Growing taters

[genusCastor]

Wifey wanted to grow some potatoes, this is the first year we tried it. We waited until the tops were brown and dead before harvesting. Just got through digging them up and was surprised at how many were rotten. Squishy, nasty, stinky rotten.

Then when we went through what we thought were good ones we found more that were no good (slightly rotten). I'd guess more than half of the spuds were wasted.

We've had decent rain over the growing season, but nothing major. There hasn't been any water laying in the garden. And for the last few weeks it's been very hot.

Any ideas what went wrong?

Thanks,
- djb

 

[robbyr]

I don't have the answer but would like to hear it. I too planted some couple years back. Plants got maybe a foot tall. I occasionally dug around em by hand and pulled off potatoes. They were good just not very big. I would cover them back up and do it again a few days later. Would like to know the correct procedure. I dug three or four up and transplanted them to my dad's garden. They grew to be twice as tall as mine but didn't produce potatoes. Rob

 

[fordmantpw]

Subscribing so I can find out more info. We've got taters in the ground, and they have flowered, but don't know when to dig them.

 

[bcjmmac]

Sounds like blight - hot, humid conditions are ideal for it. Factsheet about potato blight

Regarding harvesting - depends on the variety. If in doubt, you can root out some spuds from the side of a plant to check the size. If you use lots of mulch around the plants this is very easy. There is no need to dig up the whole plant, unless you want to harvest the whole crop, as the plant will continue to grow & produce tubers is you only dig along one side.
On a side note - for small plots, you can theoretically increase your harvest by removing the blossoms so that the plant doesn't put its energy into producing seeds.

 

[sam5570]

the only time we had that problem,we planted to early [ before the ground warmed up ] and got lots of rain and had alot of taters but most all were rotten. i cannot remember in this part of the country hearing of tater's bliting. i guess it happens but never seen it.

 

[robbyr]

Not sure but down here I think you're supposed to plant them around Valentine's Day. I usually don't get my garden planted til last week of March or first week of April and neighbors have had their's done for a while. By this time of year it's just about all burned up. I'm good at discing and planting a garden and then neglecting it.:ashamed:

 

[Cordfed]

I grow some in a 55 gallon plastic barrel- works amazingly well for small volume. I started with maybe 4 seed potatoes my in laws picked up at a co-op and I harvested about 12 out of there, and re planted 4 or 5 more seed potatoes.

What I did:
1 55 plastic drum(mine was brand new and clean).
drill a few 1/8" holes in the bottom for drainage.
put down layer of weed fabric in bottom.
ontop of fabric place about 6" store bought potting soil.
place seed potatoes.
cover with a few inches of potting soil.
when the green growth appears cover with more potting mix.
Keep adding potting mix every week or 2 until the plastic drum is full of dirt and the green stalks have reached the top.
Water as needed, fertilize, etc.


I have an old steel 55 gallon drum I keep next to it to store the potting mix in until I scoop some out to cover the potato plants.
Once the flowers bud out just tip the plastic barrel out over a big tarp and the potatoes come rolling out.
Shovel the potting mix back into the steel storage drum, replant some seed potatoes and start the process over.
They taste so earthy and amazing compared to other home growns and store bought taters we've had.
I'd like a few more drums!

 

[DJ54]

Not sure what kind you planted, but a buddy of mine went hog wild, and planted 750 lbs. of potatoes. Some reds, and some whites. We're way above average on rainfall here this year. He started digging some for the farm market, for early potatoes to sell, and noticed about half the reds were rotten, where the white's were not.

 

[RSKY]

Been a while since I have grown any but I think you need to hill the plants a couple times. That is pull dirt up around the plant about halfway up the stem. First time when the plant is 6-10" tall, second time when it grows about the same amount higher. Potatoes will turn green and rot if not covered from the sun.

 

[DFB]

Sounds like a potato blight Its a fungal disease and makes the potatoes rot. Fungicide applications can help control blights. And as RSKY said hilling the potatoes is good procedure. You can also inadvertently create problems by planting with disease infected potatoes too.

I just recently learned about these Sarpo blight resistant potato varieties.