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New Brunswick

We planted 4 varieties of potatoes this spring. Two kinds were certified seed....an early red variety, and green mountains. I also put in a couple of rows using my own potato seed from last year. Within two weeks, three of the rows were up. I dug down under the red potatoe row, (the certified seed one)(where nothing was coming...and what a mess. All but two seed had rotted completely. I had notice a potato or two were rotten in the middle when I was cutting up the seed. I discarded those. Should have thrown them all away! We cleaned up the mess and planted another early variety. They came up and are now budded. The Fundys (my own saved seed) planted earlier, are done blosseming now and I was wondering how long after a plant blossems is it before the potatoes are big enough to eat? Last year I waited too long and the potatoes were so large that some were hollow in the middle! Also, a neighbour told me that maybe there is a disease in my soil as a result of those rotten potato seed......I certainly hope not! My plants are waist high and are actualling laying over in the rows....very healthy looking. We horse hoed up around them and spread straw all over the top of the soil to protect from bugs and sunburn. We pick potato bugs daily. Oh yes, the onions I planted in the rows did not help...blasted bugs are still there,even with the straw mulch. Has anyone used an old blender to blend up potato bugs (a handful) with two cups of water and then straining and spraying on the potatoes to keep the live potato bugs away?? A friend said she found the recipie on the internet...it sounds gross but think it would work???

7/31/2005 9:55:05 PM

Long Island,New York

Not in MY blender !!!

7/31/2005 10:50:02 PM

addison Il

what you had last yr with the black spots in the potatoes is called hollow heart or brown center it is a disorder and some types of potatoes are prone to it they are still edible but look pretty gross lol. potatoes left in the ground either rot or grow more taters. when the potatoe plant blossums there are baby potatoes growing there usually about the size of half dollars at that time and can be eaten in soups or whatever they dont store well though. as soon as the plant withers turns brown and basically dies stop all watering wait a week or two and have fun digging em up we are growing ours in a garbage can makes for easy monitoring and at the end of the season we tip the can over also helps because compacted soil causes the potatoes to grow into weird shapes or stop growing if they have no room the bug juice i have read about but as of yet have had no problems with any potatoe bugs . there are some really good sites on the net for growing potatoes but for me its all trial and error and we do it for fun becasue theres nothing like digging up a whole bunch of taters.besides being a newbie to the ag world my other love is my taters

7/31/2005 10:58:16 PM

New Brunswick

nope not in my blender either....a yard sale one maybe. LOL. Wonder how big they would be say three weeks after blosseming???? Do I sound anxious or what? (: I am some relieved that the rotted potatoes did not cause a disease in the soil! Whew....thats a relief. I love new taters also, with new string beans and peas. Yum...

8/1/2005 11:35:28 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Good advice Tracy. I usually let the tops die, wait several days then dig 'em up. I have dug them early before, when the green beans finished first (we can them together) and had nice potatoes. Just remember to lay them out to dry (in a cool shady place)and harden the skin a little.

8/2/2005 8:02:12 AM

New Brunswick

Well I couldn't resist. I took my little old digger out to the garden and took a look see. (They had blossemed three weeks ago)....and the early "Fundy's" are just the perfect size for digging already) (just enough for supper...not to store of course. So we will be eating our early potatoes hopefully till it is time to dig the winter keepers. (:

8/5/2005 8:05:41 PM