How to grow potatoes?

Kabaju42 3/9/2011, 11:09 pm

I got signed up to grow some potatoes this year. It'll be my first time ever SFG or not. Does anyone have advise on how to grow them or good video references? I've found several videos, but they range in quality a lot. Like this one for example

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4431093887132256949#

It's cool to see, but not quite what I'm looking for Smile

**Furbalsmom** 3/10/2011, 12:20 am

Did you get a chance to look at the Topic

Potato Towers

There are lots of posts on how to grow potatoes.

BTW, I really enjoyed that video. I agree, that is not the way I want to grow potatoes.

cabinfever 3/10/2011, 8:32 am

I'm planning on growing my spuds in 5 gallon buckets this year. I'm a newbie too, so hope this works. Here is a link to some directions. You can google up more too.http://modernsurvivalonline.com/growing-potatoes-in-buckets/

Kabaju42 3/10/2011, 9:28 pm

Thanks for the link Furbalsmom, it was very helpful.

I do still have a question for anyone out there. I once heard that in Idaho the leave rocks in the ground and that helps the potatoes grow. In fact upon harvesting the potatoes and rocks are pulled up and once separated the rocks go back in the ground. Has anyone else heard that? Any thoughts on it? The rocks are about the size of potatoes.

Megan 3/10/2011, 9:57 pm

Well, I grew up on a small farm where we harvested a couple tons of potatoes each year, and this stinks of absolute horse hooey to me. Rocks and gardening are NEVER fun. If you are automated, it chops up your blades, and if you are doing it by hand, it chops up your blades and your arms, too. Sounds to me like someone was trying to make lemonade out of lemons, and that is admirable, but, I would be glad and humbled to hear of a countering opinion with good proof/rationale to back it up as a system. Smile

Kabaju42 3/10/2011, 10:06 pm

Actually I think I saw it on a Food Network show, so the source is reliable, but it never did make sense to me. I would think the rocks would impede the potato growth, not help it.

I wonder if it's a regional thing. Where did you grow up?

**Furbalsmom** 3/10/2011, 10:32 pm

In Michigan, the harvesting machine pulls up plants, potatoes and rocks. It sorts the rocks out and when the bin gets full it drops the rocks in a pile for the farmer to remove.

SPUDS AND ROCKS

Kabaju42 3/10/2011, 10:35 pm

So does the Farmer put the rocks back in the field?

**Furbalsmom** 3/10/2011, 10:38 pm

He removes the rocks from the field.

Kabaju42 3/12/2011, 9:50 am

Thanks for the info. I always did think that putting rocks back in the field was odd. They probably don't.

ccornewell 3/16/2011, 2:53 pm

im building a potato condo this year too. mine is only 20"x20"x48" but my boards are all free so im ok with a smaller size. if it works out well then next year ill put more effort into getting longer boards...

kimbertangleknot 3/16/2011, 8:50 pm

I bought two of these potato towers to try out this year. I don't have any space in my garden this year for potatoes. The picture doesn't show that there is actually a flap that is fully velcro'd on three sides so that you can try to harvest some at one point in time. Weather or not they are going to work will be an adventure!

Dunkinjean 3/16/2011, 9:55 pm

Yes, I also saw these potato bags and was wondering if they work.

I did google the potato bags and one website (Canadian Horticultorist liked it).

Anyway, please let us know.

Good Luck!

Dunkinjean

Suzy 9/2/2011, 11:15 am

Well, it's now September. I planted my potatoes in bags that I made out of landscape fabric, then put them in the corners of my SFG. (I fenced my five boxes, giving me nice corners for potatoes.) About a month ago, I burrowed my hand in around the edges and pulled up some beautiful tubers - we had them for supper that evening! The plants are starting to die off, so harvest is still a couple of weeks away. But I am encouraged and hopeful that I will net a nice crop of reds! Smile

**Furbalsmom** 9/2/2011, 12:20 pm

Suzy, we are really looking forward to hear how the landscape fabric bags work out for you.

Please let us know about your final harvest. Pictures of the landscape fabric bags, the harvested potatoes and potato weight would be great. (I know, I am asking a lot, but we really want to know)

BackyardBirdGardener and I are also experimenting with late (August 4th) plantings using leftover pieces of old, old potatoes, with no idea how that will work out. We really could not find anything on line about planting potatoes for the Fall, but hope for a Thanksgiving harvest.

Nonna.PapaVino 9/2/2011, 1:33 pm

I'm ordering my potato seed (for next year) from Irish Eyes Seeds. When wandering through their catalog, I saw this idea for a potato box (I'd show a picture, but copyright laws, you know, sow copy and paste the url in your browser):

http://www.irisheyesgardenseeds.com/growers1.php It looks like it would work, whadda 'ya think? Nonna

Denese 9/2/2011, 2:01 pm

That's a really cool way to grow potatoes! Might have to try that sometime. My mom used to grow hers in a chicken wire cage.

**Kelejan** 9/2/2011, 3:22 pm

I had decided to make some grow bags this winter, but maybe I might try this way as I have a pile of wood I can adapt. My wood is eight inches not six, but I am sure I can figure it out.

I bought a job lot of wood 2" x 8" inches and I have far too much for my needs.

I like the idea of unscrewing the bottoms to get the older pots. I wonder if you put back the lower panels and then unscrew the ones above> It was not very clear to me.

Nonna.PapaVino 9/2/2011, 5:57 pm

From the directions in the catalog, yes, you do reassemble each flight as you harvest the potatoes, and push in some additional soil or straw to support them. What crossed my mind was, what if one was to make, say, the SW corner a hinge, and the NE corner with a latch fastener, then you could quickly unlatch the NE corner, swivel the North and West sides out, harvest, poke in straw, push the two sides back into place; swivel the South and East sides out, etc. etc. Latch the flight into place and wait to harvest from the next flight in, what, a couple of weeks? Nonna

shannon1 9/3/2011, 5:30 am

This is what I'm going to try this year. My compost bags are not black so I think if I double bag them the spuds will not get any sun and be OK. What do you guys think? here's the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGhUdwg00TE

Suzy 9/3/2011, 7:02 pm

This is the first time I've tried posting photos, so bear with me.

How to grow potatoes? Imag0412

This should be a photo of the south end of my garden. The potato bags are in the corners. They are not so pretty now, as they have begun to die off. I'll post photos of the harvest in a couple of weeks. Smile

**Kelejan** 9/3/2011, 9:41 pm

Suzy, you did good.

I have just purchased a camera so have yet to post my first picture. Will probably be of an empty bed. An SFG bed, of course.

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