Planting potato eyes
 

Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
potatoes grow underground.

Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???

Would appreciate an explanation in the next few, as the pieces set out
to callous/harden should get planted soon.

TIA

HB

Planting potato eyes
 

Higgs Boson wrote:
Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
potatoes grow underground.


You can plant below the surface and mound as the shoots grow or plant them
in a hole (or trench) and fill the hole as the shoots grow. The purpose is
to get the 'seed' tuber down deeper. The reason to get it deeper is that
the new tubers will grow at the level of the old one so if you leave it too
shallow the tubers may come to the surface or the plants will fall over.
But if you just plant very deep the shoot may not make it to the surface
(especially if you reduce the food that it has by not planting whole
tubers).

A third method is to use a layered raised bed such as a stack of tyres. You
plant the tubers in the top layer and when they shoot add another tyre and
refill with soil. This has the additional advantage that you don't need to
dig your taters but just dismantle the stack.

So you plant very deep but allow the shoots to see the sun using one of
these methods and then backfill. You end up with the tubers down deep and
the shoots above ground which is what you want.

I prefer the hole (trench) method as it is easier to fill them in than
maintain the mound.


Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???


Sorry I have missed the point.

Would appreciate an explanation in the next few, as the pieces set out
to callous/harden should get planted soon.


YWIMC

David

Planting potato eyes
 

On Nov 27, 2:53*pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:
Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. *Looked it up on-line.
They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. *I never
understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
potatoes grow underground.

You can plant below the surface and mound as the shoots grow or plant them
in a hole (or trench) and fill the hole as the shoots grow. *The purpose is
to get the 'seed' tuber down deeper. *The reason to get it deeper is that
the new tubers will grow at the level of the old one so if you leave it too
shallow the tubers may come to the surface or the plants will fall over.
But if you just plant very deep the shoot may not make it to the surface
(especially if you reduce the food that it has by not planting whole
tubers).

***Interesting. The Web site I consulted:

http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/ex...toplanting.php

suggested NOT giving the "eye" too much food, so it won't be lazy
about growing, having plenty of goodies available underground.
I left some potato, but not a whole tuber.

A third method is to use a layered raised bed such as a stack of tyres. *You
plant the tubers in the top layer and when they shoot add another tyre and
refill with soil. *This has the additional advantage that you don't need to
dig your taters but just dismantle the stack.

So you plant very deep but allow the shoots to see the sun using one of
these methods and then backfill. *You end up with the tubers down deep and
the shoots above ground which is what you want.

***Using tires has been discouraged here because of toxic problems
from the tires. Anything to this?

I prefer the hole (trench) method as it is easier to fill them in than
maintain the mound.

Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
ground. *Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. *???

Sorry I have missed the point.

***The point about the finely-ground compost is that it doesn't
resemble the picture on the Web site, which had what I described as a
"straw-like" mulch, from which I inferred that the mulch should be
more loose. ??.

Would appreciate an explanation in the next few, as the pieces set out
to callous/harden should get planted soon.

***Thanks, David; that was enormously helpful. I will choose the
trench/hole method, but not cover the potato eyes too deeply, if I
understand your recommendation, and as the shoots appear, back-fill.

HB





YWIMC

David

Planting potato eyes
 

Higgs Boson wrote:

Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
potatoes grow underground.

Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???

light soil to prevent fungus and waterlogging.


Would appreciate an explanation in the next few, as the pieces set out
to callous/harden should get planted soon.

and the other reason to plant and mound them
in some manner is to keep the tubers covered
away from the sunlight. green ones are not
good to eat.


songbird

Planting potato eyes
 

Higgs Boson wrote:
On Nov 27, 2:53 pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:
Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
potatoes grow underground.

You can plant below the surface and mound as the shoots grow or
plant them in a hole (or trench) and fill the hole as the shoots
grow. The purpose is to get the 'seed' tuber down deeper. The reason
to get it deeper is that the new tubers will grow at the level of
the old one so if you leave it too shallow the tubers may come to
the surface or the plants will fall over. But if you just plant very
deep the shoot may not make it to the surface (especially if you
reduce the food that it has by not planting whole tubers).

***Interesting. The Web site I consulted:

http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/ex...toplanting.php

suggested NOT giving the "eye" too much food, so it won't be lazy
about growing, having plenty of goodies available underground.
I left some potato, but not a whole tuber.

That makes no sense to me. The taters are cut up so that if you have large
tubers you can get more than one plant out of each. If they are small you
don't bother.



A third method is to use a layered raised bed such as a stack of
tyres. You plant the tubers in the top layer and when they shoot add
another tyre and refill with soil. This has the additional advantage
that you don't need to dig your taters but just dismantle the stack.

So you plant very deep but allow the shoots to see the sun using one
of these methods and then backfill. You end up with the tubers down
deep and the shoots above ground which is what you want.

***Using tires has been discouraged here because of toxic problems
from the tires. Anything to this?

I don't know, I don't use this method. You can do the same with timber
frames, like bottomless boxes.


I prefer the hole (trench) method as it is easier to fill them in
than maintain the mound.

Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???

Sorry I have missed the point.

***The point about the finely-ground compost is that it doesn't
resemble the picture on the Web site, which had what I described as a
"straw-like" mulch, from which I inferred that the mulch should be
more loose. ??.

I am still confused, compost and mulch are usually different materials used
for different purposes. What purpose do you have in mind for this stuff?

D

Planting potato eyes
 

On Nov 27, 8:09*pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:
On Nov 27, 2:53 pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:
Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
potatoes grow underground.

You can plant below the surface and mound as the shoots grow or
plant them in a hole (or trench) and fill the hole as the shoots
grow. The purpose is to get the 'seed' tuber down deeper. The reason
to get it deeper is that the new tubers will grow at the level of
the old one so if you leave it too shallow the tubers may come to
the surface or the plants will fall over. But if you just plant very
deep the shoot may not make it to the surface (especially if you
reduce the food that it has by not planting whole tubers).

***Interesting. *The Web site I consulted:

http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/ex...toplanting.php

suggested NOT giving the "eye" too much food, so it won't be lazy
about growing, having plenty of goodies available underground.
I left some potato, but not a whole tuber.

That makes no sense to me. * The taters are cut up so that if you have large
tubers you can get more than one plant out of each. *If they are small you
don't bother.

***But how can you get more than one plant out of each eye? Now I am
confused.


A third method is to use a layered raised bed such as a stack of
tyres. You plant the tubers in the top layer and when they shoot add
another tyre and refill with soil. This has the additional advantage
that you don't need to dig your taters but just dismantle the stack.

So you plant very deep but allow the shoots to see the sun using one
of these methods and then backfill. You end up with the tubers down
deep and the shoots above ground which is what you want.

***Using tires has been discouraged here because of toxic problems
from the tires. *Anything to this?

I don't know, *I don't use this method. *You can do the same with timber
frames, like bottomless boxes.



I prefer the hole (trench) method as it is easier to fill them in
than maintain the mound.

Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???

Sorry I have missed the point.

***The point about the finely-ground compost is that it doesn't
resemble the picture on the Web site, which had what I described as a
"straw-like" mulch, from which I inferred that the mulch should be
more loose. *??.

I am still confused, compost and mulch are usually different materials used
for different purposes. *What purpose do you have in mind for this stuff?

D

***Sigh - finally got my head screwed back on g. The City is
distributing COMPOST, not mulch. In my foggier moments I sometimes
confuse them. I actually don't have anything on hand to serve as
mulch. Would pine needles do? I have an endless quantity Otherwise,
will have to scrounge leaves from a neighbor.

HB

Planting potato eyes
 

Higgs Boson wrote:
On Nov 27, 8:09 pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:
On Nov 27, 2:53 pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:
Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I
never understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the
new potatoes grow underground.

You can plant below the surface and mound as the shoots grow or
plant them in a hole (or trench) and fill the hole as the shoots
grow. The purpose is to get the 'seed' tuber down deeper. The
reason to get it deeper is that the new tubers will grow at the
level of the old one so if you leave it too shallow the tubers may
come to the surface or the plants will fall over. But if you just
plant very deep the shoot may not make it to the surface
(especially if you reduce the food that it has by not planting
whole tubers).

***Interesting. The Web site I consulted:

http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/ex...toplanting.php

suggested NOT giving the "eye" too much food, so it won't be lazy
about growing, having plenty of goodies available underground.
I left some potato, but not a whole tuber.

That makes no sense to me. The taters are cut up so that if you have
large tubers you can get more than one plant out of each. If they
are small you don't bother.

***But how can you get more than one plant out of each eye? Now I am
confused.

More than one plant per tuber just one per eye.

D

Planting potato eyes
 

Are these potatoes from the fridge that start to grow nubs on them ?

Jerry

http://community.webtv.net/Grandmother300/Urn2011

Planting potato eyes
 

On Dec 1, 1:11*am, (Jerry Ohio Also) wrote:
Are these potatoes from the fridge that start to grow nubs on them ?

Jerry

http://community.webtv.net/Grandmother300/Urn2011

No. They were kept in the pantry. What's the importance? Anxious to
learn, as I sometimes do keep potatoes in frig in warm weather.

Tx

HB

Planting potato eyes
 

What I meant was that they were not seeds from the top of the plant . I
have never seen a potato plant grow.

Jerry

http://community.webtv.net/Grandmother300/Urn2011

According to my knowledge..

The potatoes we eat are starchy tubers that grow under ground, swelling and getting larger as the top half of the plant matures. The humble potato can be very finicky to grow, because of pest and disease problems. Potatoes are relatively inexpensive to purchase.

Planting potato eyes
 

Lawyer100gardenbanana.uk wrote:
Higgs Boson Wrote:
Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
potatoes grow underground.

Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???

Would appreciate an explanation in the next few, as the pieces set out
to callous/harden should get planted soon.

The potatoes we eat are starchy tubers that grow under ground, swelling
and getting larger as the top half of the plant matures. The humble
potato can be very finicky to grow, because of pest and disease
problems. Potatoes are relatively inexpensive to purchase.

Potatoes are no longer inexpensive. No produce is inexpensive
anymore... nothing is inexpensive.