when to hill potatoes?

[daugen]

my potatoes are growing like mad, and the first one is starting to flower.
I have already "hilled" a little by pulling dirt up to the plant, but know I have to do it again. Can I use something other than dirt, like hay, to go under the plants and provide the sun protection they need, or do I have to keep piling the dirt higher. And how high? Thanks. newbie potato planter, though my second batch is coming in nicely . Drew

 

[randy41]

if the mulch is thick enough it should work. i hill them twice (if the weather cooperates), once at 6" and then again when there's another 6" of growth. i hill high enough to almost cover the plant.

 

[daugen]

I guess I'm confused, and clearly ignorant. Where does the potato grow? Half way up the plant? At the base ground level, just wondering how high I need to pile the dirt. Thanks. Drew

 

[KDD]

They grow underground.

 

[daugen]

KDD, could you be a little more specific? You mean the original ground level and not the "new" ground level caused by piling on a foot of dirt?
Now I know you seasoned potato farmers are probably having a chuckle about this, but if the potato is a root crop, and stays "underground" why should I have to pile so much dirt on top? I know the need to prevent sun exposure, but geez an inch of our local clay would sure do that. I'm missing the logic here. Thanks and sorry to be dumb. Drew

 

[SSdoxie]

The potatoe grows off the roots of the plant, so yes at the root level of where it was planted. As the potatoes grow larger those towards the top are pushed upwards. Hilling them brings more soil over and around the stalk to keep these upper potatoes underground, plus the hilling breaks up the ground surface that has become packed by rain and lets more moisture enter and retain it.

I hilled mine for the last time yesterday, plants are now 18" - 24" tall and this any taller I would be breaking the plant off trying to straddle them with the tractor. If I was more ambitious and had the time I would put some mulch or hay over it now to help hold moisture.

 

[daugen]

thanks to all for the input. I understand this better now, room to grow for the potatoes on top. Well....in my clayey rocky soil, if I were a potato, I'd be trying to work my way up to that softer stuff above. I wonder if mine will come out looking like an old German "potato masher" grenade, thin on the bottom from getting squeezed in the dense clay, and round on top when it can finally bust loose... I'm glad we've had pretty constant rain; I'd hate to see this new garden of mine dry up rock solid, like unfired pottery clay. A fair number of our seeds didn't come up, but the corn and the potatoes were happy from the beginning.

I think I'm going to see what I can put on top other than heavy clay but more nourishing than salt hay. It's an organic garden so I have to be careful what goes in it. Lots of stuff was added to lighten it up, but this is the first year, and it's just going to take time. I might get some pretty funny looking potatoes for awhile. Never done potatoes before so I'm enjoying the learning experience.
We have Russet, Red Pontiac, fingerlings, and one other I forget.

 

[SSdoxie]

Do you have access to organic composte? Run the hiller through it then spread composte, then possibly some wheat or oat straw if you can find it. This will help hold the moisture, keep weed down, and give some decent humos to the soil for next year.

I started my garden psot last year in very tough, hard clay. Didn't do well, but since I have a few goats and 3 donkeys I started piling up all the wasted hay and their droppings. Last fall I spread it over the garedn plus collected all the leaves I had and any that neighors wanted to dump, tilled that all in last Fall then collected the winter supply of donkey & goat waste and worked that into the ground this Spring and corn & potatoes are 3 times better than last year. If I keep this up in another 2 - 3 years I will have a decent garden plot.

 

[DKCDKC]

You can do well by putting many inches of straw or compost on potatoes with little or no hilling. A thick layer of straw or rotting hay around each plant ca cause the potatoes to actually grow right at the ground level. You can then pull the straw off for easy picking, or to pick early potatoes for eating.

My daughter plants two potatoes in some soft earth in an old tire. As the potato plant grows, she adds another tire and packs in compost or hay so that the plant is almost covered, then does it again with a third tire. She lets it grow until it dies back and usually gets a peck or more of potatoes from each set of tires.

It should be noted that potatoes also like plenty of fertilizer and water.

 

[bcjmmac]

Not mentioned yet, so have 2 things to add.
1. You hill potatoes because if the new potatoes (tubors) get sunburnt they are no good for eating & therefore mulch is good for potatoes.
2. Potatoes, like tomatos, grow more roots if the stems are buried. More roots = more potatoes (in theory at least).

In places, such as Newfoundland, where there can be very little soil; people grow the potates in piles of rotting seaweed, etc. They just keep piling it on & reach down through the seaweed to pick early potatoes.

 

[daugen]

thanks again for the help. Potatoes, like tomatoes, grow more roots if the stems are buried. More roots = more potatoes (in theory at least).

Now I get it, because I already bury my tomatoes at least an inch or two to both support the stem and create more roots. So it would seem the first overlay/hilling ought to be done with dirt or compost, something that will promote the rooting, and perhaps the top layer could just be lighter material like hay.

thanks, very helpful.

 

[tcreeley]

I don't hill my potatoes. They do well. Potato bugs is what I have to worry about- and what controls the quality of my crop. Picking them off and spraying with bulls eye of sevin if I run out.

 

[rsewill]

I don't hill my potatoes. They do well. Potato bugs is what I have to worry about- and what controls the quality of my crop. Picking them off and spraying with bulls eye of sevin if I run out.

I thought Maine was built on potatoes. They push up like rocks do in other states.

 

[case245]

10'' inches to a 12'' inches of dirt is all you need i grew 1/4 acre patatos they did find i dont plant them anymore

 

[daugen]

Potato bugs...I keep hearing about potato bugs...Hmmmm. Ok, in an all organic garden where I can't spray Ortho or Monsanto's best on them, anything else I can use? Anything potato bugs don't like? Would netting the plants work? (a real hassle...)
Geez, I better Google this; I don't even know what the bug looks like, but I'm sure going to be on the lookout.

Do potato bugs "come from somewhere" like a neighbors potato field, or are they there already? This is not potato country for sure, so I'm hoping the local bug population might be small. Thoughts? Japanese beetles we've got, at least locally, and any of those I see are history.

 

[DJ54]

Several years back I read where some organic gardeners wanting to get away from harsh chemicals were mixing I believe 1 TBS of dish washing detergent/soap, to 1 gallon of water. Seems some prefer Ivory brand.

I just Googled it again, and this spray is mostly a direct contact bug killer. Theories why it kills them is either it cuts through their waxy exoskeleton, or neurlogical breakdown.

Haven't tried it myself, but once I have time to care for a garden again, I'm definitely going to try it.

 

[zonta223]

My daughter plants two potatoes in some soft earth in an old tire. As the potato plant grows, she adds another tire and packs in compost or hay so that the plant is almost covered, then does it again with a third tire. She lets it grow until it dies back and usually gets a peck or more of potatoes from each set of tires.

.

It has been found that this is not a good idea......toxins are released from the tires and enter the potatoes. Lab tests confirm it

 

[bp fick]

Potato bugs...I keep hearing about potato bugs...Hmmmm. Ok, in an all organic garden where I can't spray Ortho or Monsanto's best on them, anything else I can use? Anything potato bugs don't like? Would netting the plants work? (a real hassle...)
Geez, I better Google this; I don't even know what the bug looks like, but I'm sure going to be on the lookout.

Do potato bugs "come from somewhere" like a neighbors potato field, or are they there already? This is not potato country for sure, so I'm hoping the local bug population might be small. Thoughts? Japanese beetles we've got, at least locally, and any of those I see are history.

There are naturally occurring or naturally produced insecticides. I know, it sounds strange, but true. Certain flowers and other things produce a "fluid/oil" that is very effective as an insecticide.

Permethrins (sp) are chemical copy-cats of the natural kinds of plant oils, flower oils that are insecticides. You can buy either the completely natural, flower oil kind or the chemically "copied" kind.

BTW, they are extremely effective. In our experience, however, the staying power isn't as long, requiring more frequent spraying. Johnny's Seeds is just one source for such products, but a recommended source. FWIW

 

[Duffster]

Potato bugs...I keep hearing about potato bugs...Hmmmm. Ok, in an all organic garden where I can't spray Ortho or Monsanto's best on them, anything else I can use? Anything potato bugs don't like? Would netting the plants work? (a real hassle...)
Geez, I better Google this; I don't even know what the bug looks like, but I'm sure going to be on the lookout.

Do potato bugs "come from somewhere" like a neighbors potato field, or are they there already? This is not potato country for sure, so I'm hoping the local bug population might be small. Thoughts? Japanese beetles we've got, at least locally, and any of those I see are history.

You can cover them with row cover. the beetles will just show up. You cna pick them off by hand every day if you can be there it doesn't take that long.

It has been found that this is not a good idea......toxins are released from the tires and enter the potatoes. Lab tests confirm it

Got a link LOL?

 

[tcreeley]

Bull's-Eye Bioinsecticide

I use: Bull's-Eye Bioinsecticide and hand pick the bugs and dump into a small bucket of water. I crush the orange masses of eggs under the leaves. They come in cycles. I think they overwinter in the ground. It is good to move your potatoes around to avoid that. Commercial operations just spray the killing chemicals- but they also use herbicide to harvest. Spray a few days before harvest- all the green dies, dries up and doesn't gum up the machinery. It is something to see a truck being filled by conveyor belt driving alongside the harvestor.

Soap and water helped a little, but wasn't strong enough.

Rocks and stones are still a primary crop for many Mainers - never a shortage. :laughing:

​