potatoes

I think reinbeau gave excellent 'tater advice here, so I really can't add anything other than sources. We always get our seed potatoes at the farmer's co-op in the spring. Seed and feed stores, also. My absolute favorite is to grow sweet potatoes....make really beautiful plants.
 
I do potatoes using the straw method.........cultivating the soil and laying the potato piece on TOP of the dirt and cover with 6 inches of straw.replacing the straw as needed.....no diggin up taters :lol:
 
Hsm5grls, potato growing isn't too tuff. The most serious problems I've had are with critters.

Voles and gophers can ruin all your hopes of a good harvest. The University of Idaho's 4 page pdf (http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Resources/PDFs/CIS1000.pdf ) makes no mention of these pests but let me just assure you that voles and gophers will take them all if you allow it. Providing shelter for the voles just makes it easy for them to take up residence. I've gone after the gophers with a long metal rod and a hammer. Ten minutes of driving holes around the gopher mounds probably does no more than encourage them to pack up and move but that solves the problem.

U of I talks about storage but you can grow an early variety for new potatoes and a late variety for the Winter. It is wonderful to go out with a spading fork or cultivator and carefully uncover your crop. Potatoes can be just about the most rewarding thing you can grow in the garden.

Steve
 
I've grown potatoes but not that many. Only 15 lbs or so and I did it the incorrect way by cutting up a non seed potato. A few old ones had some eyes so I just cut them in half and tossed them in the dirt. Dug them all out after the flowers died. I'd like to do more next year.
 
I get seed potatoes from Seeds Of Change, which are expensive but they have good ones. Last year I did Cranberry Red, German Butterball, Viking Blue and Peruvian All-Blue. Planted in late spring due to a horrible snowstorm in April.

We had a miserable drought through August and I don't water my garden at all because, um, basically I'm lazy. No, no, I was trying to conserve water and save the planet and stuff! Yeah, that's it! Not lazy at all.

They all did OK, but the Peruvian All-Blue ones did AWESOME. Lots and lots of potatoes, a huge basket of 'em. Will definitely get some more next year. The only downside, while they make wonderful mashed potatoes, the lovely shade of purple is a little weird on the Thanksgiving table. Maybe they'd be better as whipped potatoes for Easter?
 
I wonder, are potatos that are colored purple, red, orange, ect.........more nutritious for us, or are they all just starchy tubers? :hu
 
"I wonder, are potatos that are colored purple, red, orange, ect.........more nutritious for us . . ."

Yes, Country freedom, that does appear to be the case: " . . . the inclusion of high antioxidant potatoes in the diet is a good way of substantially increasing antioxidants in the diet."

Title: Antioxidants in Potato
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=168897

digitS'
 
Oh, I just posted on another potato thread before I got to this one. I was wondering on that thread about the potato container garden method like the tire method Badhbh posted only using a 50 gallon plastic barrel. I like the tire idea, but does anything petroleum based leach into the potatoes from the tires? Maybe something like a tiny raised bed and just keep adding boards for height as it grows?
 
valmom said:
Oh, I just posted on another potato thread before I got to this one. I was wondering on that thread about the potato container garden method like the tire method Badhbh posted only using a 50 gallon plastic barrel. I like the tire idea, but does anything petroleum based leach into the potatoes from the tires? Maybe something like a tiny raised bed and just keep adding boards for height as it grows?
Click to expand...
Rosalind had some good information about that right here on TEG , valmom. Personally, I'd go with your boards idea.

Steve
 
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