Planting taters

[randyt]

Which would be best of the following two scenarios. A heavily mulched garden in both cases. Pull the straw back and lay the tater on the ground re cover with mulch or pull mulch back and plant tater in the dirt?

 

[Pearl]

I would go with dirt! Unless you have red clay for soil!!

 

[randyt]

I would go with dirt! Unless you have red clay for soil!!

Decent black dirt

 

[Pearl]

Decent black dirtdirtq

I'd definitely put them in the dirt!!

 

[randyt]

I'd definitely put them in the dirt!!

I planted one row on top of loose dirt just to see the results.under the mulch

 

[Bacpacker]

My grandpa used to plant under hay on top of the dirt. Had fair harvest most years. I've always done in ground and typically do very well. Since going to raised beds our harvest is much improved and much easier to get up

 

[elkhound]

done a small test garden in straw once...mice and vole damage on entire crop.

 

[Tirediron]

potatoes grow out from the stem, so they like to be deep in the dirt they will produce above the level of the sprout so deeper is better within reason.

 

[Neb]

Spuds growing on the surface will be exposed to sun light. They go bitter and border line toxic. Don't eat green potatoes.

Ben

 

[Patchouli]

I've never grown potatoes but thinking of putting in a few.
Questions galore but maybe I'll just research, see what i come up with.
If you can start me out with some information that'd be appreciated.
So one small seed potato will yield one potato? Or does it grow a plant which grows a few other potatoes?

 

[Neb]

I've never grown potatoes but thinking of putting in a few.
Questions galore but maybe I'll just research, see what i come up with.
If you can start me out with some information that'd be appreciated.
So one small seed potato will yield one potato? Or does it grow a plant which grows a few other potatoes?

Each eye on a potato can grow a plant with multiple spuds growing from the roots. "Chitting" encourages the eyes to start growing by exposing the eyes to sunlight.

Spuds that are exposed to sun light will turn green and can be bitter. Some say toxic but too much bitter stuff can lead to a sour stomach.

Many mound up dirt around growing plants to encourage more spuds.

I plant a few eyes in gole 8" deep and fertilize with bone meal.

Potatoes are mostly water so a dry growing season will limit production.

I plant before the last frost because they need time to grow out of the hole. A frost will damage the leaves but the plants recover.

My 2 cents

Ben

 

[Patchouli]

That is very helpful! @Neb thanks

 

[elkhound]

lots of loose soil so they can expand as they grow! as they grow they cant bust soil...seen them grow to compacted soil and get flat on side trying to push on soil and have weird shapes.

 

[Weedygarden]

Potatoes are easy to grow, if you plant them in good soil, and keep them watered. They would be one of the best things to plant during tough times. If you have room, plant potatoes. If you have an acre, it would be good to fill it up with potatoes.

We have clay soil, and I keep amending it with sphagnum peat moss, aged manure, dried leaves, compost. It can take a few years of work, but for me, the peat moss has been the best thing to improve my soil, to loosen it up. I do like to work leaves into the soil in the fall, and by spring there is little left of the leaf that hasn't decomposed and become part of the soil. I do know a couple people who do not compost, but bury food scraps (no meat or dairy) in their gardens.

 

[Amish Heart]

St Patricks Day is when potatoes are planted here. I'm sure yours can go in the ground earlier, Patchouli.

 

[Patchouli]

St Patricks Day is when potatoes are planted here. I'm sure yours can go in the ground earlier, Patchouli.

There's a woman I know that I haven't seen in a few years who taught us a class at church about planting taters here in TX. I think she gets started in February, plants them in garbage cans.
My local extension office used to post helpful grow charts per vegetable by the month, but I don't think they're doing that anymore!

 

[Neb]

Potatoes are easy to grow, if you plant them in good soil, and keep them watered. They would be one of the best things to plant during tough times. If you have room, plant potatoes. If you have an acre, it would be good to fill it up with potatoes.

We have clay soil, and I keep amending it with sphagnum peat moss, aged manure, dried leaves, compost. It can take a few years of work, but for me, the peat moss has been the best thing to improve my soil, to loosen it up. I do like to work leaves into the soil in the fall, and by spring there is little left of the leaf that hasn't decomposed and become part of the soil. I do know a couple people who do not compost, but bury food scraps (no meat or dairy) in their gardens.

Sand!

Add sand.

Ben

 

[Tim Horton]

I am the Webster definition of ...black thumb... However I did have pretty good success growing potatoes in zone 2.. We grew baby red and Yukon Gold varieties in raised beds.. None ever got too big, but there seemed lots of them.

 

[Weedygarden]

I am the Webster definition of ...black thumb... However I did have pretty good success growing potatoes in zone 2.. We grew baby red and Yukon Gold varieties in raised beds.. None ever got too big, but there seemed lots of them.

I think that potatoes take a lot of nutrition from the soil. I have no idea what to fertilize them with or if you should.

 

[Neb]

I think that potatoes take a lot of nutrition from the soil. I have no idea what to fertilize them with or if you should.

Root crop - bone meal

@Cabin Fever ?

Ben

 

[RJ2019]

Root crop - bone meal

@Cabin Fever ?

Ben

I'm not Cabin Fever but potatoes like a LOT of nitrogen and potassium (N, K) and only a little bit of phosphorus (P)

Editing to add link to PDF from my university:
https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/downloads/2b88qc997