Potatoes...Any idea what I did wrong?

I dumped out my first bin of taters today and didnt have any.

It's a learning experience!! LOL

So what I had was 1 little tater a little bigger than a golf ball, about 3 that were starting and the size of marbles, and about 5 that were like a hollow shell??? Like they grew and then deflated? These were all the size of a golf ball.

Any clue where I went wrong?

I pulled the container off to the side when the top died and left it for about 2 weeks then dumped it out.

The foliage was gorgeous and full before it died. I'm at a loss.

I have never had any luck growing potatoes in containers. I have read about growing them in tires, bags, boxes, etc. and have tried so many of them but just haven't had any success with them that way. I can grow them in the ground but not in containers. Guess I am not much help to you but thought you might gain some comfort knowing that you are not alone.

Maybe someone can help us both.

GK

And you in Idaho! No idea if there was disease involved or what.

A couple of questions:
When did you plant?
Was it certified potatoes or just supermarket?
How far up did you pile the additional dirt and how many inches of leaves did you normally have growing at any given time?

The thought that they grew and rotted/collapsed speaks of disease but did the leaves give any indication?

Pictures? Before and after?

The one thing I remember about potatoes is that if the soil is too rich, the plant puts all its energy into the greens rather than the roots. I have no idea if that issue applies to you, though. A local friend had trouble similar to yours. I haven't dug down to see what I have (or don't have!) yet!

Oh MM what a bugger that is! One of my boxes was like that. Looked like it should be bountiful but just a few (very few) babies. The next box was bountiful. Wish I could help but all I can do is cyber-hug.

Middlemama,
What caused the top to die? When did you plant? I usually wait until frost kills the top before harvesting. It may not have had enough time to produce larger and more potatoes.
Did your plants have flowers? Not all will flower before harvest but one they flower that is supposed to be a sign of smaller but ready to harvest potatoes at least.

what variety of taters did you plant?

I have early, middle, and storing, so that really makes a difference, but the storing/late potatoes too early, and you get stuck with itties, pull the earlies too late, and you have mush and ick.

Well....I dont have the answers to ALL these questions....

I planted in mid to late May....which was late for my area from what I understand.
I purchased seed potatoes from a site that was reccommended here on the forum but I don't remember the name, sorry.
My soil is VERY rich, I used Mel's mix and it hasn't given me one problem growing a thing. Everything I have grown grows wonderfully so far...my biggest problems with no yeild in my garden have been with weather issues.
I actually got flowers and berries on these plants! It was very cool.

I have no clue if mine were early or late, I bought so late there wasn't many seed potatoes that were not sold out, I bought what was left. One was a red and one was a purple viking.

I still have 6 containers going so I guess I will have more answers as I dump those. 3 have foliage that started dying right after the one I did dump, and 3 are still healthy and green.

I don't know what caused the foliage to die, being completely new at this I assumed it was ready.

Thanks for the hug Lavender... I am looking forward to learning and trying again!

Chopper I KNOW!!! How embarrassing! LOL...I MIGHT have pics of before...I'll see what I can dig up tonight, gonna go spend the day out there getting ready for fall stuff. I have no idea about your foliage question and how much I had sticking up or burried, I didnt really pay much attention....I kinda took for granted that I had read often that potatoes are easy peasy....didn't really think I could screw them up! LOL But I definetly thought they were beautiful as they were growing and the flowering and berries were very cool to see. And there was no indication to my untrained eye that they were sick.

Thanks everyone!

Hugs MM! I think all of us first-timers are learning a lot this year!

humm. that is really strange, maybe just a fluke? I know I planted mine in early/mid april. when the folliage was dead, was it like crumbling dead??

I hope the rest of the crop is successful!!

My first try at potatoes didn't yield anything either and I have no idea why. My only thought is that maybe I did not let enough foliage stay above ground - but that was an absolute guess. Never say die! SO many variables in gardening...

No, not crumbling dead...just like limp dead. Yellowed, and brownish dead.

Ok here are a few pics. The first 2 are August 6th.




Now these are what I took today of the plants I have left to dump and harvest.

This is of the three still green and thriving.


This is of the 3 that started to turn right after the first one that I dumped and had the bad results with.






I pulled the three dying ones to the side last night. I am going to let the soil dry out a while and then see what I get...we'll see.

those look about right to pull. How much soil was below the seed potato?

About 4 inches? Thats what the info I had told me to do.

Hum. Seriously Jennie, sounds like you did everything right! I use about 6 inches, so 4 isnt far off. seriously weird. Try contacting where you purchased seeds. I'm sure they are more than willing to help you troubleshoot also!

Another consideration that I read about is that the soil temp spent too much time above 80 degrees at a critical stage of growth.

One of my gardening techniques that helps keep my gardening stress free is to spread stuff around ie don't put all your eggs in one basket. If they didn't grow in one box, they might grow in another box. It looks like that is what you have done with your potatoes. If it were me, I would be patient and wait to see what the other containers look like before I worried too much about it.

Thanks guys...I am gonna wait and see!

I did not pay attention to watering this first year. I was learning how to do everything else and so I just turned the sprinkler on and hoped for the best. As long as everything was green and growing I didn't worry.

But I think next year I will be more proactive in learning more about how to water.

I kinda wonder if I just overwatered.

Oh well!!!

Living and learning! Excited for fall plantings and excited for a great spring next year. I got my garlic and onion bed all ready today...SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT!!! Gimme a few years and I am gonna be the worlds most amazing city kid turned farm girl you ever did see!

I'll know it's true when you tell me that you think my tractor's sexy!

How about if I tell you I think your chicken coop is REALLY REALLY COOL?

thanks but it's just not the same!


(the sexy tractor line is from a Kenny Chesney song)

are you into pick up men yet?

(as in trucks ala Joe Diffie)

middlemamma wrote:snip ...Gimme a few years and I am gonna be the worlds most amazing city kid turned farm girl you ever did see!

Baby-girl you are already are in the top 5.

Debs....just trying to figure out how to negotiate in the city..... and what is up with all the brown bottles in the cement paths?

Whooo hold on there youngin... you plannin on givin this city girl a run for her money eh?

my square foot potato box produced 80 lbs of potatoes or so guess i must doing something right.

Thanks Lavender.
AWESOME RIBSY!!! Any tips on what I can do better next time?

LOL...Boffer...huge COUNTRY MUSIC fan here...been all my life. I knew what you meant...was just teasing you.

I grew up in a house where my father didn't allow music. It was the devil. But my mom had an 8 track player that he had thrown against the wall a couple times when he caught her listening to it...it was taped together with duct tape...and I will never forget those times in the livingroom with my mom sitting around the gray box that gave us music.

Dolly and "Lonley Comin' Down", "The Bargain Store", "Jolene", Marty Robbins and "The Master's Call", "Big Iron", "They're Hanging Me Tonight" and the list goes on and on...I have them on Compact Disc nowadays...

Boffer...this will make you laugh hysterically. You familiar with Zac Brown Band? They sing a currently popular song called "Toes". Well our family loves the whole album and my 9 year old was questioning my husband about the line in the song where he says "Gonna roll a big fat one and play my guitar and sing". My husband...who smokes cigars could have easily dismissed my son's line of questioning as he was rolling a cigar, or a cigarette or whatever. But my husband, God love him, panicked, I was no where to be found for back up, (I usually handle these things) and he tells my son......

DRUMROLL.........


Are you ready?













"He's talking about a woman."


OMG!!!!!! Can you believe this?!? Man I had my damage control work cut out for me that was for sure. I told my husband next time he panics, to defer to me! LOL

LOL! That is too funny! What mental image your 9 year old must have.