potatoes for fall

[JamesY]

i have about 100 days left of the growing season. im thinking of trying to plant potatoes for fall harvest. have any of you ever tried it?

right now our temps are 100°f+. would that effect germination?

 

[Tommyice]

Do it! All you have to lose is some potatoes. I just planted, in grow bags, about a dozen red-I-don’t-know-what’s. We’ll see what happens. We’re in the upper 80s and 90s now

 

[Caribou]

As long as you have plenty of water, go for it. I remember a video that used shade screens when there was too much heat. They were like heavy nets that blocked various percentages of sun depending on the model you got.

 

[Bacpacker]

I'd give it a shot. Maybe lay some boards over the ground right after planting to shade and try to cool the ground for a few days. Then pull them up as soon as they sprout. You will need to water some in that kind of heat while plants are young

 

[JamesY]

As long as you have plenty of water, go for it. I remember a video that used shade screens when there was too much heat. They were like heavy nets that blocked various percentages of sun depending on the model you got.

i use those for my rabbits. they work well.

 

[JamesY]

I'd give it a shot. Maybe lay some boards over the ground right after planting to shade and try to cool the ground for a few days. Then pull them up as soon as they sprout. You will need to water some in that kind of heat while plants are young

i water ALOT and its still tough getting new things to come up. we are in a drought as well. but i figure i still need to try just incase.....well you know.

 

[txcatlady]

been told that fall potatoes don’t grow as big as spring potatoes

 

[Weedygarden]

been told that fall potatoes don’t grow as big as spring potatoes

Probably not, but they might hold off starvation if things get really bad.

 

[LadyLocust]

i have about 100 days left of the growing season. im thinking of trying to plant potatoes for fall harvest. have any of you ever tried it?

right now our temps are 100°f+. would that effect germination?

Not sure where you are but I had a big tub and some store bought spuds that had sprouted so thought what the heck. This was maybe 2-3 weeks ago. I've heaped them twice and they are looking awesome. I figure any morsel of grub I can produce is that much less to purchase at crazy prices. It's not too late.

 

[Plainflatlander]

Will be planting a small crop of fall potatoes soon. Usually get a fair harvest from them. I am in zone 6A

 

[Gigi Vano]

I hadn't considered planting a fall crop of potatoes but I will try to this year as the potato beetles wreaked havoc on the crop we planted in the spring. It was impossible to keep up with them and I am a bit concerned we won't have much of a harvest. I live in zone 5b. I will dig up one of the beds and give it a go!

 

[UrbanHunter]

I would go for it.

I am trying it for the first time this year, I have some started in concrete mixing tubs along a shaded wall. I did put a couple of drain holes about 1/2 way up the tub and piled the soil in the center, kind of like a pyramid. I have green showing. You could start a few plants in 1/2 gallon nursery pots sitting in starter trays in the house and then when you have some growth showing move them outside (that is what I did). Then again I am only small scale gardening, only have room for about 8 or 10 plants.

 

[UrbanHunter]

One other thing you might add is sweet potatoes, I don't know how much time you have till your first hard freeze but if you are in a southern area you might have enough time be able to grow a couple of sweet potatoes.

I planted some in containers and have the roots in the containers and am letting the vines run all around. This is my first year of growing them but I think they will have until the first of November here...

 

[Plainflatlander]

I hadn't considered planting a fall crop of potatoes but I will try to this year as the potato beetles wreaked havoc on the crop we planted in the spring. It was impossible to keep up with them and I am a bit concerned we won't have much of a harvest. I live in zone 5b. I will dig up one of the beds and give it a go!

Planted 2 weeks ago, but due to drought have not germinated. Worse case they will stay dormant till next spring then come up.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Planted 2 weeks ago, but due to drought have not germinated. Worse case they will stay dormant till next spring then come up.

I've been using store bought table potatoes (small red, white, and black ones), I put 4 of them in a 5 gallon bucket with about 3 inches of potting soil in it. I keep it in the house, water them and keep an eye on them. When they get about 3"s of green growth sticking up I carefully dug them up and replant outside. Nice thing is you can carry the bucket to where you want to "transplant" the green spud and do a quick transfer easy as cake. I also like to fill the hole in my bucket with more potting soil and another spud. I only plant spuds when their eyes have about 1/4" or more of growth showing (usually I take them from the wife's potato rack), they seem to grow fast enough.....

 

[txcatlady]

One other thing you might add is sweet potatoes, I don't know how much time you have till your first hard freeze but if you are in a southern area you might have enough time be able to grow a couple of sweet potatoes.

I planted some in containers and have the roots in the containers and am letting the vines run all around. This is my first year of growing them but I think they will have until the first of November here...

I planted sweet potatoes slips in syrup tubs close to house under drip line several years ago they were long and skinny. Hope others have better luck. Planted in ground this year in April. Too dry and weeds too deep. Mowed them down. Looked today to see if anything showing. Nope. Maybe next year

 

[UrbanHunter]

I planted my sweet potatoes in 1'X1'X3' and 1X1'X1' planters, they have put out runners about 3' long in different directions, I hope they grow tubers in the containers. Only time will tell.

The tubs for my potatoes are the 2'X3'X6" deep black concrete tubs and the shrubs are about 18" high and growing over the edges. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[goshengirl]

Anyone know where to get seed potatoes that are shipping now? I'd like to plant some "early" (short-season) potatoes now, but can't find anyone shipping at the moment. Most places are taking pre-orders for spring shipping.

Edited to add: I'm not opposed to using what I can buy in the produce section if I have to. Just don't always know the specific varieties and growing season. Although come to think of it, Yukon Golds are usually labeled, and they're short-season, I think... I'm usually trying to prevent eyes/sprouts - how do you force potatoes to go into that mode?

 

[UrbanHunter]

My wife likes red potatoes and those little packages of mixed (red white and purple) small potatoes... They seem to sprout while waiting for her to get around to cooking them, I am "allowed" to borrow any that have growth more than 1/4"....Once I've identified a good candidate I store them in a paper bag in the fridge until I have enough ready to start 4 or 5. At this early point in my potato adventures I'm just trying to get the dang things to grow, so I'm not picky. This is my first year for sweet potatoes too, I saw some seed sweet potatoes in W-mart and I said "At a buck a bag I'll buy 2"; each bag had 3 tubers, out of that only 2 tubers put on slips and I just kept replanting them....
You got me to thinking so I raided the pantry and took a couple of outdoor pics.

 

[bamadeb48]

I wanted to plant some fall potatoes but you cannot find potatoes to plant anywhere ,

 

[goshengirl]

Thanks @UrbanHunter - I've seen those bags. Those little things are bound to be short season potatoes, I would think. Definitely worth a try.

@bamadeb48 I think our best best is to try some store potatoes. Not ideal, but worth a shot, I'm thinking.

 

[UrbanHunter]

You know if you have friends you can ask them if they have any potatoes in their pantry that have sprouted? I know some people don't want to cook with them and it would save you both.... I think the small red potatoes sprout fast and grow fairly fast too.

 

[Tommyice]

Anyone know where to get seed potatoes that are shipping now? I'd like to plant some "early" (short-season) potatoes now, but can't find anyone shipping at the moment. Most places are taking pre-orders for spring shipping.

Edited to add: I'm not opposed to using what I can buy in the produce section if I have to. Just don't always know the specific varieties and growing season. Although come to think of it, Yukon Golds are usually labeled, and they're short-season, I think... I'm usually trying to prevent eyes/sprouts - how do you force potatoes to go into that mode?

I picked up organic potatoes at Whole Foods. I root through the bin looking for the bag mostly likely to turn on you. I leave mine in a box in a brightly sunlit room but NOT in the direct sunlight. For me that’s the far end of the dining room table furthest from the window. I picked up a bag labeled “yellow” potato Last Saturday and I’m seeing the beginning of sprouts yesterday.

 

[sonya123]

We harvested most of our potatoes but I left all the small ones in the ground to see if they will grow another batch this year. Can you use really small ones ( inch diameter maybe) to do that?
I think it will depend on your weather and where you are. We are getting tons of rain this summer and it usually doesn't freeze until later October . Good luck, hope it works!

 

[Bacpacker]

I harvested a few of my early taters already. Took a few tiny ones and replanted in an empty space. They've already came up and I have time to maybe harvest a few before killer frost. I hope anyway