Potato question

[Avonnow]

I planted some potatoes, and I wish I new what they were, got them at the feed store and I am such a chatter box, I never asked or look at the sign to see what I was buying. Anyhow I planted them about 1 month ago. I am using info I got in my "Joy of Gardening" Book by Dick Raymond. I dug a trench, put some fertilizer in it, then covered with dirt, then put a little phosphurus and more dirt, then the seed potato that was powdered with sulfur. Then I covered them. Well they look great, and are growing like crazy. My question, he says when they get about 6 inches tall to cover them or mound dirt around them, then when they grow another 6 inches, put more mounded dirt around them. My problem is I don't have a lot of dirt sitting around, show I buy potting soil, top soil, or take compost and mound it around these plants? Does it matter, I was afaid to use compost. Any sugestions. Should I cover the plant entirely?

[Kisal]

We used to buy well-rotted sawdust to mound around our potatoes. We got it at the same place where we bought stuff like mulches and topsoil. Using sawdust makes it very easy to dig the potatoes, and they come out of the ground pretty clean. That makes it easy to prepare them for storage.

[applestar]

Avonnow, I'm just going to remind you of this thread (Imagine my surprise when I went to look for one of my Potato Silo/Tower post refs and found you there already! ):
http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... 497#147497

[wordwiz]

Much simpler and a lot less expensive: rotary till the sides of the row then use a rake to make a bank. I've never seen a reason to do a second hilling but my first one probably 4" tall in the middle of the row. You can use mulch, straw, almost anything. The goal is to prevent the spuds that will form from seeing the light of day. It turns them green and not good to eat.

Mike

[Avonnow]

So do you think I should use straw or a mulch of sorts ( I have a bail in the garage- my husband would love to see it gone) - I did the straw in a bucket last year and lets just say "not successful". Will the straw attract mice or rats? I am getting that I don't have to mound this too high, just cover them so no light gets to them. Hey they look a heck of alot better then the last batch, so Maybe I will do some with soil and some with straw to see. How tall will the tops get, I looked at APPLESTAR thread and they look like they get pretty top heavy - how do you know when they are producing will they get flowers on them up top. I can't believe how hearty they look.

[farmerlon]

That Dick Raymond book is a good one, and was the first gardening book that I ever read.
His Potato growing advice is sound.
I differ from Dick's advice, in that I would not roto-till as often as he does (actually, I don't roto-till my garden at all any more). Also, I would not use 10-10-10 and other chemical fertilizers.
But, that's me... everyone is entitled to take their own approach.

Dick is right about hilling the potatoes. If you don't have soil available, you can even use straw/hay to pile up around the plants. Or, mix straw with garden soil, to make the soil "go farther".

One note: it's prudent to avoid adding a lot of "high nitrogen" material (manure, etc...) to the potato patch, as that can foster problems with potato scab.

[Avonnow]

I love his book, it is very simple to read. A good friend gave it to me when I started gardening. I have read it over and over, each time learning something else. I realize though many things are dated in it. I did use a organic fertilizer and Garden tone phosphurus. I used the sulfer as some previous ones I planted - rotted. I hope this works. So I think I will use the straw as I have it on hand and I hate to buy more then I need. With potatos do you ever side dress them, or should I avoid it because of the scab thing? Also again do they get flowers and is that a indicator that potatos are forming?

[DoubleDogFarm]

Yes, I believe all potatoes flower. Two weeks or so after bloom you can snoop around and harvest "new" potatoes. New potatoes, ( baby ) and peas in cream sauce. Yum! Don't be to greedy it will lower your overall yield considerably.

My Yukon Gold,



Eric

[jal_ut]

As has been said, you hill them up a bit to keep the developing spuds from seeing daylight. Soil or mulch will work. Your straw should be fine.

Yes, potatoes will bloom, and when they bloom they will be starting to make tubers. How tall the plants get will depend on the variety and soil fertility. Two feet tall can easily happen.

Scab in potatoes is worse if the soil is on the alkaline side. A soil ph of 5.2 will be pretty free of scab. I think that is the thinking behind the sulphur. Sulphur makes the soil more acidic.

"Should I cover the plant entirely?"

I never cover the plant. I add 2 or 3 inches of soil mounded up around the plant. I only do this one time. I want to keep the tubers in the dark, and the leaves exposed to the sun to manufacture food for making tubers. Yes, I do cover some of the lower leaves. hard to avoid that, but I will not cover the whole plant. I know there are different schools of thought on this, but I am just telling you what works for me.

[DoubleDogFarm]

unless she is talking about dusting the cut tuber before planting.


Eric

[jal_ut]

What do you think Eric, is dusting the cut tuber with sulphur a scab preventative? I have never used sulphur at all in my garden for any reason.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Jal,

That's a good question, I have never used sulfur either. It was something my farther did. He would dab the cut surface into sulfur powder.

I just cut the potatoes and plant them in the ground. I don't even give them time to callus over.

I will be trying the coffee grounds idea in my potato beds this year. I'm hoping it will help with wire worm and rodents.

Eric

[jal_ut]

Hilling potatoes using the Troybilt with hiller/furrower attachment.

[wordwiz]

Hilling potatoes using the Troybilt with hiller/furrower attachment.

Cheater! How wide are your rows? Mine are less than 3' between each one.

Mike

[Avonnow]

The sulfur was to prevent rotting, I did have this problem last year - it actually may be better now because it is cooler. But I used sulfur because of the rotting it was recommended in that book. I will do as you all say, use straw and not cover entire plant. I will take photos as it goes to see what happens. Thanks
Sherry