PNW: plant your taters early

boffer 5/18/2012, 4:07 pm

As early as this fall!

When a lump started getting bigger and bigger under the winter's protective plastic, I finally had a look a couple weeks ago. Come to find out, I did a terrible job harvesting last fall! The orphaned potatoes were growing and pushing the plastic up.

Potatoes don't need sun to grow.
PNW: plant your taters early Dscn1714

But they're pretty ugly when they're not green!
PNW: plant your taters early Dscn1715

Just 12 days later.
PNW: plant your taters early Dscn1716

And they're ahead of the seed potatoes that I planted in March and April.
PNW: plant your taters early Dscn1717

**donnainzone5** 5/18/2012, 4:17 pm

Boffer,

Although it may seem obvious, I finally hit upon the idea that potatoes, seed or market, are eager to be planted once they actually start to sprout!

I'll be moving to Bend around the end of June; will it be too early/late to plant potatoes then?

Lavender Debs 5/18/2012, 7:11 pm

That is so kewl B! I might have hilled them since they had no color anyway BUT that is great!

And it is not too late for Thanksgiving harvest of potatoes (BTW I have never done this, I've just heard that you can do this.)

happycamper 5/18/2012, 7:46 pm

Donnainzone10, If I remember correctly potatoes are usually planted from mid May through the end of June in Bend, Oregon.

violentlyserene 5/18/2012, 7:50 pm

Wow, that's fantastic. I had abandoned my plan to plant potatoes since I can't find seed potatoes anywhere but online but this really makes me rethink that.

**camprn** 5/18/2012, 8:11 pm

WOW!

littlesapphire 5/18/2012, 9:27 pm

Wow, that's really cool! I was actually wondering if you could plant potatoes in the fall and have them come up early next spring. Question for you PNWerners since I don't know much about your area: does the ground freeze hard in the winter? We get a super solid freeze for several months in my neck of the woods. Maybe I'll try it anyway. It won't hurt to try, right?

**gwennifer** 5/18/2012, 11:07 pm

You know I actually can't think of a time that our ground has frozen at all here where I am. Hmmmm... I don't know.

boffer, at least that lump was growing and not scurrying all around under there...

Goosegirl 5/18/2012, 11:40 pm

You inspired me, Boffer! I got out and got the rest of my taters planted tonight - Norland Red, 15 squares. It made me get the rest of my garden finished as well!

GG

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