Potato question

[Chickchic]

I went back to read up on the potato topics and I know I am planting them late, but it seemed I did them last year about this time though differently than I am doing this year.
Last year I did the tire way, and we were 4 tires high. The plants died pretty quickly it seemed, and never flowered but I figured the reason they died was due to not getting enough water partly because of the height of the tire impeding the watering part. I did get a bowl full though from only two stacks and they were good.

This year, I have a area, next to where we have grass hay for our goats. Well, so the grass hay is all over out there and hubby rototilled it into the ground really good. Nice and fluffy and all. I did 3 rows (about 6-8 per row and put them in once they were cut and scabbed over, and covered with the nice grass hay, dirt mulchy stuff.
So now, I plan on watering daily, and I am supposed to keep mounding the ground around them as they grow right? I figured, where we feed the goats, they waste alot of grass hay that has been building up quite thickly under the feed trough so thought I would use that to put over the taters as they grow. Does this sound like it might work?
I wonder about the flowering part and when they might be ready? I always thought that they were not ready till the fall, like around September, is that not true? As I read, people saying once they flower they are done. I do not want to dig them up if there isnt anything to dig up if its too early. These are red potatoes, so not really for sure what to expect.

 

[Tutter]

Hi, Chickchic!

I'm not a potato expert, in fact, have a question of my own, but think I may be able to help you with part of yours.

About 2-3 weeks after the potatoes flower, I reach in and get a few new potatoes, just because I'm so pleased to have them, and can't wait to cook a few. But they are not done, by any means.

To actually harvest, I wait for a few weeks after the plants die back, maybe 2-4.

Some people leave their potatoes in the ground, and take them out as they wish to eat them, but I'm in an area of Northern California that (We're in a drought, but usually.) gets a good deal of rain. So I get them out of the ground, and the barrels.

My goats have always left hay, as well, but being it's not composted, I've always hesitated to use it in the garden, for fear of it seeding the place. Especially grass hay.

I think there are as many little tricks to potatoes, as there are people. Were they troughs you planted them in, and did you fully cover them to start?

Good luck, homegrown potatoes are a joy to have!

 

[Chickchic]

I guess I also need to say that I am in a very DRY part of Colorado, so, thats zone 5.

Your info is helpful for sure. I dug trenches, tossed the taters in, and covered them fully with the mulch/dirt mix. I planted them in a area that I do not normally use for gardening, just part of the property where its normally just weeds and where we keep the hay. I just did this, so will take a while for them to start growing. I planted them I guess late, but, we stay so warm so late in the year that I figured I had time. We rarely have snow before December it seems anymore. Even today, it was in the high 80's.