potato plants

[bettyb]

I had several potato plants coming up in my compost pile this spring. I put them in a raised bed and now I have these huge plants. the question is yesterday I noticed more plants coming up. is it to late to plant these. how long does it take potatoes to make. I did not put plants in ground too deep and they are coming to top of the ground.

[jal_ut]

Welcome to the forum.

I would plant them.

[DoubleDogFarm]

bettyb,

You should add more to you ID, so we know where you are.

I also say plant them. I will be planting my second crop before mid month.

Cover the tubers that are pushing out of the ground. You should not eat any that have green skin. Posionous and will make you sick.

But, in potato tubers, it is like the "canary in the mine shaft." The green indicates an increase in the presence of glycoalkaloids, especially, in potato, the substance "solanine". When the potato greens, solanine increases to potentially dangerous levels. Hence it is advised not to eat the green parts of the potato

The rest of the page is here. https://www.food-info.net/uk/qa/qa-fp96.htm

[bettyb]

bettyb,

You should add more to you ID, so we know where you are.

I also say plant them. I will be planting my second crop before mid month.

Cover the tubers that are pushing out of the ground. You should not eat any that have green skin. Posionous and will make you sick.

But, in potato tubers, it is like the "canary in the mine shaft." The green indicates an increase in the presence of glycoalkaloids, especially, in potato, the substance "solanine". When the potato greens, solanine increases to potentially dangerous levels. Hence it is advised not to eat the green parts of the potato

The rest of the page is here. https://www.food-info.net/uk/qa/qa-fp96.htm

thank you so much, I will update my profile. I am from harvest, alabama, which is in north alabama.

[garden5]

It sounds like you still have enough time. Even if you may not, go for it anyway. It's always interesting to see what happens.

[kgall]

Not to hijack this thread but how long is average between flower and harvest of potatoes?

[rainbowgardener]

I don't really know the answer, since this is my first year growing potatoes, but as I understand it from reading, once it has flowered and the flower has dropped off, you could dig down and find little baby new potatoes, which could be harvested as such.

If you want to wait for full sized potatoes you have to wait until the whole potato vine has turned brown and started to wither away. Some would say wait a couple weeks after the vines have started to die back. This gives the skins a chance to toughen up, so they store better.

How long is between part I and part II above? I don't know, but you could maybe estimate if you know your variety and it's estimated days to maturity. Take the time it took to bloom and subtract from the days to maturity and that should be the time between flowering and finishing. However, I looked up my Yukon Gold potatoes and different websites gave the days to maturity as 60-75, 71-80, 85-95... so anywhere between 2 months and 3 months... that seems like a huge discrepancy and makes it not very helpful.

I guess we both just have to wait and see! Mine haven't even started flowering yet, so I know I have a ways to go.

[kgall]

I have some that are two feet tall and flowering and some that are a half a foot tall and growing! It's been an adventure so far!

[DoubleDogFarm]

I usually plant my potatoes third week of March. They are usually in full bloom mid July. Harvest the end of August.

Sept. 1 2007

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/totalharvest.jpg[/img]

[applestar]

I was noticing today that I have some that are 4 feet tall, but they're not in full sun so that might be the reason.

RBG, I don't know for sure but maybe interpret the 2 months to be the new potato (Part I) and 3 months to be the mature/full-size potato (Part II) ?

[jal_ut]

You are pretty close Apple. I get new potatoes about 60 days after planting. Planting May 1. The peas are usually on too, and there is nothing better than new potatoes and peas in a white sauce. The harvest of hardened tubers is usually 120 days after planting. I may let them go even longer than that as they store well in the ground. I like to get them out before the fall rains make it too muddy. About mid October is the latest to leave them in the ground here. Plant plenty, so you can eat them all summer and still have some for storage.

[Hispoptart]

You are pretty close Apple. I get new potatoes about 60 days after planting. Planting May 1. The peas are usually on too, and there is nothing better than new potatoes and peas in a white sauce.

Don't want to hijack the thread either, but how do you make your white sauce? It's one of DH's favs also and I have yet to get it right. Thanks

[garden5]

I was so tempted to put in potatoes this, but just couldn't find the space. Next time, I think I'm going for some sweet potatoes .

[rkunsaw]

I planted my potatoes the 1st of March and dug them yesterday.They started dying back a couple of weeks ago,but some vines were still green.I would have waited another week or two, but we're going on vacation and I wanted to get 'er done.
Larry

[supagirl277]

I usually plant my potatoes third week of March. They are usually in full bloom mid July. Harvest the end of August.

Sept. 1 2007

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/totalharvest.jpg[/img]

How many potatoes did you plant to get all of those? I don't want to be getting 40 or 50 pounds of potatoes by accident.

[mrsself]

holy fat potato on the right there!

I just dug up my potatoes a few days ago, I love the new potatoes as well. But someone told me that I'm supposed to let them cure... so how long are they supposed to "cure", and what exactly does that mean?

[The Helpful Gardener]

Cure schmure; I have pulled them out of my tater towers, marched in the kitchen, and washed and roasted. You got it right JAL, new baby taters rank right with maters in my garden-book of joys...

Mrs.self, too much harvest; why worry? There are neighbors, food banks; I don't know anyone that doesn't eat taters. One of my other garden joys is giving out veggies; people love it, never forget you, and the perks can be great (let our neighbor next door have run of the lettuce last year and now her boyfriend brings us fish all the time...).

The earth brings us bounty and we can do no more wonderful thing in our lives than share that. You can call it loaves and fishes, or the generosity of the forest; it's been called a lot of things over the years by different folks, but we are at our human best when we are feeding each other...

HG

[mrsself]

lol, I agree with sharing! I was more meaning there is one particular potato in the picture on the right that is HUMONGOUS! hahah... makes my lil potatoes look puny! Maybe next year I'll have some monsters like that!

Can you plant a second crop of potatoes? I may have hubby till up another row for me if so...

[DoubleDogFarm]

supagirl,

The potatoes in the photo are Yukon Gold. A good harvest is 10 pounds of potatoes for every pound planted. I planted about five pounds for this harvest. I never weighed the harvest, so I can't tell you how I did.

Curing is a good idea, if you are going to store them. After the plants die down, wait about two weeks before lifting. You can also just cut the plants off once the tubers reach a desirable size. Still wait about two weeks before lifting.

New potatoes have nice thin skins and should be consumed right away. Preferably with creamed peas. Yum.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Thanks Eric!

I just never have a big enough crop to store a bunch; so they jut kind of get eaten...

HG

[applestar]

Just "robbed" a few of my Red Gold potatoes yesterday. Still pretty small (about 1") but went over very well with the kids.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Planting a second crop.

I have a friend here in zone 8 WA, that plants his second crop about now. So this year I will be giving it a try. I don't think you can plant the tubers you harvested this year. They probably wouldn't sprout until next spring. Just like the volunteers. So I will be buying some seed potatoes.

Apple, don't take to many.

[Zapatay]

The earth brings us bounty and we can do no more wonderful thing in our lives than share that. You can call it loaves and fishes, or the generosity of the forest; it's been called a lot of things over the years by different folks, but we are at our human best when we are feeding each other...

HG

lovin' that post Scott

[jal_ut]

Don't want to hijack the thread either, but how do you make your white sauce? It's one of DH's favs also and I have yet to get it right. Thanks

2 T butter
2 T flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup milk

In a pan melt the butter,
add the salt and pepper,
stir in the flour and let it get bubbly,
stir in the milk,
cook for a minute or two stirring constantly.

Makes one cup of sauce.
Big T = tablespoon

[Darceyoh]

I wasn't too sure about when to plant and if I'm able to harvest them before frost. I planted one yesterday. Yes, just one... if it doesn't work/grow, then I didn't lose much.

Either way, it was nice to read a fellow Washingtonian planted some taters round the same time!

Now... we wait and see what happens!

[DoubleDogFarm]

2 T butter
2 T flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup milk

In a pan melt the butter,
add the salt and pepper,
stir in the flour and let it get bubbly,
stir in the milk,
cook for a minute or two stirring constantly.

Makes one cup of sauce.
Big T = tablespoon

Jal_ut and I use this same basic recipe.

I make a roux blanc, equal parts fat to flour. Cook on top of the stove just long enough to eliminate the taste of raw flour. Then add milk, stir constantly until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.

[jmoore]

The earth brings us bounty and we can do no more wonderful thing in our lives than share that. You can call it loaves and fishes, or the generosity of the forest; it's been called a lot of things over the years by different folks, but we are at our human best when we are feeding each other...

HG

lovin' that post Scott

+1