Potato Bin Growing 2014

[NathanP]

This is my second year growing potatoes in bins, to try to identify varieties that may yield potatoes throughout a bin or sack, rather than just in a single layer like most commercial potatoes do. I am posting pictures of the bins taken approximately every two weeks throughout the growing season, and will include pictures during harvest.

I would ask that the thread be considered a discussion and review of the photos presented as an experiment in testing the two varieties I have grown in this manner this year.

The two varieties grown are Papa Chonca, and CIP396286-7. Both are long season potatoes (a hard frost is required to kill the vines), and both had been identified last year as varieties that grow tubers on stolons or stems (see this thread: http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=30203 )

Papa Chonca has a very fibrous and dense root structure, and has been known to spread, much like mint. It has proven to have tubers overwinter in my garden as well as Maine and Wisconsin. In some cases it is considered a weed as it tough to eradicate. CIP396286-7 has a rather tall potato vine and has shown to produce tubers far from the original planting location on stolons. I have planted 3 plants of each variety, each in it's own bin. The three Papa Chonca plants were planted from tubers, while the three CIP396286-7 plants were grown from Pull Sprouts.

Papa Chonca is in the bin on the left, CIP396286-7 is in the right bin.
Plants were planted approximately mid-May




Papa Chonca 6-1-14


CIP396286-7