AlwaysLearning
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2015 3:21 pm
Location: Nashville, Tennessee

potato harvesting

I just dug my first potato. The vines have flowered and are yellowing and slipping away. It was only about a 2-bite potato.

I felt around; seemed like there were only smaller potatoes. I should dig them anyway, right? They aren't getting bigger since the vine is fading away? I am afraid of damaging the potatoes; what is the best way to harvest without accidentally cutting them with the spade?

These plants are from an organic russet from the grocery store. thank you

Taiji
Greener Thumb
Posts: 921
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:19 am
Location: Gardening in western U.P. of MI. 46+ N. lat. elev 1540. zone 3; state bird: mosquito

The way I dig them is with a spading fork. There is a potato digging fork too, I don't have one. I usually start to dig about 8 inches to a foot outside of where I think the potatoes might be and work inward. Even so, I sometimes manage to spear a couple!
I think you're ok to leave them in the ground and use them as needed, someone else may have another idea. I don't think they'll continue to grow without much of a plant up above.

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

It's easier if you use mostly mulch to hill them. I like using mixture of leaves, grass clippings, compost, and pine needles. Plus pulled weeds. I can rummage around with my hand to feel for them.

lexusnexus
Green Thumb
Posts: 358
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 4:06 pm
Location: MD Suburbs of DC, 7a

Although I don't personally grow them we have them in our demo garden and we use lots of soil to add to the mounding, with furrows that are 6" to 10" deep between the rows. We harvest a few for a Grow It Eat It open yesterday and were pretty good sized.

User avatar
digitS'
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3925
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:10 pm
Location: ID/WA! border

Cutting the vines a few weeks before digging the tubers allows the skins to toughen.

I just dig out the bed. The soil is prepped for fall veggies. The potato plants are pulled as I dig under them. I seldom hit a tuber with the shovel. Lots of compostables go into the soil behind me and compost in place. I mostly use the potato bed to grow fall greens but it can have most anything, next year.

I must admit that I'm only digging about 4 to 6 plants each week because I've got two tasks going at once. Three, if you count the sowing of seed on the prepped soil as I go along.

Steve

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

You don't need to be in a big hurry to dig the taters. They keep well in the ground. The skins will toughen up with some time. New potatoes have very thin skins. You can use a finger to lift a few for eating anytime as the potatoes grow and leave the plant. Dig them after the plant has gone down and dying. A digging fork is better than a spade for digging taters.



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”