POTATOES

Last year I planted russet  potatoes in late March.  Really didn't follow the instructions  to the letter.  I guess I felt the rules applied to everyone BUT me.  I planted them too close, cut the pieces too small, didn't water as well a they would have liked.   In my defense, I was in my Master Gardener  class every Saturday all day and every Wednesday evening. And working a full time job.


The potatoes were too small.  I did harvest in the late summer.  They didn't even need to be cut.

This year I am planting "Dark Red Norland."  They are medium to large purple flowered plants.  They resist scab, leaf roll and potato viruses A and Y.

This year I  am following the rules.  Each piece I cut had 2 or 3 or more eyes.  I planted them a foot apart and spaced the rows 36".  Per instructions in the box they arrived in,  I cut them 24 hours before I planted to let them dry.  I also sprayed them with an organic fungicide.   Sulfur.

I do not need the trellis.  I am going to trellis every bed so I can rotate my crops every year easily.




They were planted 3" deep.  Once the foliage reached 6-8"  I will hill the soil up around the base of the plants, leaving 4" of the plant above soil level.  I then need to hill a second time 2-3 weeks later.  Hilling protects potatoes from "greening," facilitates harvesting, reduces weed growth, and and protects plants from late frosts.  I will use straw mulch to cover the potatoes after the second hilling.

Plenty of straw left in the barn.

According to the instructions, young "new" potatoes may be harvested anytime they reach usable size.  About 50 days.  The larger potatoes will be harvested in the fall when foliage is dry or tubers have reached full size.


More pictures of our barn.

Brick silo

These hay bales are about 4 feet high.

See you all next week.  I am so happy people are viewing my blog.  I am up to 7 countries!  Thank you!

Tell your friends in other countries, I would love to fill up my world map.


laura