Container potatoes

[FlipTX]

Duane if it were me, I don't think I could stand the suspense anymore and dump the whole thing. You'll probably have little taters towards the top and bigger ones at the bottom.

[duajones]

I went ahead and dumped them today. I am a little dissapointed but not enough that I wont try it again. I probably should have waited but they looked so bad I figured they were done. Looks like new potatoes for dinner tonight

[feldon30]

That's about how much I got from 4 square feet. Potatoes are not a very efficient use of garden space if you have a small space, but they do taste better than the ones at the store and of course no pesticides, etc.

I haven't seen Tom Wagner on lately. I really do hope to grow some of his more interesting varieties this fall.

[duajones]

I would like to try again in the fall as well. if I can find seed potatoes. When do you plan on starting your fall crop Morgan?

[FlipTX]

Strangely enough, I got a better harvest out of my container potatoes than my ground potatoes. My containers were those 14" faux teracotta planters. I noticed that almost all the potatoes were nearest the seed piece, no matter how high I hilled the stems. Maybe it has to do with the weather turning warmer? The top of the soil was too warm? I don't know.

Anyway last fall I planted some potatoes I got from Milkranch.com around Labor Day but I think it was still too hot. The shoots that came up from the seed pieces very quickly died. I'll probably wait till the middle or even end of September next time. I'll put the containers out on the driveway, which is the sunniest part of my property.

[feldon30]

Dr. Bob Randall suggests Jan 1-15 and Sept 1-7 as planting dates for potatoes. In the spring/winter, potato plants will have to be protected from frost. Lots of straw mulch might be enough.

My potatoes were planted more like Feb 7th which is the last date he says you can. He has preferred and less preferred times you can plant.

[tessa]

duajones...those leaves don't look quite right to me. i've only grown potatoes once (and it was so fun i'm never going to stop now) and my plants just kinda got paler and paler until they were yellow and fell over. none of that leaf curling you've got there, or that crispiness. something obviously going on.

the spuds look nice though. enjoy eating those puppies!

now that it's warming up...that container looks perfect for sweet potatoes. but i might change that soil and sterilize the container...just because those leaves don't look so well to me.

[FlipTX]

I planted mine starting the end of January to the middle of February. I was surprised by how quickly you can get a usable crop, about 7-8 weeks in my case. A Sept. planting would (hopefully) give potatoes in November, just in time for Thanksgiving.

[gardenmaniac]

FlipTX- I also noticed this year that pretty much all of the potatoes came near the seed no matter how much hilling I did. This has not happened to me before. I am wondering if it was the early heat that caused this.

Sorry duajones on your small harvest. Sometimes it just happens that way.

All of our buckets have died back finally, so this weekend I'll have the kids dump them out. I have to wait for hubby to get back from HI.

Tiffanie

[feldon30]

I dug up about 1/4 of my Kennebec potatoes. I didn't pull the plants, just dug around for tubers. Got a nice haul. About the same as the picture I posted on the previous page. Will plant at the right time next year.

Made some more garlic mashed potatoes. I think I like the red potatoes a bit better as they seemed to have more "body" or their own flavor.

[garnetmoth]

hi all- thanks so much for your info on this and the Houston potato thread. I waited until after the bad freeze here to plant- and ive thinned my 3-5 gallon planters to one growing piece.

Ive got 4 potato, and going to start 3 sweet potato today or tomorrow.

[Earl]

Here's my Russian Banana.

[duajones]

Good Looking plant their Earl, interesting variety too. When did you plant those?

[Earl]

Not sure when I planted them, have to check if I wrote it down. I think I bought the spuds from a store in the organic section. I put 4 finger size spuds in the container. I'm wondering if that was to many.

[Earl]

Here's the harvest of Russian Banana from the homemade earth box. Got 5 lbs from planting 3 whole potatoes about 3 inches long, yipeeee! I left the potatoes in the sun for several days before planting and they formed little green nodules {eyes}. That's about $20 worth which paid for the potting mix and container. I've got 3 more potatoes ready to plant. Will see how they do.