wintering over potatoes
 

I'm moving to the eastern edge of central Massachusetts. Is it
possible to winter over potatoes here, and if so how is it done? How
well do the potatoes
produce when wintered over? I've heard that wintered potatoes produce
only
small spuds. They grow to a small size and stay that way. If that's
so, does anyone have any ideas that might increase the spud's size?
Having small new potatoes during winter isn't such a bad idea, though,
as long as there's enough.

wintering over potatoes
 

Rob Dougan wrote:

I'm moving to the eastern edge of central Massachusetts. Is it
possible to winter over potatoes here, and if so how is it done? How
well do the potatoes
produce when wintered over? I've heard that wintered potatoes produce
only
small spuds. They grow to a small size and stay that way. If that's
so, does anyone have any ideas that might increase the spud's size?
Having small new potatoes during winter isn't such a bad idea, though,
as long as there's enough.

Potatoes aren't frost-hardy. You can't winter-over the vines;
any potatoes left in the ground will turn into black, slimy goo.
If you want to save seed potatoes from your harvest each year,
store them in a cool, dry place, the same way you'd store
potatoes you're planning on eating. In spring, after the last
frost, cut the seed potatoes into eyes, dust the cut surfaces
with sulphur powder, and plant in your hills. The size of
potatoes you'll get out of the hills depends on the variety you
grow and the length of your growing season . . . the longer the
season, the bigger the taters.

Chris Owens


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wintering over potatoes
 

Rob Dougan said:

I'm moving to the eastern edge of central Massachusetts. Is it
possible to winter over potatoes here, and if so how is it done? How
well do the potatoes produce when wintered over?

You can winter over undug potatoes by putting a *very* thick layer of straw
over them after the vines have died back. They won't grow, but will stay
fresh in the ground and can be dug well into the winter by pulling back the
straw. The biggest threat to your over wintering potatoes will be mice and voles.

Potatoes that escape being dug up and make it through to spring will sprout
and grow. The one's I've missed from last year and transplant into my new
potato area seem to produce just as well as freshly planted seed potatoes.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

wintering over potatoes
 

On 14 Aug 2003 19:38:28 -0700, (Rob Dougan) wrote:

I'm moving to the eastern edge of central Massachusetts. Is it
possible to winter over potatoes here, and if so how is it done? How
well do the potatoes
produce when wintered over? I've heard that wintered potatoes produce
only
small spuds. They grow to a small size and stay that way. If that's
so, does anyone have any ideas that might increase the spud's size?
Having small new potatoes during winter isn't such a bad idea, though,
as long as there's enough.

If you mean "wintering-over" to be defined as digging them up during
the winter, the frozen ground would pose a big challenge. If you mean
"wintering over" in that potatoes will survive the winter, I have no
doubt a couple yukon golds would make the trip like champs.

To be honest, every spring when I dig the potato patch, I think they
multiply over the winter :) This is a very rich, very deep soil (2
feet deep of loam, shredded oak & mixed leaves added every autumn).
Every time I dig it up in spring there seems to be 5 times as many
spuds as when I cleaned it out in November :)

Dan
nw NJ

wintering over potatoes