Got taters! Part II

We came from here, talking about growing potatoes: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/832420/#new

Who has some news? I really don't; I'm just nursing a case of worry right now. The Adoras aren't growing any more and look rather puny. The Bintjes have one plant that is dying and the rest look great. Don't know what that's about.

We've had uncommonly cool weather lately but it's going to heat up like mad very soon. Paul said to wait another month before taking the tires apart. I just don't want to have baked potatoes!

I'm still seeing growth on the ones that are growing; I think they're almost 3 feet tall now. I jut keep piling on the straw and giving them a drink every now and again. BOY do I wonder what's going on down there!

Jill, I wonder about the straw. When two tater towers reached 2-story, I started piling it on top but it's so loose I can't imagine that it stays moist. Also, because the straw is long and doesn't 'nestle' very well, I grabbed for the slabs that are finer and tried to get those down among the stems without breaking them off. I stood there looking at the whole affair the other day and wondered if I should sprinkle in some soil and settle it in with the water wand. Anyone got an opinion here?

I still haven't found the first potato.

I always found the deep straw very cool and moist. The toads love it in there.

Here are my potatoes, almost to the point where I'll dump a second layer of straw on them.

I mulched the garden - in ground - plants with straw and it does keep the soil moist and cool. But my potatoes are in tires, 2 and 3 high. I had to wrap the tires with some plastic 'fencing' to keep the straw in and I don't think it's going to stay either moist or cool when the temperature starts climbing over 100 degrees. I'll try to get a good pic and post.

LT, what varieties are you growing?

Red Cloud on the left and Swedish peanut fingerlings on the right.

The fence is to keep the straw contained.

i m still waiting for it to rain . :(
I don't see anything yet in my beds
i m still hoping.

Too much rain here. That's why the trench between the two varieties, so the potatoes won't rot. Trench goes all the way around the outside of the bed.

I have a question. Why do you keep covering the potatoes. The reason I asked my mother who is 82 grew up on a farm and has had a garden as long as I can remember and she does not do that.She plants seed potatoes they grow flower etc and when they die back some she digs them up. I talk to her about this site and told her some of you grow potatoes this way and asked if she knew why you cover the plants like you do. She said no. She does not do that and grows potatoes every year.So I am curious.Thanks deanna

She probably plants the potatoes deep in the ground.

I don't do that because [a] I have soggy clay soil and the potatoes would be likely to rot down there and [b] I like new potatoes and want to pick them early, before they are fully grown.


The way it works is: the potatoes grow from the sprouts above the seed potato, not from the roots below it. The oldest potatoes are furthest down, closest to the seed potato, but as long as the stems are covered, new ones will keep sprouting until after the vine flowers and it dies back.

So the more you keep covering the vine as it grows with straw, dirt or whatever, the more new little potatoes you will get. And you can harvest them during the season as they grow by lifting off some of the straw to find the new potatoes.