How's everyone's potatoes going?

I had an Weekend Sunday potted up different plantings. :watering
We had a nice flow of customers Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
And BBQ pork steak on the grill.
It has been a nice weekend

So, with the exception that my youngest sister is in the Hospital, she had been having pain in her mid back area. Dr had been treating her for kidney stones,but also told her if she didn't have any relief by Friday to go to the ER. They scanned her and found she has a large Blood Clot in her right lung. This could have been fatal has it could have moved completely shutting down her lungs or moved to her heart. They gave her a clot buster right away. She is on complete bed rest and is being given blood thinners. They will do more scans tomorrow to see if it is dissipating. She was so upset, of course we were also, but relieve that it was found before it killed her. Now if she will just quit smoking, as the Dr ordered. But of Course she doesn't get to go out side. So this maybe a head start for her. She had to take her shower sitting in a shower chair.
She is more stir crazy now, than anything. She is only 37 years old. But a smoker and taking Birth control, that is a bad combination.

Sorry M.Rogers, It had been kinda crazy around my place I don't recall if I did see that post. Any waqy DH drilled about 5 drain holes in the bucket I believe along the side at the bottom. He filled it 3/4 the way up with soil and planted 1 potato cutting per bucket about 2 inches deep and s the plant grows he adds a bit more soil. After they grow a bit he adds more soil till it is just below the top. :watering

If ya have any other questions just ask. Hope ya have happy tators.

:happy_flower Karan

m.rogers, I started to post to your first question but decided to see what answers you got. I don't use buckets but I do use black contractor bags. I just tear a few holes in the bottom of the bag and put in a couple of inches of dirt. Place 4 or 5 seed potatos in and cover them up and wait. As they grow I add dirt. I have one bag completly full of dirt and 3 more started in succesion. I hope to have potatos all year long. I am guessing the bucket thing works the same way. Drill holes in the bottom for drainage, put some dirt in, add your potatos, and then just add dirt as the potato plant grows. I also use a chicken wire cage for potatos but I can't keep up with adding the dirt. I have not harvested any yet but I have heard that all these methods work well.

my plants are nice and big, but how much do you guys mound the dirt cause mine are in the ground in can't honestly seem to get enough dirt around them. the potatoes grow off the "root" of the plant don't they? so keeping those roots or tubers covered is the trick? my plants are maybe 7 - 10 inches high and are on the edge of my garden so there isnt a lot of soil i can pull over without exposing the tubers... hummm i think i might have to dig up next to them in the grass and pull some soil across.

karanleaf said:

Dh is growing taters in 5 gal buckets, he did 1 last year and it worked nicely just dump the bucket and there were the taters

This year he has 5 buckets here they are as they had just sprouted about 2 weeks ago
http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/5713_p1040248.jpg

And here is yesterday's photo of them well they are behind the fence garden
http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/5713_p1040367.jpg

Here is one that I picked yesterday

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/5713_p1040358.jpg

I picked it while I was getting supper ready, right out of the bag of taters I had in the kitchen

We have some sweet potato vines to go out too. :tools

:happy_flower Karan

Click to expand...

How many seed taters are in each bucket? im going to start my fall harvest soon because our season is short and that looks like it'd work for me as theres no room left in the garden! ha ha

Mine are growing tall, thick and flowering. I am very excited as this is the 2nd year I have grown potatos and oh my, they are fabulous.

Anne

lupinfarm said:

karanleaf said:

Dh is growing taters in 5 gal buckets, he did 1 last year and it worked nicely just dump the bucket and there were the taters

This year he has 5 buckets here they are as they had just sprouted about 2 weeks ago
http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/5713_p1040248.jpg

And here is yesterday's photo of them well they are behind the fence garden
http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/5713_p1040367.jpg

Here is one that I picked yesterday

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/5713_p1040358.jpg

I picked it while I was getting supper ready, right out of the bag of taters I had in the kitchen

We have some sweet potato vines to go out too. :tools

:happy_flower Karan

Click to expand...

How many seed taters are in each bucket? im going to start my fall harvest soon because our season is short and that looks like it'd work for me as theres no room left in the garden! ha ha

Click to expand...

He put just put 1 seed tater cuttings per bucket. Last year it was 3 but we got small taters then. so decided to go 1 per bucket and see if this will produce bigger taters.

:happy_flower Karan

Lupin,

I'm having similar problems. I'm growing mine in wire baskets. I have started dumping dried leaves on the plants. Hopefully by the end, I will have potatoes and some nice compost!

Inchworm

inchworm said:

Lupin,

I'm having similar problems. I'm growing mine in wire baskets. I have started dumping dried leaves on the plants. Hopefully by the end, I will have potatoes and some nice compost!

Inchworm

Click to expand...

I was thinking grass clippings would do a good job, we mow the grass when it gets pretty long and usually give the clippings to the chickens but I might try them on the taters.

I was also thinking of extending the bed outwards at that point and pulling soil from where the grass was.

My potatoes are just surfacing (well, the leaves are anyway). I was beginning to wonder. I think it has been about 6 weeks since I planted them. :/

My potatoes seem to be moving faster then I thought.... The flowers are done and falling off the potato plants... I looked this morning and the bottom leaves are starting to yellow and wilt.

We've had a lot of rain lately, I really hope not too much.... and I hope this means I'm only a couple weeks away from harvest already. We'll see though. :/

I hope everyone else comes out grand... potatoes seem to have been simpler then I orginially thought when starting this project.

So is anyone else near harvest already?