POTATOES UNDER STRAW/LEAVES #4

I've decided that the potatoes at my place need less direct sun. It seems like the ones that have gotten more shade have far outdistanced the others that were getting more sun. Anyone have any ideas on this??

Steph, I believe that is my problem as well with the plants that look so rough. My solution is to plant earlier next year:o)

Yea, plant earlier, plant more, and plant in at least a bit of shade. I've got a couple of areas in my yard that I think would work better for the 2 containers that look like death warmed over. I've pretty much given up on them and am ready to go ahead and yank 'em out and plant more flowers or something in their spots. Those 2 containers were also in more direct wind, and we've had gusts up to 50mph at times recently, which doesn't help the tender plants.

Something else I'm thinking that might have affected them is these 2 beds were made using wood from the raised tomato bed last year. I'm seriously thinking that something like blight that affected our maters last year remained in the wood and infected the plants.

My spuds are in a shady spot that gets bright sunlight in the morning, until around noon. Then, they get shade. One SmPot is just about done, although only one side of the container has died back. There were only two whole potatoes in the container, and the other one hasn't died back yet. In fact, it's still pretty green and going ok. So, how do I dump only half the container?

Sorry, John!

These were clinging to the vine I just ripped out. They were fresh outta the microwave.

Can you say, "HOT potato?!"

I went thru pain 2 give ya'll this pic!

LOL!!! Sweet, new potatoes!!! Congrats.

Hey John!

I dug around in the top of my SmPt full of lovely decomp leaves but didn't see any more spuds. I'll dig further down, maybe this evening...

Here's a pic of my new babies. ;-) I have 3 small rows going. My first time ever growing potatoes. I started them a little later than you guys did but hopefully they'll do well..

Nice-looking potato plant!

We recieved lots of much-needed rain over the weekend, which was a big relief since we've been in a drought as of late. That bad news is that the rain got the fire ants stirred-up and they have been on the move building new mounds and invading vegetable beds. Once again, they moved into my potato bed and, once again, I had to flush them out with "mound drench." I'll check again later this evening, but hopefully they're gone. It will be interesting to see how this crop fares with all the fire ant incursions...I can't wait to see.

This message was edited May 17, 2010 7:39 AM

Yeah, I'm ready to dig. I'm going to give mine a couple of days to dry out a little, just so it won't be such a muckfest, and then we're going to see what's down there...

Mine are finnaly dying back so it is only a matter of time before I start digging, hope to have a good treasure hunt.

Linda love your little taters, I bet they were delicious.

It's weird - the top leaves on mine were looking crispy. Now there is a lot of new green pretty growth. Go figure. Not sure if I'll get me any taters before the gates of @!&% open up and summer hits us... Fingers are crossed...

Definitely need to plant much much earlier next time!

My potato tops are above the wine barrel, now, but I can't imagine their needing any more layers of dry leaves with a wire cage extension; they've already had a lot more room to expand than they would have if I'd planted them in the ground. I'm tempted to let them go from here on. They're nice and green and healthy looking, and not a single Colorado potato beetle to be seen.

Ya'll, I've really grown much in the garden.

Must've been Saturday or Sunday after church. Anyway, my plastic cage has taken to falling over from the weight of some vines leaning over the edge. Well, there I am in my dress clothes (had tah be Sunday...) struggling to lift up the plastic cage without snapping any vines, trying to keep my heels from getting stuck in the soft dirt (yeah, Sunday after the rain....).

Well, I manage to get the cage upright and shove a bamboo stake down in the ground to keep it vertical, when I'm facing this snake all wrapped up (more like tangled up) in the plastic wire. He was about 10-12" and curled in a ball in and out of the plastic. Then I realized he'd been underneath when I picked up the cage. Probably up against my lap the whole time!

As a total newbie, I'd have gone running and screaming through the yard, or at least have keeled over from a stroke or a heart attack.

As growth would have it, I simply got the garden hose and blasted his little butt until he uncurled himself and jumped off into the cage underneath my leaves. So, now all I have to worry about is "how big will he be by the time these potato vines die off?" This is a HEALTHY vine that has quite a ways to go!

Life and growth...

Awww, poor snakie... You know you scared him worse than he scared you...

LOL Linda, you are a trooper, I would be screaming my head off, I just don't like snakes. Snakes love wet leaves though so I am sure he is confortable in his new house.

Ok I finally emptied the Red Fingerlings SmPot. They are really small and they were in the LOWER half of the pot, almost on the bottom. So now that we know we can grow em, let's figure out how to grow MORE of them.

Wow!!! Great job Linda! So what did you do- mash 'em, bake 'em or what???

I started digging mine today, too. Same observation - the potatoes were down in the dirt where the plant started, but not where I hilled up with leaves.

These are for the DH. He'll have 2 tell me what they taste like! Probably nuke em with some butter. 75 seconds oughta do it!

I'm thinking I can probably go ahead and harvest all the rest. Sure hope I get some big ones there!

Gymgirl, fingerlings are great roasted with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Ddal,
Thanks for that tip! Roasted they'll be!

THINGS I'VE LEARNED FOR NEXT SEASON:

Love, love, love the SmPts and the washing machine tubs. Compact, portable, and
they have great drainage!
Doesn't seem to be a need to keep hilling past the top of the container. No spuds grew
outside the soil...
Spuds grew horizontally? on top of the first 8-10" of soil -- and stayed there....
Can plant more than 2 Red Fingerling slips in a 20 gal SmPt. (Maybe 4-6 next time...)
Spuds can stay underground awhile without damage, long as the temps don't get too hot.
Growing spuds this way was FUN and EASY!
Will definitely do it again for the fall -- target plantout in late August...

Linda

I thought that growing them in straw meant that the potatoes grew in the straw. I have lots of work to do if not. I hope HoosierDan comes on here and explains. I planted all of mine in dirt (not alot either) and then piled the straw on this in garbage cans and lots of garden space.

Ddal,
Please keep in mind the notes I made were from my own growing experience. You're going to have a different set of observations because of your conditions. Your spuds might actually continue growing up thru the straw. Let's wait and see what you get!

Then add your notes here, ok?

I'll post my notes but it makes me nervous. I don't want to do all that work and it not be as much of a harvest. That would be just too much pain and suffering.

I think next year, I'm going to grow them in the ground. Ants seem to love my containers this year!

Stephanie- I'm not sure what can be done about the ants. I was thinking the same thing because ants really like my leaves/ grass clippings after a good rain. I need to think more about all of this...maybe more nematodes, and lots of molasses in my potato bed.

On the ants... I know folks here that have had similar problems with ants bothering potatoes in ground. After all, the ants live in ground. Where ants are concerned, I am not sure there is an easy answer.

We have a huge old oak tree in our front yard, and it drops LOTS of leaves in the spring. We have a flower bed out there, so we use the leaves for mulch and then haul the rest to the compost pile. A couple of springs ago, we had a horrible ant infestation in the leaves! We had to have the exterminator (organic) treat them they were so bad! We tried everything, DE, mound drench, and molasses. Once the exterminator treated, we never had another problem I think it's the water that they like.

Yeah, don't give up already on hilling up with straw or leaves. I know it works; that's how my parents grew them even. I'm wondering more if my situation relates to our weather - unusually cool late, then now it's summer. So I'm wondering if the "missing" tubers in the hills would have been just as missing with dirt this year. Definitely they're easier to dig - if you're not going to get a big yield, then you sure don't want to spend a lot of time digging for it.

Yall further north definitely do report back...

I think what I should've said is that I'm going to do the thing where you prepare your soil, then lay them on top of the soil. Then you can hill them with straw or leaves.

I'm still going to put a little more dirt on them, just in case. It's going to be alot of work but I would kick myself if I didn't get a good yield. Realbirdlady, you have a great point and I think you're right but I would still blame myself. Maybe I'll not do it on some and then not do it on others. I'll keep you posted.

Donna

Potatoes have grown quite a bit in the past 3 weeks. Had to put more straw on them after I took this picture.

Wow! Those look awesome!

Looks like your taters are finally taking off! Such beautiful plants!

Thanks!

ok-i put my potatoes in the ground about 6 weeks ago--which i know is late for this area--i am covering the new green growth with leaves and they seem to be growing well--i water every few days--how long do i wait to see if i have any? mine are yucon gold if that makes a difference--

Plano,
I believe the Yukons are 90-100 days. I planted mine out February 15th, and still have vines growing. Just make sure you have good drainage. The soil just needs to remain consistently moist for the vines.

Linda

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