need advice ** potatoe growers **

Dutchman

Well-known Member

I.m trying my luck on growing some potatoes this year ...
QUESTION : when they break ground ... Do I recover them ?? or do I have to wait till they are a few inches tall and then cover the bottoms and leave the tops out ??
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THANKS for any advice you share with me ....
....... mark
 
I recover the tops if there is a chance of a late frost. It also helps keep the weeds down. Just at the minute I am having bother keeping the tops covered as they are about 6 inches tall......Sam
 
You should hill(cover) the taters growiing under the leaves. As the spuds grow they tend to start poking out above ground. The spuds should not get exposed to sunlight. Sun exposure will cause the tater to turn green and not be fit to eat. Some people even believe those exposed to the sun can contain poison. I think that part is just an old wives tale.
 
Not convinced it's an old wives tale, Glen. I recall years ago eating some new potatoes boiled in their skins. One had some green showing on it. As I ate it, I had an instantaneous reaction: nausea, flushed face, dizziness, very extreme feeling of "Holy smoke! What is going on here?" I was OK again in a minute or two, but during that minute or two I wasn't sure what was going to happen next Never ate 'em again, no desire to duplicate the experiment.
 
Jerry, sorry to hear of your learning experience. Never tested the tale myself. Guess I don't have to try one now.

Glen
 
Yeah, green potatoes are definitely bad times. I think it's called Solanine or something? Don't eat 'em if they're green.
 
Potatoes grow fast once they make it through the ground. Just make sure you keep them hilled up as they are growing. As they bloom, they will bulk up underground. Never eat a potato that is green.
 
Mark - I think we used to always hill ours twice. First time when they were a few inches tall, then again before they got ready to set blossoms. But that was a long time ago.

Tim
 
Just be sure you either leave enough room between the rows to have the dirt you need to cover them or a good big supply of mulch to do the same. I like the mulch a lot better, but then I'm on clay.
 

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