potatoes, how do you know if they are ready?

[rainbowgardener]

I have been growing potatoes in containers. They have done very well this year so far. They bloomed for quite awhile and then the blooms were done and now the plants are looking terrible.

I think that is the natural life cycle and it means I will have potatoes soon, but the plants look a lot like something blighted. How do you tell the difference between being finished and being diseased?

This is my first year to get this far with potatoes. Last year I started some, but they got blighted very early (part of why I worry) and died without ever blooming or making any potatoes.

[Smallgardener]

I usually just did down and see how big they are. Whe they are the size I want I did them up. In the large scale farms they kill the tops off and let them sit a while. The longer they sit the thicker the skin gets.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Rainbow,

I'll go find Gix.

Are these grocery store potatoes or a known variety. Non certified seed and volunteer potatoes can be trouble. Volunteers can spread blight from the year before.

Smallgardener is correct. Do a little snooping. If the tubers are of size, you could vine kill.

How about a picture. New camera?

Eric

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, I should do a bit more digging. I just wasn't sure if I should still be trying to save the plants...

[DoubleDogFarm]

Most potatoes fall into 90-110 days category. When did you plant?


Eric

[rainbowgardener]

Mid March - Just about 90 days from now.

[RogueRose]

I was told "once they start to die" then they're done. Mine flowered and then started to die from the bottom up. I dug them up and got potatoes.