Comments on: Potato digging party

By: Christopher Blunt

Christopher Blunt — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:43:35 +0000

Quite a few years back, in Michigan, I had a fairly good sized home organic garden. For a few years I grew potatoes by simply scattering the seed potatoes on the ground and covering them with a thick layer of straw. At harvest time the potatoes were imbedded in the straw and I just had to pick through the straw to get at them, and they were completly unblemished.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:53:52 +0000

My girlfriend just told me she used to love digging up red potatoes in northern Pennsylvania when she was six or seven. Looks like it is a good way to get a bunch of people together for an afternoon harvest.

By: Mike (tfb)

Mike (tfb) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:19:55 +0000

Jessica: You don't say if you're getting potatoes! I only know about the plants I've grown, which were all in this same region, they get to 2-2.5' high. I don't imagine size matters much on its own if the plants are healthy. It's whether you get potatoes of a decent size! There are lots of ways to grow 'em. I've tried everything from 8" trenches, to putting them on top of newly tilled soil and walking on them to push them in (that was an odd experiment). It all works. Keeping them hilled is the important thing, building up soil around the base of the plant as they grow. At the very least, you want to keep the potatoes that have grown covered with a couple of inches of soil so they don't get exposed to the light and turn green. Like, check after heavy rain, because soil can get washed away and expose the potatoes. If this year's worked out OK, you can experiment with improvements from there. And search for something like "growing potatoes" on the web, there's tons of stuff, especially photos and videos. Research is always good, and makes growing more fun. Hope that helps!

Kim: Luckily, it usually is like a casual day-party in the dirt! Or maybe more like meeting for coffee... :)

Chris: Yeah, I'm slooowly getting used to ACCEPTING a certain amount of weeds as a part of the organic garden. Like, it used to be all-or-nothing in my mind: I'd IMAGINE weed-free as the ideal, and kinda block out seeing the actual weeds-gone-crazy parts until I could get to 'em. After these few years, I guess I see it all more in terms of levels, I seem to notice more what and how much instead of all or nothing. Less critical, I guess. And I do like cover over bare ground anyhow (except for freshly worked up beds about to be planted!). Maybe you know what I'm getting at... :)

Pete: Sounds like you're living the dream - every moment is the whole of everything! :)

Stephen: We generally just pull the plants and scrabble around. We never use a digging fork, it takes more time and potatoes tend to get skewered. This is as hand-harvested as it gets! I have mowed, but only when a section is really overgrown, and the plants have died out and dried up to the point where they're hard to find in the cover (it can get that weedy!). Also, for a variety of reasons, mostly time and hard ground, we don't do that much hilling, which of course reduces the yield. What I do do is check for coverage as the potatoes are getting bigger, especially after rain, and make sure that there's a minimum of soil covering them to keep them out of the light. Kinda mini spot-hilling. As you've noticed, once you've mowed, they're really exposed, but when the plants have started died back, they don't give useful sun protection either. Overall, I've found it's the usual: timing and hilling, as best you can!

By: Stephen

Stephen — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:14:46 +0000

Hi Mike,
Do you mow down the plants before digging the tubers? If so, how long before harvest do you normally do that?
We did that with half of our potato rows this year, but many of the potatoes from those rows had quite a bit of solanin spotting on them. I think this was because the tubers didn’t have any protection from the plant foliage. We did have them mowed down for several weeks, too.
happy harvest.

By: pete anderson

pete anderson — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:25:50 +0000

Hiya.
A few years ago I decided that the corporate world was not for me. I will admit that I was able to aquire a modest nest egg so I cannot be too sritical, I suppose. But I was tired of the 9-5 routine. So. I retired at 55 (I am now, lets see) 56. It is wonderful how time fades in importance other than when do I ensure my wood supply? A little backround is in order. If I get too wordy just say goodbye.
So my plan involved buying 40 acres of land in central Minnesota. I figured I’d need at least 40 acres, but I might settle for twenty, or even ten! Whoo boy, what an education! I ended up buying five beautiful acres near Askov, MN. I was all set to make this summer a garden summer when I got a lesson in chainsawing trees. Broken leg. Ouch. Next year, though, look out!
I and my Dad built a 26′ X 45′ pole barn, put in a subfloor, walls, etc. It is now my home. Your photos of gardening are inspiring to say the least. Keep up the fine lifestyle. Happy Trails,
Pete in the scary woods.

By: The other Chris

The other Chris — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:00:37 +0000

No need to excuse your weeds, Mike! That’s a very low level of weeds given it’s the first year you’re cultivating and the crazy amount of rain we’ve had this summer. I’m not sure if it’s the same near you but early August Ottawa was hitting seasonal records for rain.
Combined with that and the fact that I just moved from our place last week, the garden really got away from me this year. I had some impressive weeds trying to disguise my garden by the end!
Chris

By: the inadvertent farmer

the inadvertent farmer — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:15:41 +0000

Now THAT’S a party, no stockings, no heels, no make up…can I come??? Kim

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:05:13 +0000

Usually when I read your blog, I’m sitting at a desk, in an office, under fluorescent lights (well, they’re usually off since I prefer the natural light from my window, but you get the idea), and I wish I were out there digging in the dirt, too! I have to get my growing fix on the weekends. I have a potato question though. This was our first year growing potatoes, and the plants got massive — much leafier and above ground than yours look — the they eventually cast huge shadows on their neighbors. Are we not hilling them up enough? Are we not planting them deep enough? Forgive my ignorance on this one; just want to get it right next year. And thanks for your blog!