POTATOES UNDER STRAW/LEAVES #4

Sounds good Linda, I might give it a try as well, are you going to pile leaves as well or just use compost to cover the potatoes?

I have a bunch of fingerlings that have sprouted so I will be planting those ones next see if I get any taters for this fall.

C,
I'm only going to hill up as far as the top of the containers, since no spuds grew in that hilled up layer of leaves. I'm gonna go with my potting mix/coir/compost blend again, just like before.

I still have one 20-gallon SmPt of Purple Vikings to dig up. But, it is MUCH too hot to go out there and do it! I hope they don't rot. But, I haven't watered them in forever, and the vines are still brilliant green...

I have a sorry little patch of potatoes -- they've been limping along while I've been cutting in paths, putting down decomposed granite, and other landscaping. The poor potatoes just looked so sad. I had one plant in the bed of russian fingerlings just curl up it's toes and die. I figured it was blight and I was going to lose the whole crop. I guess I just didn't believe I had a crop. I planted these things in January. It's JUNE!

Anyway, the plant that died... I decided to dig around a little and see how pathetic it really was. Beautiful, perfect lovely potatoes! I practically started to cry.

I will be happy to let the rest finish up (they aren't going to flower, I'm sure). Can't wait!

And I'll be glad for the fall when I'll be done with the heavy landscaping so I can get back to gardening!

ok am i the ONLY one who failed at my potatoes???
each plant produced one potatoe that was eaten by bugs or even mushy!
please tell me i am not the only one to fail!

Don't know yet... am still waiting to "harvest " mine. But I am concerned with all the heat... time will tell.

I still have some that are barely flowering... Our heat is horrendous so not sure how much of a harvest I'll have, but we'll see...

I've still got the one 20-gallon SmartPot with the Purple Vikings growing in it. It was "seeded" on February 14th, so today makes a millenium....

I know I need to dump it and harvest, but it is SOOOOOOOOOOO hot outside.....

I can only hope the leaves pilled on top are keeping the soilbed the least bit cool, 'cause I haven't even been watering it anymore...

Linda

How many pounds of potatoes did everyone start out with? I don't remember.

I know Linda I feel your pain, it is hard for me to go outside with this heat and sometimes either I have to go out really early in the day to check my veggies or latte liket 7:30 or so when is a little nicer. They should keep fine for a while.

I started out with 1/2 lb. of each variety. The order I placed with Ronniger's last week was for 2 lbs. of each variety.

Ok, for you mathematicians out there, planting 2 lbs. of seed potatoes means I would be growing ?????? % more potatoes than last time.

MATH is not my forte'. WORDS are my forte'!

Thanks!

Alas, my potato crop was a resounding failure so planolinda, you are not alone. Between the fire ants, disease, a liklely bad potato bed location, poor watering, and my own ineptitude, I guess they never really stood a chance.

From the beginning, my seed potatoes never got established in terms of developing strong, green plants. Some were just cut-down well before their prime by the ants and/ or disease. And I knew I was in trouble after seeing some potato bed pictures from you all. Most of you had nice, dense patches of healthy looking potato plants, and I had a hodge-podge of Charlie Brown Christmas-tree looking weeds. I was embarassed. I quietly snuck outside and dug-up the plants on father's day while my family was inside the house visiting. I wasn't expecting much, nor did I get much.

Nevertheless, I will try again this August and make some adjustments to my game plan. One thing I may nix is the use of grass/ leaves. Once this gets wet the fire ants see this a giant neon sign that says "The Party Is Here" and they move rigth in. I think using straw will cut down on this activity. So many things to re-examine at this point.

I think I read somewhere that t 25' row will yield 50 lbs of potatoes (approx). Does that help any? LOL

John!
Thank you for sharing your findings with us. Please don't ever be embarassed by your growing journey. We all have been learning from each other on this thread, and your contribution is valuable input for us all!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience and have learned a LOT!

And ---- I ----- can ------ grow ----- potatoes!



This message was edited Jun 23, 2010 3:00 PM

And I think Ronniger's says that 1 lb of seed will plant a 10' row...lol.

Steph,
A 25' row translates into a 4' x 7' square foot bed! That TRULY helps!

I think all in all it was a successful season for all. If we didn't get a huge harvest, we sure did get ideas to make it better next time. For me, I'll plant earlier so my poor taters have a chance to produce before we get to be 110° - the forecast for tomorrow...

I like your idea Linda, though I really don't have any brilliant ideas on what to call us yet - lol...

So, based on your data provided, 8 lbs of seed potatoes should yield 160 lbs. of potatoes?

1 lb. = 10' row
8 lbs = 80' row
25' row = 50 lbs (@ 2 lbs /ft)
80' row = 160 lbs?

"I think I'm gonna need a bigger box..."

I missed the onions. What's the link for them?

Just need to convince the DH that we need to plant taters again.

Here's Hornstrider"s:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7780670
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7780673

Carmen,
Please send us the link to those awesome onions you grew!

Wow linda I am blushing, thank you for your generous comments!
This was my first year growing them so I think it might have just been beginer's luck.

Here's the link. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1064365/

C,
If that was beginner's "luck," I really would like to see a successful crop of your onions!

Wow, nice crop Carmen. Did you sprout that gorgeous little sprout too? The giggling girl with onions that is.

My crop was not a failure but definately not abundant. But Very Good.

Thanks for the group blast gymgirl, I think your idea is an excellent one. I'll respond shortly.

Thanks MaryMcP, yes I am not sure who has more fun in the garden me or my little girl, she definely loves to plant with mommy and eats all kinds of veggies, now if I could get my other one to eat veggies as well, he is kind of a picky eater.

Linda I think it is a fantastic idea, I will also respond shortly.

Yep, what the girls said - I think it's an awesome idea...

And I love the little cutie Carmen - she's a doll! Since all mine are boys, I have to rely on getting my cute girl kiddo fix from my friends - lol.

Kelly, you're a young 'un, there's still plenty of time!!! [Mary, ducking for cover.]

This info was on the Kennebecs' that I planted... A good yield for 5 pounds of potatoes will be 50 to 75 pounds from 50 feet of row.

JohnCrichton ~ an older gardener that I know plants his potatoes in ground and swears by dusting the soil around the seed potatoes with sulphur to repel fireants. I believe that is what he uses, I will see him next week and ask for sure.

thank you john for sharing your failure! makes me feel less alone!

No failures here! Only 2 ways NOT to grow your potatoes!

Ya'll almost had pics of my last container of spuds that have been baking since Feb. 14th. It was a lovely overcast yesterday evening, just before the rain. And, it got cool enough to motivate me to go dig up those spuds. Alas, "raindrops were fallin' on my head" by the time I pulled in, so NO PICS....shoot!

And, it's raining today....and, I have an aversion to mud....so, it's gotta dry out before I attempt any digging...

ok no talking about "it's raining today" from the houston area! we are so jelous of anyones rain that we could start getting very crabby!

Well, I dug and I am not quitting my day job! Next year, potatoes will go in the ground here too. The biggest and best were shallow in the soil. None grew in leaves although I had nice foliage and blooms. I believe my weakness this year was our drought. When I dug, the potato bin was way too dry and the potatoes that grew in the soil must have drawn moisture from it. Moving ahead to next season and back to the drawing board.

Send some rain my way Linda - McP and I are melting in the heat over here...

My Yukon Golds had some sad looking blossoms on them last night - lol. I'm sure they are hating this heat in a big way (112° today) but they are still green and alive and I want to let them grow until they can't grow no more and see what I get...

WOW Kelly 112, and I complain about the heat level here. No rain for us either, which really is unusual, last year it was raining every day and this year nothing, I am having to water my plants sometimes twice daily because of all the heat, one of my eggplants died because of all the heat, the weather is just so unpredicteable.

About potatoes, I really can't complain, I really think I got my $ worth. I still have a few little ones waiting to be eaten, they are delicious, and another thing about yucons I have to point out is I love the fact that they don't crumble when boiled, the stay intact, they are buttery and delicious and are prety much multipurpose, I just wished I would have planted more.

Well, I'm certainly a happy potato camper! I'm tickled I grew potatoes at all!

8 lbs of seed potatoes for next go round outta raise some eyebrows, yah think?

I wouldn't say that my first potato experiment was a rip roarin' success, but it was a very good learning experience and I'm absolutely thrilled that we got ANY edible potatoes! I never knew you could grow taters in Texas.

Hey Pod- what would be a good OTC source of sulfur? I'll give it a try, no doubt. Thanks- I know I've been told this once before but it's been awhile.

Here you can buy it in the garden centers or feed stores. Let me find out the specifics and let you know next week...

I know in my area I was able to buy it at Lowes, I used it on my blueberries, never thought of using it for potatoes though.

Ok, I'll look for something sulfur-based at Lowe's or the local garden center.