I Ordered Seed Potatoes Today!/Update Post #56/Harvest pg 7

[baymule]

I have so much fun on this site, it is awesome to talk garden, post pics and look at everyone's pics, read and learn from all of you. I never heard of purple potatoes. Durgan posted about his Russian Blues. I was enchanted and did a search for them.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=34729

I found several companies that had purple/blue potatoes, but they wouldn't ship until late in the season (for my climate) because of freezing issues during shipping. Finally I found www.thepotatogarden.com I ordered 3 pounds of Purple Majesty, 3 pounds of Mountain Rose and 5 pounds of Red Pontiac. I never paid attention to varieties until ya'll posted pics of yours. I gotta try these! 11 pounds of seed potatoes might not sound like much, but last spring I planted 5 pounds of new potatoes I bought at the feed store and I got a lot of potatoes from my little patch! I have plans on planting in the 2 small beds I planted in last spring, plus another bed 4'x5' and I have several big tubs that will become potato gardens!

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=33864

I am waiting for my shipment (week of January 15) and then will countdown until I can plant in mid February! Thanks to ya'll for educating me on potatoes!!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

that place is great! i ordered from them a couple years ago and they sent these HUGE purple viking spuds for growing! they've done great in the garden the past couple years but i'm thinking next year i might try some other varieties and i would go back to them for some more. i was able to get an all blue variety from a local farmers market. so i'm hoping they will hold over winter well enough to plant next year.

 

[thistlebloom]

I order from Potato Garden also.
11 pounds will give you a lot! Be careful though, potato growing can be very addictive!

 

[so lucky]

Uh...eleven pounds *should* give you a lot. I planted eleven pounds last season and got 10 pounds.

 

[nachoqtpie]

We want to try our hand at potatoes this year as well. I think we're going to try dog food sacks again this year... or maybe I'll get some burlap and some small posts from Lowes and make it that way.
How will I know it's time to harvest them? If I get them in in April, will I have time to do 2 harvests? (last frost date here is middle of April first frost beginning of Novemeber)

 

[digitS']

I'd be reluctant to say that you will be able to get 2 harvests, qt. I took the advice of a gardener in Virginia and tried re-planting a very-early Caribe one year. It sure didn't work here and I should have believed a local potato farmer. You should ask your Cooperative Extension people if it is possible. Potatoes aren't too happy with hot weather but only need about 3 good growing months or less, for the early varieties to produce a crop.

Your plants should "tell" you when the tubers are mature. I've been willing to dig new potatoes anytime after the flowers drop but they will be smaller potatoes at that time (& not all varieties flower, anyway). When the plants are pretty much finished with pumping starch in the tubers, the above ground part of the plant will begin looking pretty bad. You can wait for them to die but it makes sense to cut the foliage off and then wait about 10 days before digging the potatoes. Yellowing leaves are doing much for the tubers. Putting acomplete stop to the above ground part of the plants will allow the skins will toughen and you will be less likely to tear up your spuds getting them out of the ground.

Eleven pounds should be enough for more than 100ft of ground, Bay'.

Potato Garden seems to have good prices as well a huge selection. I'm dismayed at what Territorial Seed wants for their potatoes. Having to pay a lot for shipping is tough but I'm getting pretty d*ng tired of having the local garden centers changing out varieties and the ones that I liked 1 year aren't available the next!

There is an outfit in central Washington called Irish Eyes that, I think, started out with only potatoes. They seem to have more vegetable seed with each passing year. Their prices also seem okay.

I think you will like that beautiful Purple Majesty, Bay'. One problem I have with the purples is trying to find them at harvest. I think of myself as a very careful potato digger but sometimes I find myself standing on the purples and volunteers that I've completely missed will show up later in the year.

Of the colorful group, Red Gold is one I might be trying this year! It is supposed to be a good all-around potato but it's early. There are also a couple of late-maturing golds that I should be trying. The Yukon Gold are sprouting downstairs . . . :/ At least, there aren't too many for us to get thru and the reds are holding just fine. They did soooo much better than the Yukons this year.

Steve

 

[lesa]

If you want a delicious small potato- try fingerlings. These are our favorites! Great for eating out of the garden and perfect for canning. I can't tell how much I enjoy cracking open a jar of those in the middle of winter. I do store red potatoes, as well- but they get soft pretty fast. The canned fingerlings last and are perfect for a quick meal. Enjoy your potato adventure!

 

[baymule]

I am really enjoying my garden. I am basically under house arrest because I quit work to care for my 89 year old mother. She had a stroke last March and sold her house and moved in with us in August. I don't leave the house without her for more than 30 minutes. So I am working more in the garden, adding a hoop run on the chicken coop, and doing more at home.

I planted potatoes last spring for the first time in many years and was delighted with the results. Then ya'll started talking about the different varieties. Varieties? You mean we have choices??? WOW! I never knew! I dug last year's when the vines started looking yellow and sad. Since the tater patch is so small, we dug mostly with our hands. It was great fun.

Steve, I didn't know that about cutting the vines off the potatoes and waiting 10 days to toughen the skins. I will certainly do that when harvest time comes. 11 pounds should plant 100 feet of row? I don't have a 100 feet of row anywhere! I guess I'd better get busy scrounging up more syrup lick tubs. (cattle feeders) Looks like I will be planting taters everywhere! :weight I'll be careful when I dig the Purple Majesties!

Lesa-fingerlings? They look so small in pictures. I never canned potatoes, how do they compare in taste to fresh? (does internet search on lawn diseases and insects to kill DH's beloved stupid grass that keeps me from covering entire front yard in garden.........

 

[lesa]

The fingerlings vary greatly- but most of them are around "finger" size... I don't peel mine and I find them to be delicious! In my humble opinion, the organically grown, canned fingerlings are just as good as fresh potatoes. Whatever type you grow, I know you will really enjoy them! It is magical when you dig down into the dirt and find all those potatoes! Enjoy!

 

[nachoqtpie]

Do you think my idea of burlap and steaks for growing potatoes is okay? I would roll down the sides and roll and fill with dirt as the plants get bigger.