So what will happen now?

[seedcorn]

Wife gave me 5 potatoes that were shrunken and she was going to throw out. I planted them. Will they put on more or will heat just fry them? Is it too late for beets as well?

 

[Carol Dee]

You might as well try ! You might even get some potatoes yet. The beets, I don't know. We planted some about 2 weeks ago (zone 4) not coming up.

 

[Jared77]

I agree, I think you might get something. How much? No idea but I bet you'll get something out of them. Besides nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Those are both sort of cool weather crops. Where are potatoes the best? Idaho and Maine. You are out of season but what have you to lose with the potatoes. If they come up, I expect you will have to water them a lot but you might get something. I just would not expect much and there is a real chance they will fry.

You might be better off with the beets to plan for a fall crop. You are further north than I am but I'd think maybe (you might notice I'm not real definite) planting the beets in early August might work for you. They can take a light frost or you can cover them if they are not quite ready and a frost is forecast. Again, you might need to water them quite a bit to get them started, but you should be able to get a crop in before winter. I'm just not sure on the timing for you to start. It's mid to late August for me on the fall beets.

 

[schmije]

I had a whole sack of potatoes that got forgotten and began to sprout eyes. I cut them up and planted them a couple of months ago, and now I have over a dozen potato plants growing. This isn't the first time I've done this, and I've had similar results in the past. I'm not an expert potato farmer by any means, and the yield has never been high. But I've never gotten better yields from store bought seed potatoes either.

So to answer your question - yes they could grow. Of course you're much later in the year than I was, so the heat may kill them. Like the others said, you've got nothing to lose, so you might as well try, right?

As for the beets, I'm with Ridgerunner. Wait a couple of months and plant a fall crop.

 

[plainolebill]

I planted some potatoes for a late crop just about 10 days ago, about half of them are up. We always have to irrigate during the summer because we get almost no rain in summer here in Western Oregon (unlike the winter). I plan on throwing some straw around them when the plants get a little bigger. With some luck I'll be able to harvest them in Late September before the rain hits.

 

[lesa]

Definitely not too late for beets- they can stay in the ground till the bitter end...

 

[seedcorn]

Thanks, potatoes are in dirt, it's up to them now.

I will wait till August for beets as we are going on 6 weeks with very little rain and everything (that is not watered) is brown. We are now in a no burn area.

Supposed to have rained last night but all we got were about 15 drops, didn't even make ground wet.

 

[lesa]

Oh dear- sorry about the lack of rain. August will be plenty of time for the beets! Happy Gardening!

 

[catjac1975]

I'll tell you what will happen. They will grow green and lush, and then flower as they make more potatoes. When the stems die down the spuds are ready. Dig them as you are ready to eat them they will keep in the ground until deep freeze. When you dig them you will be rewarded with"treasure" as my grandson and I call them. They will probably be small this time-but oh so delicious. Then you will be hooked on growing potatoes for life.