I've been growing my potatoes vertically in plastic garbage cans and today harvested one of the cans. The potatoes all have odd looking skin. It's not smooth but looks kind of cracked or like it's covered in a layer of salt. The only thing I can find on the web is that it might be silver scurf but I can't find any close-up pictures that resemble mine. Does anyone know what is wrong with my spuds and why this has happened?
Just looks like the skin is not completely cured yet. I don't see any type of disease. How did the plant look when it was growing?
The plants were all really healthy, only picked at by a few beetles & slugs. As I was cleaning them for dinner tonight I noticed that it was mainly the larger spuds that had this odd skin and the small ones were fine. How do potatoe skins cure?
I think you can look to the variety, I have grown very similar looking potatoes in the ground that looked just like that when dug. The skin is very thin and tender and I would just enjoy them while they are fresh.
Potatoe skins undergo a process called Suberization and this is the process where the skins mature and form a Corky layer. In commercial production, the vines are killed a few weeks or even a few months before harvest and the skins cure during this time because the spuds are no longer increasing in girth. If you grow in containers etc. and the plant is still actively growing, the skins will always be a little tender and peel easily. Not a problem like roseone says, just enjoy!
Anything but a problem if, like me, you like baby potatoes with the skins! This is why I grow potatoes.
This particular variety was Carola. I got a little carried away when ordering the seeds this year and purchased about 8 different varieties. I definitely recommend the Carola, it has a lovely taste and texture. Not too waxy and not too floury.
Normally I never bother to peel potatoes, just give them a clean with a soft brush because I love the skins as well. One thing I find difficult with container growing is trying to rob some of the baby spuds without destroying the plant. If I understand you correctly, Wormagic, the larger potatoes will cure while still in the soil and at the same time the small ones will continue to increase in size. Thanks, I wondered what happened to the bigger ones.
Now that I've been growing potatoes at home for the last two years I find myself terribly disappointed with store bought ones - almost enough to stop buying them!
I'm the same way with tomatoes. I used to be a commercial grower for 25 years and I have'nt bought a tomato from the store in a couple of years since I started growing heirlooms.
My problem with potatoes is that I can never find a way to get at the size I want without risking harm to the tiny babies above them - sometimes attached to them.
My Carola do the same thing. I wonder if this layer allows the potato to keep longer? I'm a big fan of this variety; when I saw your pic I said, "that looks like Carola."
The potatoes I grew that looked similar were also Carolas.
I'm glad my Carolas are normal. Phew! What other varieties do you all recommend? I've grown Agria (gorgeous, gorgeous potatoe), Russian Banana, Charlotte, Belle de Fontenay, German Butterball, Peanut & Yukon Gold.
Wormagic - I just started growing heirloom tomatoes this year and I'm hoping they live up to the hype. At the moment I'm having a hard time trying to convince my DH that black, purple, pink, stripy or oddly shaped tomatoes are the way of the future. The proof will be in the pudding.
Tips for getting the bigger spuds while not damaging the babies would be much appreciated as well.
Regarding the Tomatoes, these heirloom varieties don't have all of the resitances to problems like Fusraium, Verticillium and nematodes bred into them although some of these varieties are now being hybridized with sacrificing the flavor which is the ultimate goal. Some varieties are as much as 300 years old and they would'nt be around if they did'nt have some resitances. So far this year the BLACK tomatoes are the best tasting, but in general they are all superior in taste to commercial dtore bought.
Regarding the spuds, you pose a tough question. I think if your growing area was wide enough that you could dig deep on the sides to get to the big ones without disturbing the smaller ones might be the only option without having to wait for the entire crop to be done. Or better yet try offsetting the planting dates about three weeks apart or so, so you can have some to harvest while the other stages are still developing
I made a typo on my last post regarding the hybridization of the tomatoes. I meant to say that the flavor is NOT being compromised so much.
