Help with growing and harvesting potatoes?

Question

1. how do you increase the plants potato yeild?

2. when are they ready to harvest?

thanks

Answer 1

Potatoes are a funny plant.

The mounds that people grow them in are loose, not only because all the lumpy, bumpy taters are needin' there space (don't cha know), but also because the best way to increase the number of spuds your plant will produce it to continue to "bury" the plant.......not very clear?  Ok....this is how it works.

The main potatoe plant will only grow so far down; therefore, the number of little spuds you'll get can be limited.  But....if, as the plant grows taller, you lightly bury the bottom couple of inches of the exposed plant, you'll make room for new sprouting spuds.....do it again a week or so later....more spuds; and so on and so on.....

Now......that's why there is a special type of fork for "lifting" your spuds.  A couple of tricks here.  Obviously, the more heavy dirt you pile up, the more you have to dig out to get to the tasty little taters.....the pland doesn't really care about what covers it's stem, only that it continues to get nutrients, and that the stem stays covered.  I bury  in alternating layers; as in week #1 : fresh grass clippings,    #2 the next:  straw,   #3 the last:  organic humus.....gotta cover that straw...It can mildew...and make sure it's STRAW, not HAY, and just keep going.  NOt only does it increas the productivity of the plant by giving it more rooting space (which is, after all, what the potatoe is!), but it restores the nutrients to the ground so that when you rotate your plantings, you can feel relatively sure that its "safe".   Now....how to keep your mound of soft stuff from taking over all of your space??  Cage it.  That's right.....get some fairly large spaced mesh/wire and make a cylinder about 2.5-3 ft in diameter.  Put around plant.  Put additives/nutrients in cages as you go.  I've gone so far as to add some of the stuff that I put in my compost heap...but since you can't "turn" it once it's in...it didn't really work as well.....if your melon rinds mildew....so will your straw!!

When it's time to harevest, simply pull the cages off, sift through the top, looser, softest, part to get to the easy taters, and then you can dig/lift the "firmly in the ground" babies(* see below)!  

Now simply til the refuse from your tater bins under and you've amended for the next year!! (to a degree, so you might need to add an additional calcium source before tilling....like lime or egg shell, or....whatever....).

*note on that....no matter how carefully you dig them up, you are going to miss a couple, so expect a "volunteer" wherever you did your potatoes last year...so don't plant tomatoes where you had your potatoes last time...they don't play well together!!  Try beans or squash there the next year.....they make better companions for each other......

As to "when are they ready to harvest"...The plant will start to wilt, turn brown etc....after it blooms (very pretty!!).  Check to make sure that the potatoe beetles haven't gotten to them.  Water them.  If they continue to turn brown and wilt, then......it's TATER TIME!!!

Good luck and happy gardening.

Answer 2

Plant them in hills or mounds six to eight inches high and twelve inches across.  Fertilize early, even at planting time, with a low nitrogen, high phosphorous blend such as 10-20-20.  As the plants grow you can mound extra soil around the stalk but never cover more than about a third of the plant at a time.  Dig a few new potatoes as the season progresses but the main harvest will be when the tops fall over in the fall. Depending on where you are, usually after a frost or two.

Answer 3

Marvin A gave you a good answer but I just wanted to share this website I found when I was searching for information about growing potatoes. I haven't tried this, but I am going to next year.

http://ft2garden.powweb.com/sinfonian/?p...

Answer 4

number 1 i dont no number 2 about oct

Answer 5

potatoes grow best in loose soil and that is why they are grown in loose mounds.

They are best harvested after the green top part of the plant has wilted down.

Answer 6

if u r growing in dirt keep dirt pull up on plant  u can check by pulling dirt back . when plant starts too rurn browwn harvest