Help needed, Potatoe plants don't look so good.
I'm growing potatoes for the first time. My potatoe plants looked beautiful all summer until second week in Aug. They started to turn yellow with small brown spots. Then each week more and more turned yellow and more brown. Now alot of brown and they look as if the plants is dying K know it cant be from a lack of water. Is it normal at this time of the year that they should look this way because of harvest time? Also, when should I first start harcesting the potatoes.
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applestar
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When did you plant your potatoes? Early ones mature in about 90 days, late ones in about 120 days. My mixed crop were planted last week of March/first week of April and I harvested them all in the last 3 weeks.
They naturally start yellowing and dying when the potatoes are almost ready. When most of the foliage is dead, the potatoes should be fully mature/won't grow any more. You can start harvesting "new" or 1/2 size potatoes before then (when they finish flowering -- some say when they start flowering, but so far, in my experience, they're still pretty small then). You might find good sized tubers already if your potato foliage is starting to die off.
If the leaves are turning dark brown/black and the color starts streaking along the leaves into the stems, it's probably blight (this is bad). You should cut off the stems before the black can reach the potatoes, and dig up all your potatoes right away. Dispose the foliage in the trash (NOT compost), sealed in plastic bags, and DON'T use any of these potatoes for seed potatoes to grow again. Avoid planting tomatoes and potatoes in the same area for at least 2 years, 3 is better and 4 is best.
They naturally start yellowing and dying when the potatoes are almost ready. When most of the foliage is dead, the potatoes should be fully mature/won't grow any more. You can start harvesting "new" or 1/2 size potatoes before then (when they finish flowering -- some say when they start flowering, but so far, in my experience, they're still pretty small then). You might find good sized tubers already if your potato foliage is starting to die off.
If the leaves are turning dark brown/black and the color starts streaking along the leaves into the stems, it's probably blight (this is bad). You should cut off the stems before the black can reach the potatoes, and dig up all your potatoes right away. Dispose the foliage in the trash (NOT compost), sealed in plastic bags, and DON'T use any of these potatoes for seed potatoes to grow again. Avoid planting tomatoes and potatoes in the same area for at least 2 years, 3 is better and 4 is best.