potato question

Last year I purchased organic potatoes some of which sprouted on me.
Since it was March I took them right out and planted them in the garden.
They did wonderfully. This year I bought some fingerling potatoes.
I was waiting for them to sprout.
But they haven't - any ideas on how to get them to sprout?
Do I just reverse the instructions on how not to get them to sprout?

Just keep them inside in a fairly warm spot, they'll sprout, althought it isn't really necessary to sprout them before planting. ☺

it isn't ?- I always have before - thought it was required

roxroe, the supermarket produce man told me years ago that "store" potatoes, (rather than seed potatoes), are treated with something to deter sprouting as long as possible. You can certainly plant potatoes without sprouting them, just takes a little longer for them to break the soil, especially if it's very cold and wet. If your fingerlings were organic, they will sprout that much sooner. I bought a small bag of mixed colored potatoes just to be able to plant several varieties without having to spend a fortune on ordering all those different seed potatoes.
I'm waiting until the end of the month to put mine in the ground. This part of 6b is expecting snow showers and cold temps this week and my soil is still very wet. I'm hoping to sprout (or chit ) my potatoes in the meanwhile. What method do you use to sprout your potatoes? Let us know what you do.

well the best planting day for in ground crops around the target date of march 15 is wednesday march 9th (new moon in water) on the east coast. So I am getting ready. I too was intimidated by having to pay $13 for enough fingerlings to plant my beds of just one variety plus shipping. So I bought two bags of $4 fingerlings of mix variety at the grocery store. I will be preping the bed this morning and sorting them to plant Wednesday afternoon.

Good information roxroe, my moon sign calender tells me to plant root crops on the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th of March and to plant potatoes on April 1st and 2nd. My calender is for a short growing season, which isn't true for here, but since the calender was a wonderful gift, I'm glad to have it even if there are a few variables. I'm sure if I had my soil already prepared, I would also be planting mine that same time as you. Those little potatoes will just lay there for awhile but will still be growing slowly and giving you a head start. Good luck!

Frankly I don't prepare the soil much - I have had wonderful yields using a bed that is slightly fork turned - more compost added and then potatoes laid out - sprinkle lightly with compost and then covered with leaves I save in bags for this purpose. Best part is when they are finished - No Digging! - just brush the leaves away and take them in the house. Also there are no damaged potatoes from the potato fork. and potato bugs don't like the leaves so I don't have those either. Previously I tried all sorts of methods from barrlels to rows - this has been the best, Not sure what astrological math your calendar is using - odd - Aries is a masculine sign. Best planting signs are water and earth. New moon in water or earth is best.......

roxroe, your method sounds VERY good. Seems like I tried the leaf thing way back when, but didn't do right, apparently. I always end up putting my digging fork through at least a few poataoes when I dig them up. If my soil weren't so wet I might try to run my mantis down a row and get the potatoes in the ground this coming week. Unfortunately, I have lots of matted weeds that have overwintered firmly embedded all through my garden, no compost, (my compost pile is mostly kitchen scraps and last's year's potting soil out of flower pots and the pile is filled with tree roots and briars. I've been putting all my scraps and garden waste there for 6 years now and the trees fill it with roots faster than I can do anything about it.). Wish I could do better but I can't do heavy work and digging in my very rocky soil is beyond what I can manage. The woods surrounding my place are full of leaves but I don't have any nicely bagged up. Smart lady to plan ahead like that. Looks like it's potatoes in the dirt again for me. Maybe I can do better next year. :-) I believe you are correct about the astrological planting signs, I have no idea where they came up with what they did but if you know where I can get correct info, I'd appeciate it if you could pass the info my way. The Farmer's Almanac is too complicated for me to figure out, believe me, I tried. Thanks,
Rosemary.

I too have roots that invade but it seems insignificant compared to your problem. An ax is the best tool I have tried but have been trying to think of a barrier they won't cross. Seems like yours is the case for a mantis turning
compost bin. They are expensive but you don't have to fight roots or be strong.

I also have been having compost problems. Usually go out in March and my fall batch is done - however even though we had a late winter - nothing is cooked. So I turned it hoping to get some action going.

If I had the money, I'd hire someone ( keep dreaming) to build me a three part bin system that I've seen in OG magazine and on HGTV "Gardening By The Yard" show, preferably on a concrete pad. I don't think a bin would be nearly big enough for all the garden waste even my small garden generates. I hope the turning you did will get your compost heated up, we are having a late spring here, weatherwise.
Well, you've inspired me, I will try to get a few potatoes in the ground this week. My son is coming for a few days and maybe I can get him to help me. Keep me posted if you have time.
p.s. My family nickname is Roe

I have a Mantis ComposTwin (two barrels, fill one while the other is composting.) It holds an incredible amount! We never have enough compost, of course, but I'm am hard-pressed to get enough stuff to fill this thing, and I have a fair-sized lot with trees and lots of weeds! I also have two large plastic bins which are currently almost empty, but I can fill them quickly if this drizzle ever stops. They are slow as molasses when it comes to cooking the compost, but with the twin I can just fill them and ignore them. I have black clay filled with rocks of all sizes, and have struggled for years to dig beds. The HOA has finally relaxed the ruling against raised beds, so I am moving in that direction plus more containers. Yuska

Thanks Yuksa! I'm going to check out the Mantis website. Red clay here, I'm in the southern reaches of the appalachians out in the country. No rules, no zoning. I'd like to come up with a method of gardening that is less labor intensive. I don't mind the work, love it actually, but it's my darn body that objects! Just can't do what I used to.

I know the feeling! And the body is not likely to restrengthen, either (can't believe I'm no longer strong.) Another technique I use when I rework a previously established bed is to set the soil from the bed aside and put in several inches of weeds, leaves, kitchen stuff - what normally would go to the compost bin. Then the soil goes back in and some finished compost is worked into the top few inches. I think of this as being a variation of sheet composting. It will be completely broken down before the end of the season and will attract earthworm activity. Yuska

Sounds like a good idea Yuksa. This has moved a long way from the potato question but I've enjoyed it. I checked out the Mantis Compostwin and everything about it looks great except the price. Sure doesn't hurt to dream.
Rosemary

Yep, it's not cheap in price but it's not cheap in quality either. I debated for several years before ordering it but it can stand up to all sorts of weather, and will last indefinitely I'm sure. Try building raised beds and investigate the lasagna technique as well, because in both cases you can bury unfinished compost to speed up the decomposition. Both methods could be used to accommodate potatoes, I think.

Maybe next year I can swing buying a bin or set of bins. Burying scraps wouldn't work here since I have 6 cats, lots of racoons, opposums, deer, moles and voles. But I'm doing OK and have had many a great garden from season to season. It's just the compost thing I need to work on. :-) Good ideas though.

Rose - sounds like you need a farm dog to keep all those critters in line.

Sorry, I'm not a dog person, and my cats second that! What I need is a good sturdy fence!

Well, I am trying the leaf method this year. I used hay last year and had good results too.

Roseone33~ My moon calendar for a medium season also says April 1st for potatoes. That is Capricorn, and a good sign for anything where you want lots of good seeds, also good for hardiness against drought. My favorite books on this subject are by Louise Riotte. Look here to see where I got my calendar, plus links on other moon gardening places.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/485079/

Last year my neighbor was a month ahead of me planting potatoes, I was late due to family injury. Well, I knew i had more than I could plant, so I gave her some of my potato seed, which she planted two weeks laterthan her first. My bed was ready, but I wanted to plant by the moon. She laughed. Two weeks later I planted mine. WIthin two weeks, they were as tall as her four week ones I had given her. WIthin a month mine were bigger than all of her, even the ones planted month earlier. I am thinking I will keep planting by the moon LOL...

I have a potato in the pantry left opver from last years garden, and found it has a root about two feet long! So just for fun, I may go ahead and plant that one on Sunday. Then I can do a little unoffical comparison in my own garden...

Roxroe, let us know when your plants come up, and post pictures :-)

Tamara, thanks, I'll check those links. But I'm curious about Capricorn and it being a good sign for seed production. Since potatoes actually flower and make seeds, I wouldn't think the actual tubers would qualify as seeds. Clue me in if you can.
Also, somehow I always thought it was best to plant potatoes when the moon was waning but I never got so far as to remember under what astrological sign. I have a book somewhere so I'll compare it with the info in the links you posted.

gee I thought that the idea was to plant as soon as you can in the window with the good moon sign -

There are many good signs to plant in - but it depends on what you are planting. Like I would plant flowers in libra but would not plant something I expected a harvest off of in libra since libra is a masculine sign. My calendar is not a "moon planting guide" it is a general astrological calendar - I just plant under water and earth (especially if the sun is in water or earth too). By April 1st the sun has gone to Aries - which is not bad with the moon in capricorn but not nearly so good as the new moon of pisces or the new moon in taurus. However you have to plant sometimes and when the moon is in water I find it is often raining!
Also it is important to note that any activity for gardening has the appropriate sign - like weeding - if you weed under fire signs - you do less weeding. Weed under a water sign and they just come back. So I am careful to check the calander anytime I head for the garden - I avoid mowing the lawn under water signs - it just grows faster! Still I work full time and the best times for things sometimes will find me at work instead of in the garden. If the moon is in aries you can get someone is coming to work with a short temper.

roxroe, you sure know a lot. I am an astrolgical neophyte. I've had my chart done and get yearly updates but I can't say I do much too different, no matter what it says. How's that for wasting money? (Actually, I do read it but I don't know what all the symbols mean on an astrologial calender.) I am relying on a moon sign calender that was given to me. I also have a book called Raising by the Moon by Jack R Pyle and Taylor Reece. It agrees with the moon sign gardening calender and I'm sure must be all the same stuff you're talking about. They are both pretty clear about planting potatoes during the 3rd quarter, in cancer, scorpio, pisces, taurus, libra and capricorn, in that order of favorability. I am trying to learn more as I go along but sometimes the weather and the time are right and it's out to the garden I go and get done whatever I can while I can. Today probably wasn't a good day for planting but the weather was perfect, the soil was perfect, expecting a rain tonight and I had the time and energy, so I planted some sweet peas, radishes, english peas and lettuce transplants. And it just now started raining so I just hope today wasn't a totally barren day. Thanks agin for your info, very helpful.

well I picked up a astrology jokebook at age 12 and being from a fairly restrictive upbringing (to put it mildly) but being insatiably curious (you know the one that killed the cat) - I had to look into the matter to see what they were joking about. No Gemini's do not generally dance with a lampshade on their heads at parties regardless of what the books say....

It was used by Sir Isaac Newton who invented calculus and if you get a feel for it you can generally tell what people are inclined to do. It is however important to remember there are 144 + elements to every chart to consider and you should not pick out one archetype or influence and label people.

I use it primarily to plant by - to determine when the best time to start or stop something - and to help my family/staff deal with the stress of living. One guy I work with is having a major uranus transit and a construction company just announced they are going to be blasting 50 feet from his house. No telling what they might blow up. I advised him to board his dog. Uranus rules explosions and other unexpected events.

well hope everyone's potato crop is a sucess!

Very interesting. I think you're right on.