starting to get potatoes

I took up 3 squares of my potatoes today to see what I would get. Some of them were small, but still big enough to eat.

I layered my potatoes this year and that works. To see how I did it, and how it's worked out for me so far check here

wow josh those look pretty good and it does sound like layer worked!!

did you plant the reds and whites at the same time?....just layered the reds on top of the whites?

talk about making good use of space

hugs

rose

Wow, Josh, wonderful! BTW, do you remember the names of the varieties you planted together? Looks like they played well together! Nonna

I planted them all on the same date March 17th St. Patrick's Day. I cut the potatoes into 1/2 and planted the pieces, sometimes depending on the size of the potatoes, I cut them into 4 pieces. I laid them out 4 to a square, I pushed the white ones down into the bottom 6 inches, and then laid the red ones out and filled the high rise with Mel's mix- 4 inches, and I didn't add anything else.

I don't know the names of the potatoes, the red ones are store bought leftover potatoes.

The white ones are a round white potato. There is a story behind how I got those. The neighbor works at a car shop, a delivery truck hauling potatoes wrecked and potatoes flew everywhere, the potatoes that had their boxes busted they couldn't use anymore and the driver gave them to the neighbor and the neighbor gave me some, we had more than we could eat, and I was able to keep some to plant.

Good idea. Is there any greening of the red potatoes from not hilling or mulching them? Do you know the weight produced from those 3sqf?

Josh wrote:I took up 3 squares of my potatoes today to see what I would get. Some of them were small, but still big enough to eat.

I layered my potatoes this year and that works. To see how I did it, and how it's worked out for me so far check here

Cool idea! Your potatoes look great!

Turan wrote:Good idea. Is there any greening of the red potatoes from not hilling or mulching them? Do you know the weight produced from those 3sqf?

No there wasn't any green, I checked for that and made sure the potatoes were not showing through the mel's mix.

The first 11 red potatoes that I got on May 18th weighed 1lb. 4oz. and the red ones I picked yesterday was 3lb. 10oz. a total of 4lb 14 oz. of red potatoes.

There was 3 lb. 7 oz of white ones.

I plan on replanting the 3 squares I just harvested, last year I did that and got a second crop.

Awesome photos Josh!

You are an inspiration of the younger generation! Love all the things you have accomplished so far. The worm tower, herb garden and just the techniques you use to get the most productivity out of your garden. Thank you for sharing so much of what you have learned.

Yeah, Josh! And great story on how you got some of your potatoes. Considering your success and whether they are really good tasting 'taters, I'd keep some for later planting. Perhaps a Googling of potatoes would give you an idea of their ancestery, being round rather than oval like most russets.

8+ pounds in 3 sqf is really good production in my book even with out a possible second harvest. That is a great idea on how to grown intensely.
I planted my potatoes and then hilled them and planted corn over them in a different layering scheme. I suspect you are getting a lot more food starch per sqf than I will.

very cool!

Did you remove the highrise before you took the photo? Or is it a deep box?

I want to try layering carrots and radishes, but it is too warm now. They will be much closer, too!

Ava

Got to may son's house last week and he was showing me the potatos he didn't plant.



The blue bin is from last year and the white bin has no drainage. It has the MM and straw that was in my bin last year. I thought I picked all the little potatos out from the miserable looking plants last fall. I dumped the bins and picked through then just dumped the MM back in.

Kay

Today I picked another 3 squares of potatoes, and here is what I got.



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There was 52 white ones, and they weighed 5lbs 3 oz.
There was 25 red ones and they weighed 1lb 10 oz
for a total of 6lbs 13 oz of potatoes from 3 squares.

I planted 3 banana pepper plants in the empty 3 squares that I picked the
other day. I have some extra plants that I'm going to plant as I empty
out the potatoes.

How long does it take for potatoes to flower? The greenery is about 18" high and I doesn't seem to be getting any taller. I don't see any buds for flowers as of yet.
Renee

gregrenee88: flowering of potatoes depends on a lot of things: when planted; growing conditions, variety of potato. As you've probably already guessed, there are quick-maturing varieties, mid-season varieties and late-season potatoes. Check to see what variety you are growing and if they are early-, mid-, or late-season 'taters. Here in western Oregon, we are growing 6 different varieties, from early- to late-season guys. Earlys are blooming like crazy, mid-season varieties show just a handful of blooms, and late-season potatoes, nary a bloom in sight. Do the plants look good? Well filled out, green, healthy-looking? Best you just watch and wait. Yellowish foliage, sad-looking plants? Probably either a disease or nutrient deficiency. Wouldn't hurt to feel around the base of one of the plants, about 8-12 inches out and see if tubers are forming....i.e., new potatoes! Good luck and let us know what you discover.

My potatoes never flowered. The tops eventually died and I dug them up. One variety was red pontiac and they were a good size for that variety. The other were white baking type (can't remember the name) and on the small size but still big enough for me.

Home grown potatoes taste so good.

Amen, brother CharlesB, amen! Nonna

Here's this years harvest of potatos from my house.
from the orange potato sack


and the blue bin along with todays harvest. tomato, lettuce, green beans, eggplant, thai basil, potatos, carrots and broccoli greens.



Kay

Nonna: We put in red potato seeds that we had from grocery store. According to ANSFG they should be ready to harvest around the end of July. The foliage looks really good, and nice dark green.

gregrenee, Stay the course, sounds like your potato vines are working....out of site! Taters are sneaky that way. Just last week, I was pulling some composted hay away from in front of the potato bed and was startled to find pegs growing into the compost almost 2-1/2 feet away from the nearest plant! Even one infant potato a little bigger than my thumb. Okay, okay, I put the trowel down carefully and backed away. Gonna give them all the time they want.

Nonna -- update: the potatoes by the hay blew up into full flower!

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:gregrenee, Stay the course, sounds like your potato vines are working....out of site! Taters are sneaky that way. Just last week, I was pulling some composted hay away from in front of the potato bed and was startled to find pegs growing into the compost almost 2-1/2 feet away from the nearest plant! Even one infant potato a little bigger than my thumb. Okay, okay, I put the trowel down carefully and backed away. Gonna give them all the time they want.

Nonna -- update: the potatoes by the hay blew up into full flower!

Renee

I harvested all the potatoes that were left yesterday and here is my final results.



3 x 6 six inches deep SFG. I had four 1 x 3 six
inch deep SFG of white potatoes left and I picked 225 white potatoes
weighing 19lbs 1 oz.

I had two 1 x 3 four inch deep high rise growing red potatoes on top of the white, and I got 41 potatoes, weighting 2lbs 10 oz.

Altogether,
in the 3 x 6 x six inch deep, with four 1 x 3 four inch deep high
rises,
I got a total of 36 lbs 13 oz of red and white potatoes.


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I laid them out in the yard and sprayed them with the garden hose to clean them off.

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Josh, that a FABULOUS haul! Nice!!!

wow! that's impressive Josh! wtg!! what do you have in your compost mix that you think is working so well? We are trying to get a "really good" compost pile going for filling up squares as we plant. Thanks!!