Potato Harvest

135 Views· 08/08/22
Matthew Sawchuk
Matthew Sawchuk
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18

This is the first time I've ever attempted to grow potatoes! I planted five pounds of seed potatoes. Can I get more potatoes out than what I put in?

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Via Providence
Via Providence 2 years ago

This is so great!

I don't remember how many pounds we planted but we decided to fill one of our raised beds because we had the space. We tried some companion plants in the bed, too, but the potatoes dominated everything. We planted 10" down with a base of 3"-4" so we wouldn't have to mound. Next year we will start 12" down.

The plants grew 6'-7' tall in a few weeks. We got a few flowers in July but plucked them so the plants would put their energy into the potatoes themselves. We are waiting to harvest until the plants die off, which they have just started to do. I will let you know what we haul in and see if my husband remembers many pounds we planted.

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Matthew Sawchuk
Matthew Sawchuk 2 years ago

Thank you! I can't wait to hear how your harvest turns out!

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Via Providence
Via Providence 2 years ago

@Matthew Sawchuk: well this is LONG overdue... neither of us remembers how many obs we planted but we harvested 30-40lbs of three varieties of potatoes in October. The German butterballs did the best and were the tastiest. We enjoyed what we ate but within 6-8 week every last remaining potato had sprouted. We put all of the sprouts in the fridge to arrest the process a bit and though we had saved some seed potatoes from the harvest we are going to roll with these sprouts in the Spring. Only other change we will make is location of planting since the digging out process was so hard on my arthritic hands. Live and learn! Deo gratias!

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Matthew Sawchuk
Matthew Sawchuk 2 years ago

@Via Providence: Conner Crickmore from Neversink Farm in NY plants his new potatoes for market on 50' by 30" beds. He digs two trenches about 12-15" apart and plants the sprouted potatoes about 8-10" apart at a depth of a 4 inch pot. His farm digs up the potatoes by hand too so that spacing allows easy digging and they don't have to hill up. I'm going to try a smaller version of that this year.

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TSheld72
TSheld72 2 years ago

You win! LOL

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TSheld72
TSheld72 2 years ago

So from my understanding you're suppose to plant shallow and "hill up" the soil as the plant grows to produce more potatoes and then let the plants die fully back before harvesting. Although, I'll have to add I tried doing this this past season and it didn't work out exactly that way for me. I think it's because I chose two shallow of a planting container.

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Matthew Sawchuk
Matthew Sawchuk 2 years ago

Yes, that was my understanding as well. I just kept adding soil every week because I was so nervous the potatoes would be exposed!

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TSheld72
TSheld72 2 years ago

I just love your videos Matthew! Practical, humorous and informative! Thank you. :)

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