Happy surprise

[thistlebloom]

I used up the last of my store bought potatoes so went out this evening to dig up a couple of plants to tide us over until I start the official harvesting this weekend. I chose the Bliss Triumph to dig since they're yellowing. It's my first year growing it. I dug two especially yellow plants that straddled an upright green one. Then decided , what the heck, I'll just take that one too. I pulled it up and was surprised to see it was a Purple Viking which I didn't plant this year!

I thought the difference in size was interesting between the two varieties. The green bowl is the Bliss, the yellow bowl is the volunteer Purple Viking.

I will for sure be growing PV again next year, on purpose!

eta- wow, what a crummy picture! The Bliss are actually much smaller than they appear here, and the Purple Viking fills my whole hand.

 

[digitS']

It is a good picture, Thistle'!

You just needed to toss down your knife (or, something) so that we can compare the sizes.

Yes, the Purple Viking is a nice big potato! My only problem with them was that I couldn't see them very well in wet soil. I found myself standing on one more than once! I take pride in my careful spud digging ability and I wasn't happy about these accidents. I bet I have just explained how you happen to have a Purple Viking volunteer.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Yes, they blend in nicely with all of those spud sized rocks too!

 

[thistlebloom]

Okay Steve, here's one for scale, that's me and my cellphone. And you may notice that the three largest PV are already baked for DH and DS' breakfast tomorrow.

 

[digitS']

Keeping things in perspective . . . here is Thistle' with one of her russets at the Idaho state capital building in Boise:

Steve

 

[canesisters]

WoW, what a great suprise! Not just a volunteer, but a purple one!

 

[897tgigvib]

Thistle! Those purple taters are bigger than your tractor!

Also, finally glad to see they are making cell phones bigger than a car now! Now maybe I might get one. Those itty bitty cell phones most folks have require a microscope just to find the buttons.

 

[Jared77]

Nicely done! Sometimes it better to be lucky than good

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i've kept my PV going for the past few years. i found they are tolerant of lots of various conditions and don't seem to be bothered yet by disease. i think this is my 3rd or 4th season with them and they just keep producing nice sized spuds. not as big as when i got them from the supplier but still nice and big! i admit too that they are hard to see in the dirt as you're digging them up. after last year's harvest i tilled the ground to get it ready for my garlic and came across a few i had missed pulling.

 

[ninnymary]

Job, well done Thistle! Are potatoes easy to grow since you're in Idahoe?

The kids and I also pulled potatoes from one of our 15 gal. nursery containers. It was a pidley harvest but the kids had a great time. Last year, I had 30 from one container so this year I planted 5 containers. None of them have been great. Only a couple good size ones and a few marble ones!

Mary