Growing potatoes questions

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Permalink Reply by Martha Hill on May 11, 2009 at 2:54pm

Sun will not make the new potatoes toxic !! That would apply to storage potatoes !! You should not cover the green parts of the plants !! They must grow and bloom !! Can`t do that if covered !! Actually potatoes will grow under a newspaper if kept damp !! Mine are about 2 ft. tall now and blooming we have already dug a few for new potatoes !! Just move the compost back and see if yours are big enough yet !! Get what you will eat and cover the rest back up !! They will continue to grow and produce potatoes !!

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Permalink Reply by Mary Ann Williams on May 11, 2009 at 3:59pm

I'm an American living in Ireland and I've been growing potatoes the 12 years I've been here. I use the method taught to me by my father-in-law, who is from County Tipperary. You place a potato on the ground and then fold a block of sod over it. It is as if you are cutting the three sides of a book out of the sod, and folding that over. I think that this is probably the lazy bed method used for centuries here. It makes nice ridges of potatoes.

The general belief is that potatoes will take what they need out of the soil. They're also good for clearing the ground for future crops.

Here the big issue is, of course, blight. If it's a wet summer or if you grow potatoes in a damp spot, you can be vulnerable to losing them to blight if the weather gets wet. Considering our last two summers, it's amazing there were any potatoes at all.

Once my potatoes are six inches above the ground, I mound dirt over them. When they grow up another six inches, I mound them again. When they bloom they are considered ready to dig.

There are several blight resistant varieties but I don't know how good they taste. I'm growing two varieties this year: the exquisite British Queen, which I tasted for the first time in Wexford last summer, and another variety which was bred just after World War Two in Scotland. It's called Arran Victory. Both of these are "floury" potatoes, rather than waxy salad types (Irish men HATE waxy potatoes.)

One way to explore the flavor of fresh potatoes is not to boil them, but instead to steam them. For some reason, this makes a real difference.

I love to grow potatoes because no crop is as reliable. Digging them up is like hunting for Easter eggs, particularly since many varieties--like Edsel Blue--are amazing colors when they come out of the ground. Besides, you never know how many you'll get, which is fun, too. Digging up potatoes with children is really, really fun.

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Permalink Reply by Martha Hill on May 11, 2009 at 5:16pm

Just curious but is there a particular reason why you cover them again ?? I live in the southern US and it is not done here that I have ever heard of or seen and I have gardened all my life !! Here we do not dig the majority of them till well after the blooms have faded and the plant has all but died !!

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Permalink Reply by Scott " Spuddy" Bebry on May 11, 2009 at 6:00pm

potatoes gro as tall as you let them. they gro all the way up the stem, so the more dirt the more spuds. visit my website and you willl see. i add potatoes before i add more dirt. when you ...

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Permalink Reply by Scott " Spuddy" Bebry on May 11, 2009 at 5:53pm

yes they do gro 1/2 " to 3/4 inches a day, that good, were are you planting, dont be suprised if you do not have to many if you use potatos from your draw, they are not made for production, your can get seed potatoa from your local nursery, visit my website www.spudeeze.com. i make a cool vertical garden for Teoert tower and Herbs.and Strawberries. email me at www,info@spudeeze.com if you have anymore ?'s or call me 516 628 3212 # 1 your Spuddy Scott bebry

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on May 11, 2009 at 6:05pm

I cover them because it says to here: http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/gr_fruits_vegetables/article/0,2029,D...
I read about it a lot and everything I have ever read says to cover the plants either completely or mostly because the potatoes will grow up out of the soil ad then they'll turn green and get toxic.

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Permalink Reply by Scott " Spuddy" Bebry on May 11, 2009 at 6:12pm

keep thepotatoes covered. the sun will turn them green and toxic. yes you are correct. you can read more on this in the Cornell Coop on gardening. my www.info@spudeeze.com if u have any ?'s

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Permalink Reply by Margy on May 12, 2009 at 12:12pm

As mentioned before you can cover the potato plants several times and they will continue to grow higher and higher. I used a cut 55-gallon blue barrel last year for the first time with great success. That is similar to the way you are using compost in a trash bag. It is easier to dig the potatoes that when they are planted in the ground. I "steal" a few potatoes before the plants have died back to enjoy them during early summer, but try to same most of them for fall and winter treats. When the season is over, I leave my potatoes in the soil to store them until needed. If any are left I dig them up, augment the soil the following season and replant them along with my new seed potatoes. Nothing is wasted. Here are two links to my blog showing how I grew and stored my potatoes last year. - Margy

Growing Potatoes in a Barrel

Storing Potatoes

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Permalink Reply by Melanie on June 19, 2009 at 8:12am

Margy, I'm curious about leaving the potatoes in the ground until needed -- what sort of temperatures, etc, do you have where you're at? Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Martha Hill on May 14, 2009 at 4:08pm

After reading all the answers here I did a bit of research on the potato !! If they make any more potatoes by covering them again I really do not know But may try an experiment to see !! However mine make enough to last all year without it so I think I will pass on the extra work !! And yes the potatoes have solanine which is toxic if consumed in large amounts as do tomatoes, eggplant and peppers !! But you would have to eat at one sitting 4.5 lbs or thereabout to get any toxic effect !! And the green that you see is actually chlorophyll that indicates that the potato has started the growing process because of being exposed to light which usually happens because of flourescent lighting at grocery stores !! The white of potatoes has solanine as well so the green is no indicator but if it is present simply peel it away !! Most of the solanine is concentrated in the eyes and sprouts of potatoes that have started to grow as well as the peel of growing potatoes !! The most toxic are potatoes that have started to rot and I don`t think any of us would eat those !! As far as exposing a potato in the harvesting process,, I wouldn`t worry,, it would take 4 to 5 days of exposure to sunlight to green out !! I have raised potatoes every year for most of my 60 years and cured them by putting them under a shade tree in the back yard and I am still eating a few of them and digging fresh ones under the newspaper !! Anyway sometimes people just worry too much about things that farmers have known for years and didn`t have a problem with,,, till TV and the internet came along !!

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on May 14, 2009 at 5:59pm

Martha, "digging fresh ones under newspaper"..... do you grow your potatoes under wet newspaper instead of in dirt? Is that what you mean?

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Permalink Reply by Martha Hill on May 14, 2009 at 9:02pm

After we dig ours I lay them on a few layers of newspaper under the crepe myrtle to cure and thats where they stay !! The newspaper disintigrates and roots grow under it and start making potatoes again !! There are always a few tiny ones that don`t wind up getting used so we just let them alone till spring and they grow again !! I use some of the sprouted ones in the garden and lift the newspaper up for new potatoes early !! I have planted some with tiny potatoes hanging all over !! Of course we are in Texas so winters are very mild here !!

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