kgall
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Location: New Hampshire

Yes...It's another potato question

My potatoes are finally coming up. Of course something is eating the leaves. Argh! My bottle of neem and I are going back out there later. I don't know if it will help but I will try it.

The row where the ants seem to have taken over my garden has had only 2 of 12 have appeared and one of them has been chewed to the ground. I didn't know it had come up until I saw the chewed stump. I have tried cornmeal and baking soda mixed with powdered sugar to no avail...I don't know what to do next!

Some of the spots where I planted look like every eye in the potato came up! I am wondering if it is too much to have 3 or 4 or 5 plants that close together, even if they came from one spud?
Last edited by kgall on Tue May 18, 2010 6:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

TZ -OH6
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This should give you the information needed to make a decision.

https://www.cipotato.org/library/pdfdocs/TIBen5099.pdf



As for the gnawed off shoots you could hill them a little and hope the critters go away by the time the shoots come up again. For a few plants I would probably try something like cut off 2 liter soda bottle "tubes", which will protect them from chipmonks rabbits and cutworms.

kgall
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Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 4:37 pm
Location: New Hampshire

Thank You. I guess I will have to wait and see this year. When it comes to harvest time I will be able to compare how the ones with only one stem do compared to those with multiple stems.

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jal_ut
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When I have planted whole tubers, I get several stems, and lots of tubers. Many of the tubers are small. When I have cut the seed tubers to one eye, there is only one stem and the resulting tubers are large, but few per plant.

How many and how large the tubers are is also dependent on soil fertility. Good fertile soil can support more plants.

kgall
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Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 4:37 pm
Location: New Hampshire

I have added a fair amount of compost and manure but I still have quite a bit of sand....Hence the stupid ants!

This is my first year with potatoes, my second with most of the rest of my stuff. It's amazing how much knowledge you need to have to be successful at this whole gardening thing. I am only hoping I can win the war of the pests!

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gixxerific
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I know sweet potatoes and potatoes are not the same but I had a few sweets chewed to the ground abut 4 times they finally got a chance to grow and they did produce tubers but they were not huge. Just saying if you protect them now from what ever is getting them they will probably come back for a second chance.



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