Any potato growers?
- Thread starter rkymtnman
- Start date
smokinrav
Well-Known Member
I've grown potatoes for years. Few plants have a more beautiful flower than the pale blue of the potato. I grow mine in raised beds with high density, about a plant per sqf. Some say this reduces yield, but I never suffered from yield issues that I know of, and they were smaller, which I prefer. Mine were nutrient tolerant and rarely had bug issues when then the surrounding beds (tomatoes, beets, carrots, onions, garlic, celery, herbs, etc.) were constant work against them. I stored them in winter in a giant container filed with fine white sand down in the basement. Never had one go bad.
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
nice.
so i took our old fridge and made it into a potato bed. start off at the bottom with just a starter and enough soil to cover it. then keep adding soil as they grow upwards. it works really well. hail got me last year big time: destroyed all of the leaves in like mid Sept. still got a few that were done.
do potatoes like anything nute wise? i just feed them the alaska fish 2-1-1 .
will be adding hail protection soon to mine.
smokinrav
Well-Known Member
I tried the layering method once, couldn't get it to work like it should. But I love the concept! Yeah, that nute formula should be fine for them. We were poor, so I used the cheapest Chem ferts I could find, looking at you Miracle Grow, and never had a problem.
I love growing potatoes. I'd make hundreds of quarts of soups of all kinds when my kids were growing up, the only ingredient I didn't make was the meats.
I love growing potatoes. I'd make hundreds of quarts of soups of all kinds when my kids were growing up, the only ingredient I didn't make was the meats.
DarkWeb
Well-Known Member
Potato skins, chips, soups....lol yeah it was too much. But had them to plant the next year.
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
go fancy and call it poutine. lol.
Rurumo
Well-Known Member
I LOVE growing potatoes and weird tubers of all sorts. Here is my favorite place for hardy potatoes and all manner of weird tubers and traditional crops...this place is amazing https://oikostreecrops.com/products/perennial-vegetable-plants/hardy-potato/
AND if you have a climate they can grow in, you gotta try the other traditional Inca tubers https://raintreenursery.com/collections/andean-tubers
They sell out fast so get on the email list. Everybody and their mother is a backyard farmer because of Covid
AND if you have a climate they can grow in, you gotta try the other traditional Inca tubers https://raintreenursery.com/collections/andean-tubers
They sell out fast so get on the email list. Everybody and their mother is a backyard farmer because of Covid
meangreengrowinmachine
Well-Known Member
I'm using containers this year. I have seen multiple comparison grows and they seem to do better in a container then not so im going to try that. Maybe big laundry tubs or half 55 gallon barrels if I can get them cheap.
meangreengrowinmachine
Well-Known Member
How did you store all those spuds!
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
one of the biggest growing areas in the country other than idaho is the san luis valley of colorado. when we drive thru there, its nothign but potato fields and storage areas.
DarkWeb
Well-Known Member
I gave as many as I could away. Otherwise we had milk crates full in my canning room. Lots went to the next season. They grow like crazy.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
The Peruvian Purples rock! They produce heavily. Grow in a box of straw.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
I worked on a potato farm at Center. We sold and shipped bulk. The last year we harvested 2.75 million pounds of spuds.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
I used 20 gallon fabric bags and hay last year. Worked great but I’d place on a pallet if possible.
meangreengrowinmachine
Well-Known Member
What do those run you cost wise?
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
I got 5 for $35 delivered. You can definitely run them in smaller ones. The guy who owned the potato farm grew his personal reds ( we only ran russets) in a fruit crate full of wheat straw. Not in the ground.