when to harvest potatoes?

[sheps4her]

:/ my potato plants are starting to yellow , and they look like they are dying. Only one plant flowered, the rest did nothing. Do you think that they have produced anything?? When do I pull up and start to look? They have been growing since around end of April.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

It's usually okay to start harvesting potatoes around 3-4 weeks after they finished flowering. This gives you small tender potatoes. Larger tubers are usually harvests after the foliage dies back.

If they are turning yellow and begin to die but have never flowered you may have another problem, perhaps nitrogen deficiency.

You can dig a little into the mound that you've built around the plant and see if there are any potatoes in there. Be careful and see what's growing down there.

 

[sheps4her]

thanks ocf....I did that this afternoon and did find some taters down there....now I guess I will wait until the plants die out and then see whatta got! I read to wait 2 weeks after the plants die to harvest, is this true? anyone else grow them before?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

thanks ocf....I did that this afternoon and did find some taters down there....now I guess I will wait until the plants die out and then see whatta got! I read to wait 2 weeks after the plants die to harvest, is this true? anyone else grow them before?

Yes, typically if you want to store your potatoes you should wait about 2 weeks after the tops die back. Then uncover all your potatoes and bring them inside to dry in a cool, dry, dark place for about 2-4 days. This helps keep them for up to 4 months.

 

[DDRanch]

Hi everyone,
I am a potato newby having planted my first "crop" just a few weeks ago. I am thrilled that I have over a foot of green growth in the now designated potato patch. Bright green and flourshing growth....very exciting. I planted red and blue seed potatos from my feed store.

Now....what happens next? Can anyone please tell me what I can expect and anything I should do? I gather that when the growth starts to die down and yellow the potatos are ready? Is that right? How long do I have to wait?

Thanks for your experience.
Anne

 

[fletamae]

We always dig potatoes when the vine dies.
I had 3 brothers and 4 sister and we were always hungry so while the vines were still green we would take a table fork and go to the potato patch. We would poke the fork into the dirt around the vines and when we hit a potato we would pull it from the ground.
Mother would slip the skins and roll the potatoes in corn meal and fry until golden brown. food to die for if you were a hungry Ozark child. I can still taste them and I am 70 years old.

 

[DDRanch]

Hi Fletamae,
Bless you heart for your story. I will be thinking of you when I harvest these pototoes. I hope you have not had a hungry day since.
Anne

 

[fletamae]

no hungry days now, annie.
I know a way to store potatoes if you don't have a cellar, they are best for storeing potatoes but if you don't have one dig a large deep hole where the ground has good run off for water line the hole with straw lay the potatoes in careful not to bruise the potatoes and cover with straw and then dirt.. you can uncover a few at a time then recover you potato hole and run to the house.
potatos can be stored in a vegetable drawer in you frige. take them out of the plastic sacks and they will keep for a month. my drawer holds 10 pounds.
cabage can be keep in a hole like the potatoes.

 

[DDRanch]

Hi again fletamae,
Great information on storing the potatos. Since I have straw for my chickens, I now just need a hole. Well, and the potatos of course when they are ready. Thank you. I will enjoy them even more now.
Anne

 

[dragonshiner]

Okay, so when i planted my taters the instructions on the package sai that when the sprouts reach 5-6 inches of height I should cover them up with dirt then layer straw on top to keep them cool. But if I do that how will I know when the tops die back? Will they sprout through the straw again? Or do I have to dig in occasionally and look? Any ideas?