I need advice to plant fall Potatoes!

[vfem]

Honestly, I cut them... throw them in whole.... Accidently leave some in the ground.... ect. It all seems to work just fine! hahaha

Why don't you just cut some, cure some, soak some, and leave some whole. Label what you plant where and when you harvest see which one's did best!? Then if they all do about the same, you can chose to do which ever one was the least amount of work for you. That's what I would do!

 

[OkChickens]

How long do they take to grow? In my zone?

Nate

 

[catjac1975]

I planted my potatoes in April and they were ready to eat in July- so I guess 3 months. This has been a strange growing season for most of the US with a mild winter, hot summer and drought for much of the country. I would plant them at 6-8 inches deep. If you have an extremely cold winter the potatoes could freeze, I myself would not worry about that. I get a few plants from leftovers every year no matter how brutal a winter. You could add a think layer of leaves or straw for added winter protection. Potatoes are ready after they blossom and then the plants begin to die back. I leave mine in the ground until the threat of the first big freeze, and dig them as I use them. Then I store them in a dirt cellar, in a metal trash can, layered with straw.

 

[ShowMe31]

Potatoes in the fall........hummmm feeling another project coming. Will planting in the fall work in zone 5? Wonder if I can even find any seed potatoes.

 

[catjac1975]

I have never found seed potatoes- do you get potatoes sprouting from last years Misses? That should tell you. Just don't spend too much the first time.

Potatoes in the fall........hummmm feeling another project coming. Will planting in the fall work in zone 5? Wonder if I can even find any seed potatoes.

 

[ShowMe31]

Have to kinda watch the area where I dumped my buckets. We've already eaten the little ones that I harvested this year, so planting those are out. I couldn't wait to cook them up in some fresh green beans, onions and a bacon. YUMMY! I've always bought seed potatoes. I planted about 4 years ago, then didn't plant again until this year. I never looked in the old area for any that may have come up on there own. That area was a spot we overwintered the goats. I just tilled it up nicely and planted. The plants were beautiful, but no too many potatoes when we dug them. Yikes
!

 

[catjac1975]

Any chance that you dug them too soon? I'm not sure why you did not get too many potatoes.

Have to kinda watch the area where I dumped my buckets. We've already eaten the little ones that I harvested this year, so planting those are out. I couldn't wait to cook them up in some fresh green beans, onions and a bacon. YUMMY! I've always bought seed potatoes. I planted about 4 years ago, then didn't plant again until this year. I never looked in the old area for any that may have come up on there own. That area was a spot we overwintered the goats. I just tilled it up nicely and planted. The plants were beautiful, but no too many potatoes when we dug them. Yikes
!

 

[ShowMe31]

I may have dug them too soon. I have been letting my goats free range since their pen is bare and hay is hard to come by and if you do find it, it's pricey. I forgot to put the chainlink panel over the barrels one night and they ate the plants. Afraid what did grow would just rot I pulled them. I never did see the plants flower. Up until that point we've experienced the worst drought and heat wave that I can remember in over 15 or more years. So that may have had a factor in it also. I don't feel this was a bad harvest, more of a learning experience. With my hubby out of work I hate to have an area in the garden not producing something that we can use to save a few dollars.

 

[OkChickens]

How deep do I plant them? Some sites say 8-12 inches deep and some say 2-3 inches deep?

Nate

 

[April Manier]

We don't "cure our potatoes, unless we are harvesting and replanting in back to back fashion. I like to cut them with 2 or more eyes. I run 2 trenches in my bed 28 inches apart. I then throw them in there about 6 inches apart anticipating sone death. After the pants come up we throw some lime and manure on top and hill them.

Remember that every time you hill them you cause the plant to make baby tubers in the new earth you threw up there. (those tubers are potatoes.)

We are replanting our potatoes here for late harvest, but they will be babies. We find they sell just fine, keep as a seed crop for next year, and feed us nicely through the winter. We are here in Oregon though, 7b.