First time planting potatos...need advice please

[DDRanch]

I bought seed potatos at my farm center several weeks ago with the intentions of cutting out the eyes and planting them. Well, as time passed, and the garden area is now in, I am now able to plant but the potatoes have started to sprout. 4 to 5 inches of sprout.

Can I still plant them? And how should I do that? Thank you for your advice, this is my first time with potatoes.
Anne

 

[geoaware]

Hi....i have always just popped them into the ground...leaving an inch of the sprout above ground.

I have seen (and will try this year) growing potatoes in just a layer of straw inside a coupld of old car tires.....you add straw and some horse poo, put in the potatoes, then more straw and poo on top...and away they grow (with water of course). When its harvest time, its much easier to get the potatoes out whole....just lift up the tires and pull apart the straw.

Gary

 

[joann]

this is my first for growing potatoes, but mine seem to be doing well.

Planted them abot 4 " deep and they just took off. the I read up on growing potatoes that you must hill the every 8 ". Meaning as the plant grows 8 " you need to cover up the stem. I did this by making boxes. The boxes a 8" tall. I just add a box and fill it with more soil. First time i bought vegatable garden soil. This time i used florida dirt with chicken poo compost. the more you hill them the bigger your harvest will be.

good luck Joann

 

[DDRanch]

This is great information. Thank you so much. The potatos are in and we are adding drip this week.....but, if I have to keep covering and adding more soil, how would this work with the drip? Just keep the hoses on top?
Anne

 

[joann]

Don't really know much about drip system, ask my DH and he not really sure how to either.

anyone else know about drip systems?


Joann

 

[Tutter]

Adondro, you're south of me. We have sandy loam, what type of soil do you have?

We don't try to mound around the potatoes in the garden with that soil, and if you have the same, you wouldn't have to, either.

 

[DDRanch]

Hi Tutter,
We are using yards and yards of recycled/composted planting soil from a local source in this particular garden area. I have some roses and herbs planted in this soil in wine barrels that are doing great. Sunflowers direct sow that are growing like crazy. I don't know how else to describe the soil as it is has all been brought into the planting area.
Anne