leggy potatoes plants were started too early in the hous

Here is that plant which produced the red potatoe - planted in mid June

Your POTATO looks great!  I've been growing potatoes for a few years now, and am still trying to figure everything out. 

So far this season, I've harvested 5.41 lbs.; some are dying down, and some remain green.

I've decided to harvest what I can every week or two, leaving the rest in the MM to mature further.

I have had some of the same variety of taters flower and some not; and it has nothing to do with the tuber production....no idea why.  

I would let the tops drop and yellow a bit before I haul the whole plant up.  Just my 2cents.  

Looks like you are going to be in Spud City!  LOL!

I finally learned how to send a picture. Thanks to the following instructions.

1. Host an Image, then select the green Select the Photo.  Find photo and open it.
2. Select the blue Send all
3.  Scroll down a bit and highlight the middle row, then right click and select copy
4.  Place the cursor in your message where you want the photo. Right click and Paste.

THese instructions were hidden in a thread. Perhaps they should be placed somewhere else on the site.

This journey of learning started in May and finally got some potatoes. A little disappointed regarding the yield given I planted two small 5 gallons and 3 larger planters. Curious that the five gallon planters produced more than the larger ones. My husband speculated that because the soil was quite dry at the lower half of the larger containers perhaps I was not watering enough. I was unsure how much to water as I didn't want the growing tubers to rot and I stopped when I saw the water running out at the bottom of the container. Any advice?

After you planted the potatoes and they started to grow, did you continue to mound soil or MM around the stems? If you plant them and just let the tops grow then you will not get big yields. The tubers grow above the root system so eventually as you continue to add soil the roots are buried far down and you will get lots of potatoes in the soil or MM above the roots.

I like this description and video.
https://www.growveg.com/guides/how-to-successfully-grow-potatoes-in-containers/

UPDATE: I just read page one of your thread which I should have done before posting about hilling. Now I see that you know all about hilling, etc. Best of luck with your future potato growing. 

OK, Prof, looks like a decent haul, but let's drill down a bit:  How many seed potatoes did you use?  2 5gal buckets, and 2 larger; and what variety?  Looks like reds?  

Tell us some details so we might give you some feedback.  Watering might be a factor, but your taters are nice and big, just not a whole lot of variety is size, which you usually see when growing your own.  Did you only picture the biggest?  We're there little ones too?

OK, Prof, looks like a decent haul, but let's drill down a bit:  How many seed potatoes did you use?  2 5gal buckets, and 2 larger; and what variety?  Looks like reds?  

Tell us some details so we might give you some feedback.  Watering might be a factor, but your taters are nice and big, just not a whole lot of variety is size, which you usually see when growing your own.  Did you only picture the biggest?  We're there little ones too?

https://www.facebook.com/jean.marquis.58/videos/10154451940337246/
All of the potatoes that I got from the containers are in the picture of me holding the potatoes. One large container actually did not produce any potatoes. Actually, the small containers were planted with plants that I had cut down because they were leggy and then I did cover them with soil. The larger containers were planted with just the eyes of some potatoes. I honestly cant remember how many eyes I put in each of the large containers. I want to say three.These are red potatoes
Here is a video of the potatoes which come from one of the small containers.
https://www.facebook.com/jean.marquis.58/videos/10154451835702246/?l=9173377725060616770

Sorry, the link wouldn't come through....

Scorpio - I am sorry the link is not there. I can open it up here. Dont understand why it is not here for you to see.

professorm wrote:Scorpio - I am sorry the link is not there. I can open it up here. Dont understand why it is not here for you to see.

I can't open it either.  May be group specific.

Sorry, this content isn't available right now

The link you followed may have expired, or the page may only be visible to an audience you're not in.

Prof, I think those potatoes look great. I'm thinking I planted 4 per 5-gallon bucket.

Sorry that the videos can't open. When I went on facebook and got the link it said this:


 
You can use this link to share this video with anyone, even if they don't have a Facebook account. Anyone with the link will be able to see your video.


Evidently that is not true. I sent the link to my husband who doesnt have facebook and he was unable to open it too.

It is totally OK!  I personally think that potatoes are fairly forgiving as far as growing conditions.  I have had Yukon Gold in and they are a winner. You need to pay attention to your cultivar!  

Honestly ,taters kept a boatload of humans alive....these plants are pretty hardy

sanderson wrote:Prof,  I think those potatoes look great.   I'm thinking I planted 4 per 5-gallon bucket.

I thought they looked good too!

I am close to pulling my 4 Yukon Gold, maybe this weekend.  They are a bit wilty and yellow.
.

I hope you put a picture of your harvest on the forum.  I would love to see them.  WHat is the best way for me to get TPS or seed potatoes?  I planted these from potatoes that I didn't use and they begun to sprout.  In retrospect, probably not the best cultivar source. But it did produce. Last night, I made two baked potatoes and they were delicious. The texture was very smooth almost like mashed. Next year will be better. I am determined to get this right. Thanks for all the good advice and encouragement.

I absolutely will post pics of my spuds!  I got my seed potatoes late in the season from my local nursery/garden center for free!  They were really really sprouted!  I plant 1/SF, but I know you can put more.  That is what I did last year, too, but put them in earlier.  This year, I stuck them in when I tore out the sugar snap peas.  Hence, free!  Pretty late in the season, I guess.

I will also post a photo. They are volunteers that sprouted in a bucket this spring, so I don't know if they are reds or russets.

I dug my potatoes today.  From 12 sqf and 1 seed potato per sqf I got 24 pounds.  I planted an early Yukon Gold type that I bought at the nursery here.  This year I did not mulch at all which resulted in a few green bits where they stuck up out of the ground. 

I have had much greater yields with a different variety(French fingerling) that behaves like a non determinant.  They respond well to mulching until they flower in early August. The store had sold out on them when I got there.  Next year I will order them from Johnny's

I did some number crunching using data from Vermont Valley Community Farm.  This showed to expect an average yield of 1.6lb per plant planted 1/sqf.  They recommend planting most varieties at that spacing and that Yukon Gold and Dark Red Norland can do well denser. 

I have found that it is hard to over water potatoes in the later season as they are developing the tubers, but under watering will lower yields considerably.  Also of great importance is not giving high nitrogen composts, you will get all leaves and no tubers, but for maximum production a sprinkling of bone meal before adding mulch is good.

My harvest in a rubber maid tub (with holes in the bottom for good air flow).

Turan:

Your yield looks good. I am looking forward to next spring when I can plant again. I need some suggestions where I can get the seed potatoes. The nurseries in my area don't seem to have them. I would like to try the dark red and the yukons also.

Thanks for any info.

I mentioned in my post above Johnnys-
 http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-41-potatoes.aspx?source=W_veg_ddcat_092016

And the Vermont Community Farm-  http://www.organicpotatoseed.com/

I am sure others in your area can give you other possibilities for ordering seed potatoes.