as compacted for the potatoes to grow in and therefore is should drain better or so I hope. I also ave heard that the rainy season that we got last year was not normal, so I really hope this year is not as bad.

By the way I just bought myself a really nice wiskey barrel in Target they are having 75% off on all their containers, so I went to my organic market and bought some Russian Banana Fingerling potatoes to plant on the barrel, my question is, this are tiny potatoes so how far appart do I have to plant them? Has anybody grown these before?

carmen - the square foot gardening book says 4 to a sq ft. I'm having trouble picturing that but am going to give 'er the 'ol college try and see...

Kelly, yes and my smart pot says that I can plant about 5 potato seed in the 20 gallon size, the whiskey barrell is about the same size as the smart pot, maybe a little bigger, so I was thinking about planting 5 of the fingerlings on that but they are so small I was wondering if that was accurate since these are a lot smaller taters.

That sounds about right. I'd try 5 and if it looks like you could do more there's always next year. Don't wanna crowd them.

I got some ashes from my fireplace just the other day and I was told to put some when I plant the taters to prevent rot expecially in humid climates such as mine but was wondering how much do you put?

carminator1, When I cut my seed potatoes I dip them in wood ash and allow them to lay out in the garage till the next day. It's what my Grand Dad always did to prevent rot. Ric

Thank you Ric I will do just that I just did not know how to apply it. Roots are growing still but I want to make sure we are not going to get another cold spell before planting.

I was planning to plant my taters this weekend, but we now have rain in the forecast all week... So, will wait until next weekend. It rains so little here that when we do get rain it sometimes is a torrential downpour. Don't want any newly planted things to wash away - lol...

I've seen some of your arroyos. LOL I've also seen signs that appear to be in the middle of the desert that say flood area. I don't think I want to see one of those downpours 1st hand, but I'd love to see the desert for a few days or so afterward. Ric

It is beautiful, and everything smells so fresh and green things start growing out of nowhere.

Those washes can fill up in a matter of minutes. And people are crazy enough to try and drive through them. A few years ago Arizona enacted a Stupid Motorist Law that says you will have to pay the big $$$ for your rescue if you ignore barricades and attempt to drive through a flooded roadway.

And people still try. It will wash your car away just like that!

I finally put my taters out in a warm, sunny spot for them to start growing. I'm a little bit concerned about one of my Kennebecs. It's already turning soft and doesn't have any eyes starting to form. Is that okay? Should I be worried? This is the first time I've intentionally tried to grow eyes on my potatoes. I have great success with store-bought potatoes sprouting, though! LOL

When I took them out of their bags, they all pretty much had some tiny eye growth on them. Yippee!!

It's hard to say. It could be rotting but I would just watch it and if it gets mushy and smelly or just dries up then throw it away. I personally would also start cutting the large ones that are sprouting. If you wait until the potato has sprouted all over, I find it difficult to cut without damaging the sprouts. You can't easily lay it down on a table to cut if there are sprouts all over! Others may disagree but that's how I do it and it generally works. Sometimes you lose one cutting to drying up or rotting but rarely. They look good!!

stephanie - Where did you get your tator seeds? They look great! You do have some big ones that I would definitely cut in half (at least). Very nice selection!

Steph,

Could someone please remind me, about how long do you set aside for them to sprout? About a week, or longer?

And then cure them for about 2 days? (And I now know that you can sprout and cure at the same time. Didn't know that.)

You set them aside for as long as they need to create decent sized sprouts. For some of you it might be a week, for others 2-3 weeks. It depends on how far along the eyes were when you got them. I cure for a minimum of 2 days if I cut them after they sprout to be sure the cut sections are really dry. Otherwise as "divided" has discovered they can cure while they are sprouting. I've never grown Kennebecs so don't know why they are getting soft. Are they perhaps in a too warm area or is it just typical of that variety?

Gard,
I thought they needed to be in a warm area to sprout...

Becky, I ordered them from Ronninger's. The link is posted in the previous thread. Quick shipping and everything separated in little mesh bags well labled. I originally asked them not to be delivered until this week (my plant date is Valentine's Day), but they shipped them 2 weeks ago!

I just had them sitting in the box on the floor in my den since I got them and they'd already started sprouting. I didn't have them in a warm sunny spot and we don't keep our house extremely warm during the winter. I just moved them out to our enclosed sunroom today where they'll get lots of warmth and sun, until the next freeze anyway! LOL

So, do I need to be concerned about the soft Kennebec yet? And I can go ahead and cut them NOW and let them cure in the ashes or what?

Howdy Gymgirl/Linda, and others. Hope you don't mind me butting in but thought I could take a couple minutes to help out.

What ya'll are doing (pre-sprouting) is called chitting. It really helps to encourage an earlier harvest and get your plants off to a quick start. What I do is cut the potatoes, if large, and place them in trays rose end up (the end with the most eyes). Keeping them in "in-direct" sunlight will encourage sprouting. Don't put them in direct sunlight as they get too hot, will burn or rot. Too cold and they tend to just sit there. Room temperature would be best, 70º or so. Also, you really want them to sprout short nubbins, not those leggy soft "tentacles" X inches long (my word, thinking octopus here *grin).

Someone above mentioned wood ash. A bit of that dipped on the cut side of the spuds would be helpful to help dry that area. I wouldn't recommend adding loads of ash to your soil thought as it will raise the pH and potatoes prefer a low pH level. The little bit that you'd use on the cut side of your potatoes won't have a huge effect on pH change though. Those of you with a high pH or who choose to cut your potatoes just before planting will have just as good results dipping them in powdered bone meal; this would add phosphorus as well as stave off wireworms and other tater lovers that might be in your soil.

Lastly, the time frame for chitting results can be from 1 week to 6 weeks, depending on temperature, sunlight, type of spud, as someone above pointed out.

Stephanie, your soft Kennebec may be just drying up a little. A bit of softness won't hurt and may even help it to sprout faster. Keep in mind though that too much heat may also cause it to rot faster to if they are in direct sunlight, especially a window that gets direct sun, you may want to move it.

Hope this is helpful, Folks.
From one spud lover to another..Happy Gardening!

Shoe
(pic: slave labor? Nawww, somebody was wanting fresh-dug french fries!)

Ha ha ha ha! "You want fries? Sure, here's a shovel." Cute.

Thanks, shoe.

Heheheh, how cruel of me, eh, dividedskys!?

One of our "bestest" treats each year while my daughter was growing up was to go dig a few potatoes (me digging, she "hunting" thru the dirt) and then carry them to the shoffice (part shop, part office). I'd quickly wash them, cut them up and have them frying in a big black frying pan while she played on her swing right outside the door. It wasn't too long before they were ready and we'd both sit down with fresh dug fries, catsup/ketchup (and sometimes a root beer). Neither of us would say a word while chowing down on those delicious spuds until they were gone! It don't get no better than that, eh?

Grow those spuds, Folks! You'll make memories!

Best!
Shoe

Cute photo, Shoe! Lots of potatoes in that wheelbarrow! WOW!

I also purchased and received potatoe seeds from Ronninger's. Most of them are sprouting in the open box inside where the temps are in the 70's. But they are not in bright light. Many of mine are soft too and are showing some wrinkling, but I see sprouts starting at most of the eyes. Just about all of my potatoes are small. I am not planning to cut up any of them because of their size. I ordered 1 lb. of each - Silverton, Red Pontiac, Red Dale, and Yukon Gold. This is also my first time growing potatoes. But I will be growing mine in containers because of the nematodes here in the Florida soil. Should be interesting!

What kind of soil (potting mix) do you recommend for growing potatoes in?

:o) I can't wait to do that with my nephew!

Okay, I think I'll move them to my front bedroom where they'll get plenty of indirect sunlight. They get direct sun in the sunroom, so that might not be the best place for them.

Thank you so much for sharing Shoe, you explained everything I needed to know about potatoes, as always it pays to have a tater expert in the Forum. Cute Pic too, I can't wait to have my kids digged potatoes with me in a couple of months.

Shoe, thanks for the info! It's always so helpful for newbies (or sorta newbies) to get helpful info from more experienced gardeners.

I still have one question. If I cut my taters now (or in a few days when the sprouts are larger), and I go ahead and cure them in ashes, will they still be okay to plant on Valentine's Day? I'm afraid they'll die or something and then I'll be left with nothing!

Thanks, Shoe! There's a question above still unanswered about the type of soil (potting mix) to plant container potatoes in.

I'm growing in two 20-gallon Smart Pots and will use a base layer of compost/garden soil about 8" deep and lay my spuds on that. Once they take off, I'm gonna use garden leaves to cover the vines as they grow up.

How's that sound?

Linda

Ya'lls excitement is catching, I'm itching to plant potatoes now! Will have to wait til March though.

Stephanie, if I were you I'd wait a week or so to cut your taters. The cut sides only need a couple days to heal over so there is no hurry on that part. Keep in mind the best sized sprouts will be about 1" or so. If they get exceptionally long (like the ones we find lost and forgotten in the pantry) those are a bit too much; some folks will pull those long ones off and the spuds have enough energy to put forth new growth. The larger the potato or potato pieces the more energy they can draw on to re-sprout, if the need arises. (By the way, in your area are you still expecting a freeze and that is why you want to wait until Valentines Day?) And remember, it is green sprouts ya'll want, not white ones.

Becky, a good potting mix for growing spuds in containers (or bags) will be one that sounds contradictory..."well draining but holds moisture". I'd use a peat based mix that has been amended with something like perlite or even small gravel. There is also a product called Turface that might work well also. (Sometimes the same ingredient is sold as "vole control" or the like; apparently it hurts their little nosey noses as they try to burrow to your bulbs.) Also, using peat, being acidic, will give you the lower pH that spuds prefer. Lastly, remember that spuds grown in containers will dry out faster than spuds grown directly in the ground so keep an eye on the moisture.

All for now, Folks. Off to the greenhouse to pot up gardening cuttings (but I'll be thinking of potatoes the whole time!)

Shoe