garden potatoes rotting ?

CKain(MI) · May 19, 2015

I planted around 70 seed potatoes. MAYBE 12 came up and the ones I have dug up are
very mushy and no sprouts. Is that due to many rainy days right after planting.(Mich)

mazemeister · May 19, 2015

where did you get your seed potatoes? how log ago did you plant? what variety? did you cut them?

if you got them from the grocery store, they may have been treated with sprout inhibitor. not an issue if they were purchased as seed.
if you cut them, did you make sure to leave at least one eye on each piece? won't grow without it.

just guessing here...

Hank ABAB · May 19, 2015

What is the source of your seed?
I buy new Certified seed potatoes each year.

Do you "chit" them first?
I always do.
The first picture shows a "chitted" Russet Norkotah, the second is a Dark Red Norland (cut in half).

I believe you gain about 10 days by chitting them first, before planting them.
You also will identify any duds.

Spudm · May 19, 2015

Depends where your seed came from. Your seed may have been frozen over the winter months while in storage.

CKain(MI) · May 19, 2015

MY seed potatoes came from a good 'seed store' , same one I used for years. I did cut most. most had sprouts started a little. some Yukons, some Red Pontiac, some Kennebec, some Irish Cobbler..

Gchase24 · May 19, 2015

Here the gulfcoast where the avarage rainfall is over 60" per year We get our seed potatoes as you do from certified seed. We cut them before planting , lime them and let them "scab over" for a week before planting. Most people here plant red lasota but I prefer red pontiac.

John B. · May 19, 2015

I always cut the eyes out and plant. This year I just laid the pieces on top of the soil and covered them with straw. It took about 2 weeks for them to poke thru the straw. I've never strawed my potatoes before and we never did at home. I also put 3 whole potatoes inside a bale of straw and poured miracle grow into the bale. They seem to be doing just fine. If I had a bale of clover hay that would have been best. Clover hay bales have nitrogen and they stay moist after watering them if needed. My cousin throws his seed potatoes on top of the soil every year and he said all you have to do is pull up the plant and all the potatoes come with it. I'll see if he's telling the truth.

Traditional Farmer · May 19, 2015

Planted them under the wrong sign.

johnlobb · May 19, 2015

This is the first year I've planted potatos, and today I saw 3 that are coming up. I'm in south central Michigan between Jackson and Ann Arbor, about 8 miles to the north.

Dave in Tx · May 19, 2015

Mine that I mulched with straw have done well til the last 2 weeks when we have had rain nearly every day. A part of my garden is a low spot and noticed last evening some were dying. Pulled a couple and the taters were mushy from standing in water. Removed all the straw so they could dry out some. Taters are the size of baseball to softball size.

fixerupper · May 19, 2015

Ours were planted against my better judgement into cold ground on April 5 here in Northwest Iowa. The last one to come up is just peeking through now. They all came up but it was sporatic and slow. The seed spuds came from a local farm store and i cut out the eyes and planted them. Our local threshing show planted spuds a week or so before i did and they took forever to come up but they finally came through. When i planted i ran short by about a half dozen to complete a row. I planted the end of that row a couple of weeks later and they came up the same time as the earlier ones.

tomstractorsandtoys · May 20, 2015

I am from southwest WI and we have potatoes in bloom. Sad to say it is only six plants in the raised bed in the corner of wifes greenhouse but I can taste them already. Tom

Donald Lehman · May 20, 2015

You may have planted them a bit early. I planted a week ago here in northern NY and that is plenty early. Last year with the cold wet weather we had, I had quite a few that rotted in the ground and had to be replanted.

garden potatoes rotting ?

CKain(MI)

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mazemeister

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Hank ABAB

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Spudm

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CKain(MI)

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Gchase24

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John B.

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Traditional Farmer

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johnlobb

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Dave in Tx

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