I'm sorry. I know there is a potato topic already, but either I am blind or that topic is so far back as to elude me. My question is, is it unusual for potato stalks to be turning brown and suddenly put out new growth? I thought I would be harvesting them in a week and yesterday I noticed lots of new growth near the base. Today there is lots more. Shall I wait? Shall I go ahead and harvest? moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
I'm not a potato expert, but I would tend to think that the new crop of potatoes has sent up new leaves. How long were they in the ground?
Have you dug around the base of one of the plants to see how big the potatoes are? It sounds like the potatoes are sending up new shoots, as Netty suggested. If so, harvest immediately!
Dig up one plant and see what you have. Leave them too long and the may rot in the ground. If the tops have died back dig them up.
Potatoes The new growth seems to be coming from the same stalk and some new growth on the end of the stalks. I appreciate all advice and I will dig up one plant and see whats going on beneath the soil.
I'm no expert either, parents do the veggies. But I'd guess that doesn't sound too good. I'd also check to see if the potatoes are all grown up and dig them out.
Potatoes I think I jumped the gun. The vines aren't as brown as i thought. There is green on the tips and at the bottom. I dug up one batch and there were tiny potatoes growing at the bottom and not from the other potatoes. In fact, the full grown potatoes weren't even attached to the vines. They were in good condition. I have decided to let them grow awhile longer, so wish me luck.
In case anyone cares, LOL, this is the latest on my potato crop. Fearing premature sprouting, I pulled the stalks or vines out, to which were attached tiny potatoes. After digging the small crop of potatoes, I replanted the vines, watered them well, and they are still growing. When they die, I will check to learn how the tiny spuds have grown. Am I onto something new?
Could be ! I have never tried that. But you could have just left the vines in the ground and removed the larger ones like we do for new potatoes. We harvest new potatoes through out the growing period. Usually when the potatoes are about golf ball size is when we start digging, then just put dirt back over roots. Only problem you may have is not enough growing time. Let us know what happens.
We bury our seed potatoes in a deep trench, so we have to dig deep and that means removing the stalks. So far the leaves remain green and I have high hopes for at least golf ball size potatoes.
You are so lucky. I can never get potatoes to grow. It sounds like they are doing well in your garden.
Potatoes Cool, it took three years before we finally got it right and actually grew more than a handful. Just when you decide you've had it, you'll get a decent crop.
Growingpains and coolasacucumber: Up until this year we always had a problem growing potatoes because we have such heavy clay soil. So we built two raised beds and put a good layer of aged horse poop on the bottom and a nice loamy soil on the top. In one we planted potatoes and in the other we planted onions, tomatoes, a yellow peppers. Both raised beds are growing super. I can't wait to see what the potatoes look like. One thing that I never knew until I did some more reading about growing potatoes is that you should wait for 3 years before you grow them in the same place in ones garden. I guess it's because of disease issues. So next year we will plant them in the other raised bed.
Potatoes I read that I should plant potatoes where the garlic was the past year, so thats where I plant them. Your method sounds great. I hope to get chicken manure this fall and maybe again in the spring.
Potatoes We waited, and waited, and waited. Enough alreday. We pulled out plants and dug the paltry potato crop. Total of about 5 pounds, but this has been an unusual year for gardening here. Not just for us. For most farmers. Now that its cooler, or was before today , the garden is more productive. Beans are producing. Tomatoes have a chance to grow. There is hope yet.
