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Potatoes experts, HELP!! | (Read 226 times) |
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Susan Monroe
Posts: 521
Western WA
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November 08, 2008, 04:37:35 PM |
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Although they are treated with non-sprouting stuff, apparently some don't get treated as much as others. If it's sprouting, it should grow. At least, if he's in a warmer type of place. This isn't really the season to be planting potatoes.
I tried to sprout some sweet potatoes this year, and it took about three months for some to show up. Too late to plant, I put them under a light in my laundry room. Maybe they'll survive until May.
Sue
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Susan Monroe
Posts: 521
Western WA
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November 09, 2008, 09:41:21 AM |
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I was reading about the stuff and it's an aerosol that they can apply several times. Maybe it wears off eventually. I've had potatoes that have shriveled and never sprouted. Maybe they can't get all of the potatoes all the time.
But I suspect that most large producers use it to some extent. To them, it's a form of insurance that they can sell the crop before it deteriorates, and the middle men are probably going to use it for the same reason. Potatoes are stored for quite a while, and they can't use cold storage because it changes the chemical makeup of the potato.
Besides, corporate farms are so heavily into the chemical bit that they would probably buy it even if it didn't work.
Here's some info if you have any need for it: http://www.umaine.edu/umext/potatoprogram/pest%20control%20guide/sprout-inhibitors-section.pdf
Sue
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Susan Monroe
Posts: 521
Western WA
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November 15, 2008, 11:57:56 AM |
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I grew a 12'x12' plot of Kennebec potatoes. They really taste wonderful! Still haven't harvested all of them yet. But I'd better get to it before they rot.
Sue
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paul wheaton
Administrator
Posts: 1471
western WA
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November 15, 2008, 01:36:25 PM |
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If you are buying potatoes, and if you get your potatoes from the farmers market, you probably don't have to worry about that sort of thing.
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dirtworks
Posts: 71
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November 16, 2008, 08:48:05 AM |
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When you harvest potatoes one of the best protectants you have against mold and disease is the dirt on the outside of them. After knocking off the big clods, if any, it's best not to wash them off. You'll need to leave them out long enough to dry a little. Wet mud or clay can cause rotting too so give them a little time to dry out but not dry up and store them a little dirty. The dirt is a live of defense against disease, mold and physical damage when moving and storing them. It's important not to be too rough when moving them around too. Bruising can cause premature rotting and fungus growth.
Proper temperature and moisture conditions can help retard sprouting but can't eliminate it entirely. If you plant too much and you think you might not need them all you can trade them for the excess carrots or beets some one else grew maybe. And, don't forget, you'll need some for next year's crop so a little sprouting by early spring isn't such a bad thing. I've found potatoes in the back of the cabinet before that had squizzled to the size of a pebble but had huge sprouts coming out of them and I planted them and they made fine potatoes in the fall. They're an amazingly durable crop and if you plant your own sprouts year after year you'll get better crops each time because they will adapt to local conditions. the soil get tired and sometimes infused with disease and parasites so you'll want to move the plot around from time to time to give the soil a rest.
Unfortunately store bought potatoes are cleaned to make them look good on the rack and this makes them more susceptible to diseases and physical damage in transport and this lead to the invention of all these toxic sprays they use on them now.
Consumer education has to become a big part of the organic food movement(if that's the right word). Small blemishes on apples and fruit are not necessarily and indication of poor quality and dirt on vegetables can be a sign of health and not a problem that requires a remedy.
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Susan Monroe
Posts: 521
Western WA
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November 16, 2008, 06:32:47 PM |
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Thank you for that information, John! I didn't know about the dirt.
This leads me to another question: I only planted my potatoes shallowly, then mulched them with straw. My brother apparently couldn't understand the concept of "keep the chickens out of the garden", and the chickens scratched a lot of the mulch away, exposing the potatoes to sunlight, which turned them green.
I harvested all the potatoes, even the green ones. I know not to eat them. But are they still suitable for storing over winter and planting next year? Or does the solanine that turns them green also do something else that will encourage them to rot?
Sue
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dirtworks
Posts: 71
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November 16, 2008, 07:01:42 PM |
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I don't think the solanine would make them rot any faster since it has insecticidal and anti-fungal properties but I don't know if that part of the potato would grow or not. I never tried planting the green part.
Birds like chickens and ducks can be good for the garden but you have to keep them moving through it with a broom in your hand so they don't linger and do damage. They do eat slugs and lots of other things you don't want in there. They can offer very good pest control if managed properly.
Plant your potatoes deep though. Unless they're in really wet ground then make big hills so the water can drain away. Mulching is a very good idea through out the season. It keeps the potato beetles off the plants and causes the plants to make more roots than tops. I've heard of people growing potatoes in barrels with little more than a layer of soil and continuous mulching to cover the tops as they grow. I've never done it but it sounds plausible and a real good space saver for roof top gardens and limited spaces.
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Susan Monroe
Posts: 521
Western WA
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November 17, 2008, 06:44:39 PM |
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I've done the mulching bit, with the seed potatoes just sitting on some compost in a barrel (perforated garbage can) and covered with straw, and wasn't thrilled with the results. Decided to try shallow planting with a good layer of straw. Not great results, but I do have poor soil that needs improvement.
Next year.
Sue
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Has anyone ever heard of a successful potato growth of this kind?
