Best time to fertilize potatoes

Lcottomsvcs · May 20, 2012

Hello All, I need some potato advice:

I planted Yukon Golds on Good Friday (which is traditional here) and they are now nice and tall. I recently did a soil test and it said that my soil is low on nitrogen. I would like to fertilize my potatoes but am not sure of the best time or method. I have been told that adding manure to the hills can cause scab on the potatoes. Also this is my first year growing YG so I'm not familiar with their growth or blooming habits.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Lora

NGGrant · May 23, 2012

You could do a drench with something like a 5-1-1 fish emulsion.

wmontanez · May 23, 2012

I like to use organic fertilizer (3-4-6 9 tomato tone or 3-4-4 garden tone) or at planting time, broadcasting in the furrow and I mix 50% compost to my soil. I found that calcium benefits also, I prefer to use tomato tone that has 8% calcium but garden tone has 5% is ok. This year I have plant tone 5-3-3 leftover with 3% Ca but last year I found that so too much nitrogen is not too good since it favors plant growth but not tuber set, so I added some bone meal also and epson salts. I had to use what I have leftover we will see how it goes.

wingnut · June 1, 2012

I plant them with a handful of organic fertilizers (bone meal,kelp meal,fish bone meal, cotton seed meal, granite dust, and a bunch of other stuff), then fertilize with alaskan fish and maxicrop weakly/weekly.

Lcottomsvcs · June 1, 2012

Thanks to all for the advice. The plants are blooming nicely, so we should have baby potatoes soon!

May 20, 2012	#1
Lcottomsvcs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 123	Best time to fertilize potatoes Hello All, I need some potato advice: I planted Yukon Golds on Good Friday (which is traditional here) and they are now nice and tall. I recently did a soil test and it said that my soil is low on nitrogen. I would like to fertilize my potatoes but am not sure of the best time or method. I have been told that adding manure to the hills can cause scab on the potatoes. Also this is my first year growing YG so I'm not familiar with their growth or blooming habits. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks! Lora __________________ Gardening is not a rational act. Margaret Atwood

May 23, 2012	#2
NGGrant Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Santa Cruz New Mexico Posts: 81	You could do a drench with something like a 5-1-1 fish emulsion. __________________ Nick.

May 23, 2012	#3
wmontanez Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MA Posts: 776	I like to use organic fertilizer (3-4-6 9 tomato tone or 3-4-4 garden tone) or at planting time, broadcasting in the furrow and I mix 50% compost to my soil. I found that calcium benefits also, I prefer to use tomato tone that has 8% calcium but garden tone has 5% is ok. This year I have plant tone 5-3-3 leftover with 3% Ca but last year I found that so too much nitrogen is not too good since it favors plant growth but not tuber set, so I added some bone meal also and epson salts. I had to use what I have leftover we will see how it goes. __________________ Wendy

June 1, 2012	#5
Lcottomsvcs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 123	Thanks to all for the advice. The plants are blooming nicely, so we should have baby potatoes soon! __________________ Gardening is not a rational act. Margaret Atwood

June 1, 2012	#4
wingnut Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: bald hill area thurston county washington Posts: 312	I plant them with a handful of organic fertilizers (bone meal,kelp meal,fish bone meal, cotton seed meal, granite dust, and a bunch of other stuff), then fertilize with alaskan fish and maxicrop weakly/weekly.