Digging potatoes

[me&thegals]

havi--can you tell us about this straw growing method? Sounds interesting!

 

[havi]

havi--can you tell us about this straw growing method? Sounds interesting!

A friend got me hooked on it. She has hers growing in old tires, but I just use old wire netting. Such as chicken wire or hardwire clothe. I just lay the spuds on the ground and cover it with straw. Then when they start growing I put the wire around it and add more straw. Its a lot easier to harvest the potatoes and cleaner.

Here are a few links to give you a little more help.

http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/VegFruit/potatoes.htm

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/salloum100.html

 

[DDRanch]

I dug all mine up last week, after the foilage wilted and began to turn yellow/brown. Have to say though that unless I actually saw some potato I would have let them die down more and it wasn't necessary. I would agree to do a little digging and see what you have down there.

Anne

 

[me&thegals]

havi--can you tell us about this straw growing method? Sounds interesting!

A friend got me hooked on it. She has hers growing in old tires, but I just use old wire netting. Such as chicken wire or hardwire clothe. I just lay the spuds on the ground and cover it with straw. Then when they start growing I put the wire around it and add more straw. Its a lot easier to harvest the potatoes and cleaner.

Here are a few links to give you a little more help.

http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/VegFruit/potatoes.htm

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/salloum100.html

Thanks so much! I will definitely be trying that method next year. Maybe I'll do half and half with a yield test at the end of the season... My poor hubby is the potato digger, so he would be grateful for a method easier on the back!

 

[the pumpkin king]

You should sneak in and look for some! I think it's referred to as "grabbing", this groping underneath the dirt to feel around for those round things (doesn't that sound dirty, pun intended) Hah! I always seem to find tiny babies that could have grown longer when I accidentally uproot a nice green plant, but it does no harm to feel beneath the soil and pull out the big ones. Have fun

How do potatoes grow on a plant are in the ground and do you have pic's. :mow

 

[silkiechicken]

Potatoes will grow out from root like structures above the seed potato but under the soil. If you mound up the plants and your season is long enough and you keep them watered, you can have new spuds popping up from stem level areas under the mounded dirt.

 

[punkin]

I would dig around under a couple to see what you have. But, you do need to get them up before your first frost hits the vines.