Potatoes...

[Greenthumb18]

Last year i had a problem getting good yield in potatoes, i think i might of finally figured out what i did wrong. I remember planting them towards the end of may to even mid june, i now know that potatoes dont tend to grow tubers when the summer heat hits it, the heat causes low yield it potatoes. Instead your suppose to plant potatoes so that when it does start producing tubers the summer' heat isnt on it. Would mid. to late April be a better time to plant potatoes in zone 6?
or do you think it would still be too late?

Thanks!!!

 

[vfem]

I planted in March for Zone 7. I'm assuming April would be perfect for you.

 

[Greenthumb18]

I planted in March for Zone 7. I'm assuming April would be perfect for you.

oh ok, April looks good not too warm or too coold should be ok, So your potatoes are up already. What kinds did you plant? I'm thinking of at least one variety of a white potato, red potato, yellow or golden potato, and maybe a fingerling like russian banana.

 

[setter4]

You should be ready any time now. Just make sure you dont have a long cold/wet spell coming when you plant.

 

[CARS]

The rule of thumb for our area (So. MN) was to plant on Good Friday.
Last year, Easter was quite early and the ground was still froze.
The ground is thawed now but is wet from the occasional snow showers. Will spring ever get here???

Should a person be looking at specific average ground temps or last hard frost or ??? before you plant?

 

[vfem]

I do not see them up yet for me, I planted a couple weeks ago and not the beginning of March. I cut up my own from the grocery store russet potatoes. Everywhere I went looking for potatoes was sold out. So worse case I get nothing.... oh well, I will just buy them earlier next year.

 

[simple life]

vfem have you tried any of the online places? I ordered from Wood Prairie Farm in Maine, I don't know of any places near you but there is also Ronnigers potatoes in Colorado.
It wouldn't be too late to order them and get them in the ground quickly I wouldn't think.

For zone 6 this is about when most of us plant them, between now and May.
Our official last frost date is the beginning of May and when we plant most everything else but I know that alot of people are putting in things like peas and potatoes right now.
I got my potato order in this week but am waiting for all this rain to stop so I can prep my potato beds.

 

[setter4]

vfem have you tried any of the online places? I ordered from Wood Prairie Farm in Maine, I don't know of any places near you but there is also Ronnigers potatoes in Colorado.
It wouldn't be too late to order them and get them in the ground quickly I wouldn't think.

For zone 6 this is about when most of us plant them, between now and May.
Our official last frost date is the beginning of May and when we plant most everything else but I know that alot of people are putting in things like peas and potatoes right now.
I got my potato order in this week but am waiting for all this rain to stop so I can prep my potato beds.

I too am waiting for a break in the cold/rain/snow flurries to plant my potatoes. I think I am zone 5B. We're the only county I know of that has 3 officizl USDA zones in it. lol
I waited too long to get blue potatoes this year VFM. I could have gotten some but it would have cost over $10 for a lb. and I didn't want them that bad! lol

 

[vfem]

Oh, I didn't wanna spend a lot of money online ordering... I have a pot out in the garden I wanted to try my hand at them.... I only have 2 potato seeds planted as it. Not enough room for more. I didn't want to have to buy more then I needed and only use 2 and fail on top of it.

TSC was my last place I looked and they had like 8 seeds for $3 of several kinds. I would have gotten them there if there was any left... even walmart was out by the first week of March.

If these do ok, I'll put in a new bed next year so I can trench potatoes and put a new kind I'd prefer.

 

[vfem]

I just checked and I have a sprout coming to the surface of my potatoes!