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[digitS']

@henless , your comment prompted some reading last night and again this morning.

Determinate and Indeterminate potatoes ...

Do you have a long enough cool season to grow the late indeterminates?

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

I planted Yukons in tree container buckets. Anyone know what those are? determinate or indeterminate.

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

This was new to me also, I've never heard those terms to describe potatoes, but it makes sense.

I guess it's what has typically been termed early or late croppers. The late would be indeterminate.

Now I understand why the different varieties I've grown have had different sized harvests. I always thought it was the genetics of the specific variety, which I suppose it actually is, but the biggest harvests have always been the late varieties.

Thanks for mentioning this @henless , now I feel a little smarter!

Here's a list of some indeterminates. I have grown some of these and they have indeed been my best harvests.

@ninnymary , looks like Yukons are determinate.

 

[ninnymary]

Oh shoot I don't have inderminate. That list on the site is pretty extensive and I've never seen any of those here. Our nurseries just have bins labeled Yukon, and Red potatoes. I'm ok with not having big potatoes. I just want lots of them at medium size. Is that asking for too much?

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

We don't see any of those sold locally either, at least I never have.
I order mine in usually.

 

[digitS']

I don't know enough about this, perhaps even to comment. However, that seldom stops me .

Might there also be "semi-determinate" as with tomatoes to further confuse things.

Modern commercial types were developed for machine harvesting. The determinate location of tubers near the stems was desirable. Tubers scattered around the plants were difficult to harvest.

Early varieties tend to be ready for harvest all at once. The plants don't continuously pump energy into growth that is only interrupted by frost killing the plants.

Of course, heat or drought or something else, may interrupt growth. Varieties should fit with the growing season environment. Individual gardening "style" may be important. I appreciate early varieties producing then I make use of that ground for some other crop for the remainder of the season. This works just fine for a succession planting of Asian greens in my garden.

Late varieties for longer-term storage should benefit those with the need and storage conditions. They also have to fit with outdoor conditions for the additional weeks of growth. Then there's what do you want. And yes finally , what is available.

Steve

 

[henless]

@henless , your comment prompted some reading last night and again this morning.

Determinate and Indeterminate potatoes ...

Do you have a long enough cool season to grow the late indeterminates?

Steve

I really don't think so Steve. Maybe if they were planted where they could get afternoon shade, they may be able to go longer.

I planted my spuds last year right after Valentines Day and harvested them first part of May I believe. I planted them in the ground in my wood chip bed. I put them in the dirt/compost, and piled wood chips on top and pine straw on top of the chips. I only got spuds in the dirt/compost.

This year, I planted them in my raised bed in front of the chicken coop. If I need to add some covering, I'll put leaves or pine straw on them. When they are harvested in May, I want to plant sweet potatoes in the same bed and run the vines up the front of the coop. Gives the girls shade on that end of the coop.

The only potatoes I've seen in my area that are "late" season are the Red Pontiacs. I usually just plant red organic potatoes from the store. I can buy them early and let the eyes develop before planting. Seed potatoes in my area show up about the time to plant, so the eyes are teeny, tiny things.

Here's the video I watched on youtube that talked about the determinate/indeterminate potatoes.

Nancy & Hollis Homestead. They used to be in Virginia, but recently moved to Florida so some of their gardening will be changing. They shoot some great videos. I never get seasick watching them! lol

 

[Beekissed]

We don't see any of those sold locally either, at least I never have.
I order mine in usually.

They don't have Red Pontiac taters where you live? They are one of the more common red spuds out there. Usually when you see seed taters at the feed store they offer two varieties~Kennebec Whites and Pontiac Reds. That's it. I guess those are the two most common potatoes people plant so that's all they order in.

 

[Beekissed]

I really don't think so Steve. Maybe if they were planted where they could get afternoon shade, they may be able to go longer.

I planted my spuds last year right after Valentines Day and harvested them first part of May I believe. I planted them in the ground in my wood chip bed. I put them in the dirt/compost, and piled wood chips on top and pine straw on top of the chips. I only got spuds in the dirt/compost.

This year, I planted them in my raised bed in front of the chicken coop. If I need to add some covering, I'll put leaves or pine straw on them. When they are harvested in May, I want to plant sweet potatoes in the same bed and run the vines up the front of the coop. Gives the girls shade on that end of the coop.

The only potatoes I've seen in my area that are "late" season are the Red Pontiacs. I usually just plant red organic potatoes from the store. I can buy them early and let the eyes develop before planting. Seed potatoes in my area show up about the time to plant, so the eyes are teeny, tiny things.

Here's the video I watched on youtube that talked about the determinate/indeterminate potatoes.

Nancy & Hollis Homestead. They used to be in Virginia, but recently moved to Florida so some of their gardening will be changing. They shoot some great videos. I never get seasick watching them! lol

He's got that a little wrong. Everyone lists the Pontiac Reds as an indeterminate or late season spud. I'd have to agree. We've been growing Kennebec and/or Pontiac Reds for over 40 yrs. The PRs are the ones we'd dig into the hills to rob for new taters all the time but they recovered just fine and crop out just like the Kennebec and at the same time. The Kennebec has a greater yield than the PRs, normally, but I like the flavor of the PRs better, so I grow them exclusively now.

 

[henless]

To add more confusion to the spud growing season, this website list spuds as early, MID & late season!

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/potato/types-of-potatoes.htm

The 2 varieties I grew in 5 gallon buckets were the Yukon & either Red Pontiac or Kennebec. I picked them up at Atwoods. Last year I just used organic spuds from the store and had a decent harvest. They are some kind of red, don't know which one.