Linda, do you have a lead foot?
Potatoes Under Straw/Leaves #3
What Steph said...
They do look like bad bugs, kelly. I might have sighed deeply when I saw them. They should wear signs that say Hi My Name is X and I eat Y. I never thought I'd have to learn so much about entomology.
I'm worn out. Spent all day planting. Cool-season crops. High of 80 today and tomorrow. Sheesh.
Improper lane change.
Back on topic. A word of advice to all. Have your cages ready before your vines get too tall so you can hill as they grow. Going back after the fact doesn't work well. I snapped more branches than the law allows trying to move leaves to the base of the vines...but, the deed is done!
Gymgirl: Love your cages and went to Walmart this eve to get some hoses and soaker hoses and guess what? They finally get their 4 ways manifolds in and Y connectors and they are cheaper than what I apid for them. (sniffles). Oh well, I know I beat their prices and quality on poly hoses and tubing getting it from Bob, it's ;due in tomorrow, he is a new granddad, talk about having all the luck!
joy
I checked my taters after getting back from my trip yesterday. They are above the tops of their trash cans, So I'm gonna quit hilling them and let them go and do their thing.
Someone please remind me of the format for the potato eating ceremony?
Should there be candles around the room?
What're the words to the potato pledge song?
White or brown gown?
And how should we prepare the very first spud for the cutting ceremony?
Linda,
Style of clothing is your choice, but the first new potatoes must be washed gently, boiled with skins, then lightly salted and heavily buttered. Candles and wine are also optional.
Dreaves!
I just had a horrible revelation! I can't get to any new potatoes because they're down in the washing machine bin which is now wrapped with plastic poultry wire and filled with leaves!
aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhh! Will the "Sisterhood of the Planted Potatoes" ever forgive me?
pa-leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze forgive me!
LOL! Linda. I think I am going to run into the same problem here with mine, so I might wait until I can get the biggies.
I really need to get more leaves for mine, they are stremely leggy, maybe tomorrow I can get some if my kids get over this cold.
OK, we need to figure out some sort of stackable bin system, so that you can just take off the bottom segment to harvest those potatoes, but keep adding at the top...
One of the neighbor kids was in my backyard and wanted to know what the plants were. She didn't believe me that's where potatoes come from, so I brushed off one of the plants at the edge of the bed and picked her a little one. She was completely amazed and ran out to show all the other kids, who of course didn't believe her, so I guess now I'm going to have to plan some sort of kid potato digging event...
That would be great, realbirdlady! Lots of kids can't identify basic vegetables and certainly don't know where they come from. Those kids will remember that for a long time to come - and how fun for you, too!
I've been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on TV, and the kids couldn't identify any vegetables - just chicken nuggets and pizza. Sad.
I'm jealous of you TXans and your new potatoes! I'm maaany months away from that. I scraped some dirt off a seed potato yesterday and although they don't have anything above ground yet, it does look like they're sending out roots. Still solid, not rotten - whew!
Linda, do you know anyone with really really long arms who would be willing to grope around in a container of potato plants and mulched leaves? You could always promise them part of their "harvest"! :-)
RBL,
That is so sweet!
Sky,
I saw that and, you're right, it is soooooooo sad....
Tyro,
Missed my window of opportunity before I wrapped the bins!
I think the BEST part of growing the taters this way is avoiding the paranoia I felt after someone growing taters in a stack of leaves on the ground said you would first need to "WHACK" the leaves to scare away any snakes that might've found their way underneath the leaves, before reaching in for baby potatoes....
I a SO loving my washing machine tubs.
Garden Note: FIND MORE WASHING MACHINE TUBS....
I wonder if you could cut an opening in the side of the caging and use that as a "window" into your tater stash??
RBL, you can use old tires stacked on top of each other, but I'm not too sure of the stuff in those old tire treads to be comfortable using those. You could do a wooden bed and just remove one side to harvest some taters. Of course, everything might come tumbling down, too. LOL
I agree with Stephanie--cut a slit in the fencing. Use some plastic cable ties to mend the cut, or use velcro ties for multiple accesses.
I'm just gonna dump mine out when they are done and I think that will be soon. Same with my onions, good thing too, as I called the FL extension office about dwarf fruit trees, I have a banana dwarf coming and found me a key lime and a Meyer lemon, couldn't resist. And hey, I'm Irish so should be able to grow taters right? LOL
joy
MY POTATOES ARE COMING UP!!!
hee hee.
More than two weeks after I planted them. They're a little frost bitten but otherwise look fine. Forecast shows lows in the mid 40s, so they should be in good shape for at least the next week.
Woohoo!! It took mine about 2 weeks as well to start poking their heads through.
Congratulations! Its a potato and you're proud parents.
It is going to be fun when the potatoes finally form and is time to collect, I am going to let my kids dig in the dirt and leaves, almost like a treasure hunt. No flowers yet on my end but still looking good and healthy.
Thank you Kelly for posting a pic of the ladybug nymph, I found a bunch on my potato plants and I have been moving them around to my other beds as well, the peppers were under attact by aphids but I wanted to give this guys a try before spraying with anything.
Those ladybug babies have voracious appetites!
Anybody got a potato yet?
We're waitin' on you Texans.
Unless you find calalily. She's probably got some if the frost didn't get 'em.
Not yet, but I don't want to mess with the plants and jinx them so haven't checked - lol.
3 outta five of my potato plants have reached the 48" height mark and are topping the bins I put up. They don't look like they're anywhere near shutting down!
The two other bins are only half as tall. Must be the mid and long-season potatoes!
I'm scared to check. Mostly I don't want to jinx it, but also because fire ants have decided that my potato bins are a good place to live. Will be evicting them tonight with sugar and soapy water.
Linda, mine have not even flowered yet so I asume no potatoes in my part yet. Have you gotten your taters flowers yet.
C,
I'd been snapping them off, which is why the plants keep growing. Guess if I want potatoes, I'd better let em do their thing, huh?
No potatoes here. My tallest plants are about 36" high, and most look great. Is it ok to reach into the pile/ mound and feel around for potatoes, or is that bad?
I'm about a month and a half into my potato growing season. I'm getting anxious, though, and am already contemplating a Fall crop. The Harris County planting guide says that August is "marginal" planting time, but still feasible. I'd like to try one of the purple varieties and maybe a fingerling as well.
John,
I think we're supposed to wait until the vines produce blossoms to expect "new" potatoes. If you have any blooms, go for it! If not, I think you might wanna wait a bit more...
EVERYONE: Take if from me -- I damaged a WHOLE lotta vines trying to put the leaves down into the cages "after the fact..." They were so tall, I was running into them while trying to stuff the cages.
Next time (August, maybe? Thanks John...), the cages go up as soon as the vines reach the tops of the tubs/SmPts so I can better control adding the leaves to the bins...
John, you can feel around carefully, easy to do if your soil is loose;o) I was pinching flower buds on my Purple Majestys but decided to stop. I wan't taters before it gets too darn hot - lol.
I just planted potatoes in the leaf mulch I had gotten from our city giveback. Anyone else tried planting into leaf mulch? I figured from what I'd read here that it was ok. I know I'm a bit late planting but figured it was worth a try.
Take lots of pics of your Purple Majesty harvest, Kelly! I'd like to see how they turn out and, hopefully, try growing a crop this coming fall. Is that a short season variety? First things first, of course.
Good to know Linda, looks like I need to just chill and let Mother Nature do her thing.
sawpalm- I planted in about 6-8" of soil, but I am using a "leaf mulch" of sorts to hill-up as the plants grow. It's basically leaves and grass from my neighbore's yard. And a few acorns...
Oh- does anyone know if squirrles like to disturb potato crops?? I've been wondering if they will smell the potatoes or maybe just want to go exploring in my potatoe bed.
Has anyone seen the new potato planter that Burpees has out? It is so cool, it's tall red and you just take the taters out the bottom through a door in the container.
joy
that looks pretty cool joy, no reviews on it yet though. I do like the smart pots though, you can plant other things on them besides potatoes, so it is prety versatile, plus it is suppose to have great drainage.
My Kennebecs and Purple Vikings are growing like crazy! No blooms yet, though. The others, the Red Norlands and Banana fingerlings look like they've stopped growing.
I'm growing mine is empty feed sacks. The white plastic ones. They have sprouted and are doing well but we have a long way to go.
Carminator: I'm pretty happy with the smart pots also. I think though, I will clean them out when I'm through and save them for fruit bushes next year. I wanna try raspberries, blueberries, grapes and will have strawberries again.
joy