Its almost time to plant your Potatoes

[kev]

In some parts of the nation its almost time to plant your potatoes. Are you going to plant potatoes this year? If so, what kind are you going to plant?

Have you already bought your seed potatoes? Is the ground ready? Do you have a spot picked out??

I will probably cut the eyes off my potatoes this weekend and plant them next weekend on the 21st. I should really plant them on the 14th, but I'am going to wait until the 21st so my kids are here to help.

[Reality Czech]

What a timely post!
Today I worked a bunch of compost in on the row where I just picked and removed the last of the mustard greens.
I have a bunch of small leftover red potatoes that are sprouting like crazy.
I'll let the compost to "mellow" a few days, then I'll plant the taters.

I picked the first cabbages and califlowers today. The 1015Y's are doing well also.
Supposed to rain tonight,....I need it.

[Sweeper]

I would need Mr Dupont himself to get a hole dug in my ground.

[kef3stlmo]

I'm new to gardening and growing potatos. I already bought red seed potatos and I'm looking for sweet potatos.

I'm going to be planting them inside 2'x2'x8" cedar potato boxes. Actually just purchased the materials today and will be constructing the boxes tonight.

Since I am new to all of this, if anyone has some advice or suggestions, I'm all ears... or eyes.. as it were.

[WSierra]

Originally Posted by Sweeper

I would need Mr Dupont himself to get a hole dug in my ground.

LOL!

[vegasrandall]

who's got the way to do spuds in the barrel?

[JRNC26]

We'll probably start the first or second week of march.Probably plant the same thing as last year.Two rows of Red pontiacs and two rows of yukon gold.

[Micah525]

Originally Posted by kef3stlmo

I'm all ears... or eyes.. as it were.

Funny.

My experience has been that you want to get them in early as the brutal summer sun hammers them... I till & fertilize with 12-12-12 & mulch them & last year they didn't even need to be watered because it was a wet spring/ early summer.

Mulching heavily keeps weeds down & the potatoes will be very close to surface. I like to peel (pun intended) back the straw & make new potatoes & peas several times in the spring.

[Georgiarebel]

Originally Posted by vegasrandall

who's got the way to do spuds in the barrel?

You can use barrels or tires, but the easiest way I've seen so far is just to use welded wire. (It's stronger than chicken wire). Form your wire into a 4-5ft circle. Put about a foot of growing material in the bottom, and plant the spuds. Here in Georgia we use cotton seed, but you can also use pine straw or mulch. As the potatoes grow cover them up with another layer as they grow. When the plants die off pull back the wire, and pick out the potatoes. Much easier than digging them out of the ground. I'll post pictures this weekend.

GR

[elgin]

Thanks for the heads up. I wished I could put them in now, but my local nursery said that they won't have seed potatoes in 'till first of March. I'll have to trust that they know what's the best time around here.

[OKIEPOKE]

I'm gonna do some red-skinned potatoes, sweet potatoes and some other seed potatoes.

Not time to plant here yet.

[CallmeDave]

Sorry noobie question. I live in Michigan when should I plant potatoes and my other garden veggies. I will be starting the plants from seeds first so some I can start indoors.

[chrisday4064]

Are potatoes quite hardy then there are still frosts here untill april?

But when it is time i will be planting potatoes and sweet potatoes too.
Some of the early ones will be in the ground but any that last longer will be in pots. such as the sweet potatoes.

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by vegasrandall

who's got the way to do spuds in the barrel?

I did potatoes in a barrel last year--or rather, in two old plastic garbage cans. First, I punched several holes in the bottom and lover sides of the cans, to provide drainage. Next, I put in a mixture of compost and topsoil, planted the potatoes, and covered them. As the plants grew, I just kept adding cover material. After the plants died back, I just pulled them up, then sifted through the soil in the barrels for any potatoes that had fallen off (there were quite a few). It was a VERY easy way to grow potatoes, and I didn't have to worry about burrowing critters getting to them.

[imgottie]

Originally Posted by JRNC26

We'll probably start the first or second week of march.Probably plant the same thing as last year.Two rows of Red pontiacs and two rows of yukon gold.

One week or two for me in NM and I'm Going to try the barrel method!

--------------------


Members of Congress should be compelled to wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers,....so we could identify their corporate sponsors.

**Sorry for the political retort, but I could not help myself!

[mama_dish]

We just moved into a new house and there is a ton of garden areas. Considering that we are living in a development we are very pleased. I am looking out of my window and all I can see is a ton of frost and snow that has not gone away yet. Planting in Boise Idaho doesn't start till the end of April to the begining of March. But the best method that I have learned from the local is that you don't start planting until the snow if off of Squaw Butte.

The hubby and I can't wait to plant though. We have decided to plant anything and everything this year. What we do not use in the day to day we are going to can, dehydrate, or freeze. Our goal is to grow for the year so that we no longer have to spent a $1.25 for a single tomato that tastes like crap from the stores. Who knows maybe we could even sell some to make a little extra money. I do know that a lot of the fruit stands will buy your produce from you at wholesale prices.

[Don K]

Just got some rain all day yesterday. Good slow kind. Got the cabbage, lettuce, collards, and onions in the beds before it started. Bought 10 lbs of red seed potatoes the other day and when the ground dries a little will be putting in the rows for them. They need the time to sprout a little better anyway.

Dilli, if those seed taters are from some you stored from last years crop, genetically they will have a better storage life.

Don

[almac]

can't plant anything here just yet... there's gotta be 2-3 feet of snow on the ground outside still! ROFL

peace
al

[soup]

Got our potateos in today. In used 4 tires. 2 for sweet and 2 for irish. we always do sweet and didn't even have to plant last year. I guess i missed a few when i was pulling them up. This past year when i pulled them up I saved the small ones and planted them back in the ground. We'll see.

[sherrieallen]

I got my seed potatoes last week. This weekend I'm cutting them and dusting sulphur on the cut ends. I thought I'd use the sulphur because the garden center dude said it was a good idea and would help should we get a wet spring. Hmm, maybe he was just trying to increase sales. No one here said anything about sulphur. At any rate, this will be a learning experience as I've never grown potatoes before. Next weekend I'll plant them. I'm going to try trash can gardening. I was hoping we'd get at least enough snow this year for a small snowball but it ain't happening. Might as well get started on the gardening.