potato plants too big?

[Chickchic]

I planted several red potato plants this year and they have flowered nice purple flowers. I mounded straw and compost(goat poo) around the plants and sprayed them with Miracle Grow once already when the first one started to flower.
I have no potatoes in the compost area that I mounded, but if I dig a little into the dirt area, I see a few small ones. I have several questions at this stage.
Do potatoes grow down as opposed to higher up into the compost?
I have nothing in the mounded straw part. I am worried I wont have any potatoes hardly. I didnt mound the compost around the potatoes maybe as much as I should have earlier on, but it doesnt seem like its growing into that area anyway.

Also the plants are so big and new growth continues to grow, should I trim back the new growth at the bottom to encourage more potato production as opposed to growing the plant? I did trim some growth at the bottom, but didnt want to over do it and kill the plant, but I want potatoes.

Do potatoes grow more after the plants flower than before?

After the plant dies back (which hasnt happened yet) do potatoes continue to grow or is it over with?

 

[Grow 4 Food]

If they are still nice and green you have a ways to go for the potatoes. No they will not grow more once the plants have died back but they will continue to grow until then. They don't really seem to produce much until after they have flowered in my experience. They will be they, just hang tight.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Congrats on having them flower, that's your first start. They are starting to produce as you can see which happens right after flowering. About 3 weeks after they've stopped flowering you can start to harvest baby potatoes. They start producing from the bottom up. So you'll get potatoes closer to the base than the top first.

You should keep mounding soil around them (or straw) as they grow. You need to be careful with compost though, this may cause potato scab in your new tubers. Although this won't hurt the harvest it makes them a little ugly to eat.

I think you'll be just fine as far as harvest is concerned. Give it time. Let them finish flowering and then look for some nice tubers at the base. Keep mounding the soil in the meantime. I wouldn't trim back any new growth though.

 

[Chickchic]

Okay, thank you guys for your answers. First year that I really gave potatoes a good go so am anxious! Glad I am on track!

 

[Nubsmum]

Hope I can highjack this thread since it is the same veg. My potatoes are not really that huge-plant wise that is. I know there are lots of different types and I planted mine above ground in straw with some compost. I have not fertilized. Should I? Sounds like chickchic has some big plants. Mine look healthy, just a little spindly. :/

They are flowering though. I did take a peek the other day under the straw and did now see anything. I did not want to distrube them so did not go rooting around looking under all the potatoes skirts for fear of getting them upset.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Hope I can highjack this thread since it is the same veg. My potatoes are not really that huge-plant wise that is. I know there are lots of different types and I planted mine above ground in straw with some compost. I have not fertilized. Should I? Sounds like chickchic has some big plants. Mine look healthy, just a little spindly. :/

They are flowering though. I did take a peek the other day under the straw and did now see anything. I did not want to distrube them so did not go rooting around looking under all the potatoes skirts for fear of getting them upset.

Tubers usually start to form after they've finished flowering. Give it time.

Typically potatoes don't require too much additional nutrients during the growing season. Just make sure they are watered but not soggy and as long as you plnated them with some compost they should be just fine.