Re: Missed covering potatoes - now what?

GWN 12/16/2013, 1:11 am

I do not know if small reds are indeterminate. I guess if you end up with all kinds of potatoes, they are likely indeterminates..... which... now that I really think about it, does not really answer your question
SORRY

**Turan** 12/16/2013, 12:29 pm

GWN wrote:There was a lengthy conversation here.... or more than one... about determinant vs in determinant potatoes, and my faint recollection, or poor understanding.... was that with in determinant potatoes, as you hill them the leaves, become new potatoes, whereas with determinant potatoes, you only get what you start with, and SO I wonder if the answer to your question depends on the variety of potato you are growing
article wrote:
Usually the terms indeterminate and determinate refer to the growth habit of a plant in relation to the apical meristem (terminal bud). When the term is used in comparing potatoes, it refers to the setting of stolons under ground that produce the tubers. Determinate types will only produce one set (or flush) of stolons, while indeterminate types will produce multiple sets of stolons. The determinate types are usually early maturing varieties and the indeterminate types are typically the long season types.”

I thought others may have troubles reading the article quote as I did so i changed the font size.

I think that literally the leaves on a indeterminate plant that are covered while hilling rot off. I suspect that there are dormant buds where the leafs were that, when buried, will produce stolons for tuber production. Thus I suspect that trimming those leaves like we do the deep planted tomatoes does no harm and may speed up the process.

There are a few reasons to hill that I can think of right off. Preventing greening of tubers. Smothering weeds. Protecting the tubers from cold snaps. Trying for greater production with indeterminates doing the 'tower'. I am sure there are others as well.

plantoid 12/16/2013, 7:40 pm

YUP ..the most important two Laughing

... To run the rows North to South so that the bigger surface area of the inclined sides get more sun warmth & UV rays over the length of the day, to help the spuds to grow . Also to quickly drain off too much rain off the spuds to stop tuber rot .

**sanderson** 12/20/2013, 4:05 pm

Added a couple inches of MM made with my own compost. The 4 sprouts were different heights so I compromised. Cross my fingers that my experiment growing my first potatoes works = one spud!

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