2008 Potato Gardens

louster · August 2, 2008

Hi Jeff,
My Yukon Golds have completely died back, I've just been digging them as I need them for meals. The others--Red Pontiac, Kennebec, and a variety I think is called Purple Haze? are just about ready, the foliage looks really bad. Like you, I am impatient, and dug a few Red Pontiac for dinner the other night, and they were wonderful. Same with the Yukon Golds, they have been great!! We were without homegrown potatoes for way too long this year.
I plan on digging them a batch at a time over the next few weeks, and either blanch and dry (for scalloped potatoes), or blanch, vacuum seal and freeze (for mashed). I will put as many as I figure we will use the next few months in a makeshift root cellar we are setting up in our basement. So these I want to leave in the ground as long as I can, then cure and store.
Last year was our first ever growing potatoes, and we loved them so much, we doubled the amount we grew this year. As a result, the whole garden is taken up with potatoes and tomatoes, with a couple of zucchinis and peppers thrown in where we could. This fall we will be tilling up some more of the yard....I think we should just forget about the grass and plant it all with veggies!! Unfortunately, my two kids don't appreciate it when I talk like that.

..oh well.

August 2, 2008	#28
louster Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, MI Posts: 53	Hi Jeff, My Yukon Golds have completely died back, I've just been digging them as I need them for meals. The others--Red Pontiac, Kennebec, and a variety I think is called Purple Haze? are just about ready, the foliage looks really bad. Like you, I am impatient, and dug a few Red Pontiac for dinner the other night, and they were wonderful. Same with the Yukon Golds, they have been great!! We were without homegrown potatoes for way too long this year. I plan on digging them a batch at a time over the next few weeks, and either blanch and dry (for scalloped potatoes), or blanch, vacuum seal and freeze (for mashed). I will put as many as I figure we will use the next few months in a makeshift root cellar we are setting up in our basement. So these I want to leave in the ground as long as I can, then cure and store. Last year was our first ever growing potatoes, and we loved them so much, we doubled the amount we grew this year. As a result, the whole garden is taken up with potatoes and tomatoes, with a couple of zucchinis and peppers thrown in where we could. This fall we will be tilling up some more of the yard....I think we should just forget about the grass and plant it all with veggies!! Unfortunately, my two kids don't appreciate it when I talk like that...oh well.