The cure for insomnia, aka, my 2012 potato harvest

[catjac1975]

Grocery store potatoes will grow. They are treated with a growth inhibitor, however.

 

[nachoqtpie]

Does that mean that they won't grow potatoes?

 

[catjac1975]

They will,but they are harder to get started.

Does that mean that they won't grow potatoes?

 

[nachoqtpie]

Ah! Well I guess that makes sense. That kid of mine has 2 neon green thumbs just like his grampa and great grampa. It doesn't seem to matter what that kid plants, it sprouts! LOL

 

[catjac1975]

Gardening will give him a lifetime of joy!

Ah! Well I guess that makes sense. That kid of mine has 2 neon green thumbs just like his grampa and great grampa. It doesn't seem to matter what that kid plants, it sprouts! LOL

 

[nachoqtpie]

He absolutely LOVES gardening. He has been trying so hard to get his pumpkins to grow but the vine borers get them every time. He really does have a love of growing in the garden and he loves the excitement of watching the seeds sprout and grow. I think he would make a great 2nd generation farmer. He wants to go to school to be a mechanic, because he loves to work with his hands.

 

[thistlebloom]

Thistle', I started to respond last night but realized I was falling to sleep . . . ..........

To make this interesting, let's go to the University of Maine and see what they are saying on the other side of the US : "Ten pounds of seed will plant about 50 feet of row at eight-inch spacing and about 80 feet of row at 12-inch spacing. Yields vary, but most gardeners should expect between one and two pounds of potatoes per foot of row." (link)

How would your 228 pounds from 30 pounds of seed fit in to Maine expectations ? Well, they are saying that 30 pounds of seed should plant 150 to 240 feet of row and yield 150 to 480 pounds of potatoes. Production in your potato garden looks just fine, Thistle'!

Look, when I went out and cleared a piece of ground of stumps and brush not all that many miles from your garden, about all that did well for me were . . . turnips! I deliberately grew a garden much larger than I though necessary for the first few years. It went from a 50' by 200' garden the 1st year to a 50' by 100' after 3 years and I was sure glad that it was so large there at first!

I like to consider production in terms of Square Feet!

Elsewhere in the U of Maine potato information we learn that "Yields averaged 260 cwt per acre in 2011." So, 26,000 pounds and since an acre is 43,560 square feet; that is .6 pound per square foot. Or, I like to take it to 1 of my 100ft beds and make it 60#/100ft. I do that especially since it looks like getting 100#/100ft is about the best I can hope for .

Steve

:tools

Thanks Steve! I like how you explain these things mathematically .

I Think I spent more time at the pencil sharpener in math class than sitting at my desk and applying myself :/ . Keeping track of the weights and varieties gives me some type of goal to improve for the next year. That makes my favorite food crop even more fun to grow.

Your information on expected yield was encouraging. Next year can just get better right?

 

[journey11]

Your post made me giggle, Thistle. I love the crazy fingerling potatoes...might be hard to eat them with that thought in mind, LOL. I know it is not up to par with what you were hoping, but that is more than a downright respectable harvest, a good return on investment if you ask me. And they look so nice too.

I never think to do it on purpose, but I seem to come back here for some of my record keeping too. I really need to start a real garden journal, but posts/pics on here work for me!

 

[annageckos]

They will,but they are harder to get started.

Does that mean that they won't grow potatoes?

I have a hard time getting store bought potatoes NOT to grow! I even grew purple potatoes this year from store bought tatters. Next year I was planning to just use store bought instead of seed potatoes.

Where did you get those purple potatoes!? I love the color, they are so cool looking, I would love to grow some.

 

[thistlebloom]

Anna, I buy my potatoes from The Potato Garden.
http://www.potatogarden.com/

The purple ones I grew are Purple Viking.
One of the reasons I prefer to buy seed potatoes from a grower is that they are certified disease free. That way I know I won't be introducing blight or other disease into my soil. It is more expensive though.

Another reason is because there is just an amazing variety available that I can't find at the grocery or even at the feed stores.
I like trying a lot of different potato varieties.