justusnak
Chillin' In The Garden
As they grow taller, you cover them...so the stems can produce more potatos. The more you cover, the more taters!The Chicken People said:
How's everyone's potatoes going?
- Thread starter jackiedon
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jackiedon
Chillin' In The Garden
My vines died so we took the tires off and hardly no potatoes. I used dirt for the first tire for most of them and then used hay to fill the rest of the tires up. There were a couple I used dirt up past the 2nd tire and there were more potatoes under them. I am very disappointed.
I wonder if the type of potatoes made the difference. I made more potatoes from the red store bought ones than the golden yukens seed potatoes. The store bought ones that I threw on the ground and covered with hay did better than the ones in the tires.
Does anyone know when you can plant fall potatoes in Zone 7 (Arkansas)? I want to try again but with red potatoes.
How has anyone done with the tire system.
jackie
I wonder if the type of potatoes made the difference. I made more potatoes from the red store bought ones than the golden yukens seed potatoes. The store bought ones that I threw on the ground and covered with hay did better than the ones in the tires.
Does anyone know when you can plant fall potatoes in Zone 7 (Arkansas)? I want to try again but with red potatoes.
How has anyone done with the tire system.
jackie
digitS'
Garden Master
Jackie, energy from sunlight is absorbed by chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the green pigment in the plant's leaves and stem. It does the work of photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis converts carbon dioxide into sugars and the potato converts those sugars into starch and stores it in the tubers.
Only a small amount of the nutrients in the tuber comes from the soil or other planting medium like hay.
As an example, potassium doesn't come from photosynthesis and must be available to the plant in the soil. Potassium is thought of as an important plant nutrient. But by weight, a potato tuber is only .005% potassium. That's a tiny amount.
a 148 gram potato contains 720 mg of potassium: 720/148,000 = .005
If other things are equal, the more potato leaves that are exposed to sunlight; the more sugars will be made through photosynthesis; the more starch will be stored in tubers; the more tubers will be under the plant.
Steve
Photosynthesis converts carbon dioxide into sugars and the potato converts those sugars into starch and stores it in the tubers.
Only a small amount of the nutrients in the tuber comes from the soil or other planting medium like hay.
As an example, potassium doesn't come from photosynthesis and must be available to the plant in the soil. Potassium is thought of as an important plant nutrient. But by weight, a potato tuber is only .005% potassium. That's a tiny amount.
a 148 gram potato contains 720 mg of potassium: 720/148,000 = .005
If other things are equal, the more potato leaves that are exposed to sunlight; the more sugars will be made through photosynthesis; the more starch will be stored in tubers; the more tubers will be under the plant.
Steve
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jackiedon
Chillin' In The Garden
Steve,
Do you think having the tires 4 tires high was too high? There were lots of leaves and very long stems and then the potatoes in just the bottom couple of tires?
Do you know why I didn't have very many potatoes?
jackie
Do you think having the tires 4 tires high was too high? There were lots of leaves and very long stems and then the potatoes in just the bottom couple of tires?
Do you know why I didn't have very many potatoes?
jackie
digitS'
Garden Master
Well, some of their nutrients were going into growing long stems. They may have had a steady loss of leaves during the process, as well.
We would be upset and spray the bugs if they were taking out our potato leaves.
Steve
We would be upset and spray the bugs if they were taking out our potato leaves.
Steve
VT Chicklit
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So Steve, are you saying that we should not cover them so much. Is that the way to grow shorter stems. I am a newbe growing potatoes and I am using the tall wire basket method. I have 2 baskets that I was using straw and compost to cover. I thought those had died after covering them only about 8 inches (2 inches at a time). The plants disapeared for almost a month but now they have reapeared. The other 2 baskets I have only used straw in. They have been gradually covered to about 24 inches. There are quite a few leaves showing and I am starting to see flower buds. I am not sure if I have any 'taters in these basket because I am afraid to stick my hand too deep into the straw, we have a garden snake infestation in my hay bale garden and I don't want to be bitten.
HiDelight
Deeply Rooted
my potato plants are stunted unless they are growing like crazy underground they have only been about 6 inches high for over a month now! not sure what the heck is going on but I am planning to start some more in another bed as soon as I find some to plant!
vfem
Garden Addicted
Mine still have not died back?! The stems and leaves are still mostly green and I don't know why I had almost 3 rounds of flowering on the plants?!
I am tempted to dig them up and see whats going on, but it rained last night.
The first week of august was going to be my next planting so I wanted to be ready. :/
How long as we talking for potatoes to take until they die back?! I did Russet potatoes and I was told they should have died back in June and wait about 2 weeks to dig up to store them.... however... at this rate they won't be ready until mid August. I planted back mid March?
I am tempted to dig them up and see whats going on, but it rained last night.
The first week of august was going to be my next planting so I wanted to be ready. :/
How long as we talking for potatoes to take until they die back?! I did Russet potatoes and I was told they should have died back in June and wait about 2 weeks to dig up to store them.... however... at this rate they won't be ready until mid August. I planted back mid March?
Purple Strawberry
Garden Ornament
I pulled up one Red Cloud potato plant Thursday and got 4 potatoes. I haven't ate them yet so not sure how great they are.
warmfuzzies
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A lot of mine are too, but know mine werent getting enough water. I am giving them more now, and I hope they have time to catch up. They dont like the heat either, if its been hot there. It has here.HiDelight said:
