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View Full Version : Planting potatoes today!



Aspen
04-26-2009, 12:27 PM
I have prepared my two Smart Pots with peat, soil, and compost. I have filled them half way to allow the potatoes to grow. I am planting two varieties from Seed Savers, German Butterball and Cranberry Red.

Can't wait to eat these babies!

kitsapFG
04-26-2009, 12:34 PM
Potatoes are such a rewarding plant to grow. They are fun to plant, produce abundantly, and the harvesting is like a treasure hunt of sorts! I grow a very large patch of them every year to supply my family with a year's worth of potatoes. They are one of the most efficient food crops to grow in the home garden - providing calories and nutrients in high proportion to the amount of garden space required to grow them.

victorygardensw
04-26-2009, 04:50 PM
I had about given up on my potatoes in the Smart Pots, I planted them three weeks ago....but yesterday they started showing green in the pots. The weather in New Mexico has turned warm. I planted some tomatoes and some seedlings a few days ago but the wind has been strong so a most seedlings didn't survive. I planted red long beans, swiss chard, soybeans, cucumbers and more carrots today. M next building project is the wind break, sooner rather than later I think.

Aspen
04-27-2009, 03:37 PM
My peas look awesome! We cut saplings yesterday to make trellis supports for them. I can't wait for fresh peas!

I planted cucumber and zucchini yesterday, too. My lettuce looks great. I have red leaf lettuce in containers on my porch for my Angora doe. She has had intestinal trouble in the past, so she gets fresh greens daily. Spoiled bunny!

Cynthia
04-29-2009, 10:50 AM
my potatoes were all about to bloom when our late freeze hit. I was just in the garden and see that they are starting to flower again.

Anyone know when to start pulling new potatoes - is it after they flower or while they are flowering?

KalenaPlants
05-02-2009, 06:50 PM
I planted my potatoes in regular pots with pine straw at the bottom and I poked holes in the bottom for drainage. This was about 4 days ago. I read in an earlier post on this thread that it took about three weeks for potatoes to pop through the soil. Is this normal? I put a light layer of mulch on top as well to try to keep the soil as moist as possible. Here's looking forward to some potatoes!

shebear
05-03-2009, 11:58 AM
Yes it takes about 3 weeks for you to see potato sprouts. Sometimes longer.

You can start harvesting after they flower but they will be rather small. If you want bigger potatoes, wait until the plants die back (or down here, are about half dead) and then dig. Don't clean them if you want to store them. Just let they dry after you knock of most of the dirt and put them in a dark cool place.

KalenaPlants
05-05-2009, 12:40 PM
Thanks! I'll make sure that happens!