Potatoe Advice please

[wawajake]

I live in Northern Ontario Canada and we are dealing with a very dry summer.
I have a small garden 30 x 30 that includes three rows of potatoes in the centre.
Now I put the potatoes in the center of garden because they would be last out of ground in fall, and so I could drive my compact tractor across the other crops (by then harvested) to get at the potatoes and dig them up with my tractor bucket teeth . (hard clay type soil so normally use tractor)

But now due to hot summer and bugs etc, the potato plants are just about dead looking, almost all yellow and most leaves shriveld . Now my question is how long in the ground can I leave the potatoes before I harvest ? I was hoping to wait until after my corn crop is done, so I can do with tractor. But if I must hand dig all the potatoes before they rot, then I will.

thoughts ???

 

[Rock knocker]

Potatoe Advice please

Calling Dan Quayle.


1992: Dan Quayle and the 'potatoe' kid

 

[wawajake]

Wasn't it your President Andrew Jackson who stated "It's a dam poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word."


back on topic please ................potatoes

 

[MIKE R]

My potatos are growing good even with this dry weather. They do get watered every day and they are in sand/loam soil. The potato bugs are my issue. You are probably okay to leave them in there for a few weeks as long as you do not have any mice/moles or bugs that will eat them and the ground is dry.

 

[Egon]

Dig a few plants up to see what you got, then make a decision.

You can also use t he tractor lengthwise on the row. Just have to pick the spuds right away.:thumbsup:

 

[joshuabardwell]

Once the tops have dried, that's your indication that the potatoes are as grown as they are going to be. I leave mine in the ground, pulling them 3-5 lbs at a time as I want to eat them, until I start to see signs of bug damage or rotting. The ground is actually one of the best places to store them, IMO, as it is relatively temperature and humidity-controlled. If they are near the surface and sunlight hits any part of them, that part will turn green and start to sprout, which makes it inedible. You can avoid this by mulching them heavily with straw. After I start to see signs of bug damage or rotting (due to excess rain, usually), I pull the rest of them and store them inside.

If you are going to use bucket teeth to pull the potatoes, then coming at the row sideways is probably the best choice. If you have a potato plow, you can drive the row lengthwise.

 

[radioman]

I am seeing the exact same thing right now too.... potatoes dying off early. I NEVER in my life had potatoes die off this early and always harvested it in sept/oct. Looks like I will start harvesting it in july/august now and expect to pay a premium this winter for potatoes for first time in 10 years.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I was told many years ago, that when the potatoes mature, and the vines die, they will keep better in the ground if you cut the vines off. Can't scientifically prove it, but it doesn't seem to hurt.

 

[jimmyj]

Once the tops have dried, that's your indication that the potatoes are as grown as they are going to be. I leave mine in the ground, pulling them 3-5 lbs at a time as I want to eat them, until I start to see signs of bug damage or rotting. The ground is actually one of the best places to store them,

I agree 100% Don't panic.

 

[tcreeley]

I've been hit with bugs in August- just about killing the potatoes. I left them there until 2nd week of October. Potatoes were not big- but they kept pretty well. Picking bugs is not good enough. You need an insecticide, check out Gardens Alive for Bulls eye for more organic type. Sevin also works.

 

[charlz]

Until the ground freezes. If the ground is super dry it might not be good for them so you might want to water them a bit even after they are dead to keep the ground moist.

 

[Car Doc]

Once mine start dieing back for whatever reason they are done thats the way it is big or small they did what they could.

I let most all of them get to that point takes a week to two and I mow over them to mulch the tops and then plow them up with a middle buster and get it over with and as soon as we pick them all up I till the spot.

 

[bp fick]

The drought will likely cut our production in half this year. Barely keeping them alive through irrigating. It's gotten old. Tough year. Century temps and no rain. What are you gonna do?

I've plowed and dragged the fields in late October and early November and raked up lots of 'taters. Frankly, they were just as good as the ones we picked up in August. No problem. The ones you miss will "volunteer" next year too.

 

[SSdoxie]

Mine died off about 3 weeks ago, all that is left of the plant is a little brown stem. I just left them in the ground and go out to dig a couple hills anytime I want fresh potatoes. It has started to rain quit bit this past week so will harvest the rest this weekend.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I've plowed and dragged the fields in late October and early November and raked up lots of 'taters. Frankly, they were just as good as the ones we picked up in August. No problem. The ones you miss will "volunteer" next year too.

That was what finally convinced me to leave them in the ground. I would find them weeks later, in fine shape. As long as it doesn't get too wet, or the bugs/mice don't start getting too aggressive, that's far better than trying to store them indoors. Once I pull them, I can only keep them for a few weeks until they go soft and sprout.

 

[wawajake]

Thanks everyone , looks like I will leave them in the ground for a few weeks as long as it does not become really wet . I do have a middle buster and could perhaps take down the deer/dog fence at one end and try to plow them up from middle of garden in a few weeks.

 

[sam5570]

That was what finally convinced me to leave them in the ground. I would find them weeks later, in fine shape. As long as it doesn't get too wet, or the bugs/mice don't start getting too aggressive, that's far better than trying to store them indoors. Once I pull them, I can only keep them for a few weeks until they go soft and sprout.

my tator vines or deed been that way about 2 weeks but they were planted on april 6 good friday had good growth if you want tour tators to last longer once you dig them if possible they need to be in a cool dry place annd most important cover them so there not in the light we use lots of news paper to cover them like most evryone else im about 2 months ahead this year i normanly don't dig tators till first of september so we will all learn together this time first time ever planted that early.

 

[Car Doc]

Not potato related but drought and season related I have black walnuts already. In 24 years I have never once seen walnuts on the trees before September going to be a strange winter.

 

[ctadds]

Old post but the only one I can find relating to harvesting potatoes with the bucket teeth. Seems like it should work. Does anyone have any tips on what to do or not do?

Thanks, Craig

 

[Jstpssng]

Old post but the only one I can find relating to harvesting potatoes with the bucket teeth. Seems like it should work. Does anyone have any tips on what to do or not do?

Thanks, Craig

Just dig below the potatoes, dump them out and rake. That's how I harvested mine last fall, as I was recovering from surgery and wasn't supposed to do any lifting. I've also used my backhoe, which worked better but would be a pain to put on and take longer than just digging them.