GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Potatoes dying off

sockiescat · 14-07-2006, 02:39 PM

Rick F. In article , Pat wrote:

"Zootal" wrote in message
...
I planted a patch of potatoes mid spring. My girls took a bad of rotten
potatoes that had started to grow, cut them up, and buried them. The plants
grew like crazy, hit about 3 feet tall. Now, they are starting to die for
no reason that I can see. Is this normal? I thought they would grow until
frost killed them. There are no diseases I'm aware, no obvious insect
damage. Plus I can actually see the tops of several potatoes on the
surface, is that also normal? Never grown potatoes before, did not know
what to expect.

Probably ready to eat. Dig some up and check them out.

Yup.. That's what potatoes do from what I've seen.. We already ate ours and the
kids had fun digging them up.. Ours were the small red variety and were yummy!

You can let them stay in the ground for a while if you don't want to get them
all out at the same time -- at least from what I've seen. Our plants were all but
dead for probably a month here in the LA area and I when we dug them up, they were
still just as good -- no problems at all..

-- Rick

yup sounds like u got taters there ready for the plate lol. one thing that i would do though if u are planning on keeping your potatoes in the ground for a little while is to hoe up the ground on either side of the potatoes--this is called hilling and should be done throughout the growing season of potatoes--to cover up any potatoes that are showing so that the potatoes dont turn green in colour from exposure to sunlight as green potatoes arent good to eat.
good luck and hope u get a bountiful harvest

. cyaaaa, sockiescat.