Looks really good Patrick. Our heat in 8a sure does limit our time for growing potatoes, but we get what we can! We cure our potatoes and then put them in milk crates lined with burlap. They stack and store great in a small closet :-)
Thanks, Jared! Yeah, the heat definitely shortens the growing season. If I lived in Mississippi, I'd focus on starting them as early as possible (minimum 3 weeks before last frost).
we used to plant potatoes every year, we have tried every way there is to raise potatoes. this year we left them out of the garden for more room for other things. this worked very well. we bought at the grocery store when on sale. this last week we bought 30 lbs. of Yukon gold potatoes for .99 a# pressure canned 20# for winter this will work great for us. really like your tips.
I need to adopt this strategy. I struggle to get out of the mindset of getting one big harvest of eveything...aka the way I was taught. Thanks for the info. If nothing else it gets people to think in a different way. Thanks for your channel. I learn more from here than anywhere else on youtube. I appreciate all the work you put into it.
Patrick, your garden is looking better than ever my friend! I haven't been keeping up much with your progress (or updating my own) this year because of work and trying to grow my other channel, but every time I come back and see one of your videos it makes me realize how much work I didn't get done... but at least I can live vicariously through your garden, lol. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Conrad! That's very nice of you to say.In the past, my work made it very difficult to find time to keep a garden going, so I know how that goes. I hope you have more time for it in the future.
Great video! Love the concept. In Australia we call it bandicooting (I presume after the bandicoot animal) when we dig around the potato plant and gather some early potatoes before they all are ready for harvest.
Your videos are the ones I learn the most. Unfortunately, due to all the flooding early in my season, then the HEAT (I'm in Louisiana), my potatoes were almost a complete failure. Oh, well. Better luck next year! Maybe I can find some for a late season planting after it cools a bit. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge!
Hi, I am in zone 9 and have never planted potatoes, and would really like to. When would be a good time? It's just now getting in the low 90's (it's been in the upper 90's). I was thinking probably October/Nov would be good to have for maybe Jan or Feb? Does that sound about right? I don't think they would do as well if later, due to all the rain we get, when/if we get it (live outside of Houston, Tx)
If possible, I'd try to time it so that temps are mostly in the 60's and 70's for most of the growing period. You can start them when it's warmer as long as temps cool within about a month of the plants coming up.
Great info and tips. TY. I planted my first potatoes this year here in TN. I put in 3lbs and got 20lbs out. Not to bad for 3 lg.grow bags. Great ideas for continuous harvest. Thanks again.
what luck! I was notified about this video as I was cutting up out first potato harvest ever for dinner. I'll have to put these tips into practice next spring.
I stagger potatoes, too. I've got a few grow bags of potatoes I haven't dug up, because I have potatoes in the kitchen. Just leaving them there. Wow, seeing you without a baseball cap..that's a first, haha! Well, now I guess I won't be doing a potato episode, haha, you have covered it all here. Do you have a vid that talks about what you cover them with, besides worm castings...? Thumbs up!
We mulch potatoes with leaves, grass clippings, comfrey, and worm castings. You haven't seen me without a baseball cap? I'm sure you have! A lot of times I shoot videos very early in the morning. I roll out of bed, put the cap on to cover my messy hair, and shoot the video. :D
In November last year I followed a suggestion to plant potatoes under 8" of leaves in the fall to get an early start next year. It wasn't recommended but as winter got close I covered them with black plastic. I checked them last week and the ones I checked had started sprouting. We'll see what happens.
You must have a good source that sells small amounts of seed potatoes. I was a long while finding one in Canada but I have been buying from Eagle Creek in Alberta for a couple of years now and it is great to be able to grow a variety of potatoes.
Yes, they sell small amounts but charge way too much. I'm hoping to save some seed potatoes this year and grow more organic potatoes from the grocery store.
Hey Patrick, Paul just reminded me that we usually go with what the old timers here told us and that is to plant potatoes on St. Patricks Day. This has worked for us year after year..but that said we have tons of leaves or straw (fresh or spoiled) on top of the beds all winter so even though the soil underneath is not properly warmed, by the time we hill it up for planting, it seems to do well with the potatoes. Also, funny thing here is that we always seem to forget where we planted some potatoes and find a pretty good batch while turning ground after thaw in spring. And we get mighty cold and windy here on the mountain. Makes us wonder why we fret over where to store the current yield. Just like J. Artichokes. Can leave all winter in unprotected ground and still don't rot. But thanks for the ideas of planting different varieties at different times. How on earth do you manage crop rotation with all those night shades going? We remember you mentioning that the biodiverse beds don't really need rotation but still interested in how you manage it.
Have you tried to grow a 2nd crop of potatoes after your early variety is harvested? If the tubers will sprout, it seems like there would be enough time for one, especially with the low tunnels.
Hi Matthew! Midsummer isn't a good time to start potatoes here. It can get quite hot and potatoes don't grow well when the soil temperature is 80f / 27c or higher.
I just came across your video. Great information! Can you tell me please what size grow bags you used for your potatoes and what growing zone you are in.
Thanks for the ideas on planting different types of potatoes. I am in Paraguay and we are starting spring now although it is still kind of cold. We have red potatoes growing in bags and they will be ready in mid October but it seems the plants are getting sick, it has been vey windy here and at first I thought the wind had spoiled the plants, now 4 days later I can see the leaves are getting yellow and with black spots, maybe it is a virus. Can you make a video on organic remedies for potato desease. Love your yard, your videos and your CAT. Great information.
I bet because you harvest some of the potatoes and leave the rest you get more consistent larger potatoes then if you would have harvested the whole plant all at once. Maybe I am wrong but I would think if you find a larger potato and harvest that then the plant could put more energy into the smaller ones that are left behind.
I'm in zone 5 as well. Elgin. QUESTION: Since we need cooler soil temps should we grow potatoes in less sun? How many minimum hours would be sufficient? Thank You Mike
Hi Patrick! Regarding succession planting, in your video you mention that you plant different varieties in succession. Do you ever use potatoes that you have just harvested as seed potatoes for a succession crop? If no, why not? If yes, do you need to have them cure for a couple weeks for them to be viable, or something else, like chilling them for a week? I'm in zone 6b/7 in NJ and if I planted potatoes now I would have them in the ground for at least 3 months until a really hard frost, and probably 4 months. Thanks for any info you can give me! Ciao! Joe
What soil mix do you cover your potatoes with? I have plenty of last fall's leaves commingled with composted rabbit manure and peat moss in my overwintered compost pile. It heated up nicely and I got to turn it at least four times. Do you think that I can use that compost mix to cover my potatoes or should I have a barrier of soil or peat moss between them for food safety sake? or should I forgo that mix for yet another separate pile of composted leaves and food scraps that I have. I do have plenty of worm compost as well. I'm trying to figure out which compost type works best in which veg. garden situation.
I am in zone 5 and plant them as I dig them. They are under the wood chips all winter and pop up in spring and I get them all summer and fall. Then it starts all over again
Hi Sue I was just about to ask this question if anyone leaves their spuds in over winter. I am in the UK and my growing conditions are similar to Zone 5. Paul Gautchi does just that, and plants as he harvests, I might try and give this a go this year as I just have had a load of woodchips delivered in the spring, it will be amazing it if does work and they survive the winter and the spring frosts and the slugs : ))
I also follow Paul and that is where I got that from. It worked great this year. I did it last year in several places and the wet area was a fail. The area next to the Hubbard squash got lost but came up this year big beautiful potatoes. It seems like they can not stay wet or they rot or get eaten by ??? When I planted them I put them half under the soil and the rest under the wood chips. I started with 12" of chips and now it has shrunk to 6". Lots of those bugs that roll in a ball and earwigs that have not damaged the plant. My chickens eat what they can and I have to follow them to put back the chips.
Thank you Sue I am going to give this a go, I also have quite a few green potatoes and smaller ones I thought I could plant back and see what happens as they would be thrown away anyway.
Thanks for another great vid! I was wondering if you have done a video specifically on watering. Maybe I missed it but if not I would like to know how you water your beds and if its automatic at all. Cheers! Paul
You're welcome, Paul! I haven't done a video on watering. We get a decent amount of rain here. We also keep the beds covered with mulch. As a result, we don't have to water often. When we do, we hand water with a garden hose. If we lived in an area that gets less rain, I'd use a drip irrigation system.
The 2 persons who didn't like the strategy must be from Pluto. You are lucky to have that many verities, I am relying on only two verities and for purples I think I have to order. This year my harvest was a biggest fail ever, plenty of marble size tatters. Question: how deep you dig your beds?
We don't dig our beds at all except to plant potatoes and transplant other crops. We only dig deep enough to do the planting. I was thinking about what you said about your potatoes. I wonder if the soil was too hot for tubers to form (> 80f / 27c)? When did you plant relative to your last frost and did you have a very hot summer?
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening My question was only for potatoes, I do no dig for all other beds. I am bringing some purple seeds from US or will try to find them locally for next year. We may get first frost in a week as night temperature already dipped to 40F or 5C.
We often place the potatoes on the soil surface and then add a few inches of compost and/or mulch. We then hill them up a few times as they grow. When we dig them in, we bury them 3 to 4 inches. I was thinking about what you said about your potatoes. I wonder if the soil was too hot for tubers to form (> 80f / 27c)? When did you plant relative to your last frost and did you have a very hot summer?
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Soil temperature was not the issue, we hit 90f in first week of May (before even first frost May 23rd and planting) since then we have rain, rain and rain. Temperature never crossed 30c or 86f. I think this was the first year I planted them about 3 inches deep and top dress with 2 inches ages horse manure.
Thank you, Patrick, for the great ideas. Planting in March is wonderful. Did you put the row cover over the plastic or under? Did you double hoop it so there was a air gap between the plastic and the row cover?
My pleasure, Lark! I only used row cover after the plants emerged and nighttime temps were well below freezing. I placed the cover directly over the plants. I only had to do it a few times.
Sure, Paula. In order of appearance they are: June 13 - Red Norland and Yukon Gold June 23 - Red Norland and Yukon Gold July 26 - Red Gold August 7 - Purple Majesty (on top) and Purple Viking August 16 - Purple Majesty and Russet August 24 - Purple Viking September 2 - Purple Viking September 3 - Purple Viking
i think you covered this in a video before you planted this year's crop of potatoes, but since you aren't storing, i'm assuming you buy potatoes for planting each year? also, i think you were talking about purchasing potato seeds at one point. what became of that thought?
Hi Charles! Yes, in the past we bought seed potatoes every year (sometimes organic potatoes from the grocery store). I don't think I'm going to try potato seeds. This fall I'm going to try something new. I'm going to save some of our harvested potatoes and plant them when the soil is cool enough that they won't sprout. In March, I'll cover them with low tunnels for a spring harvest in hopes of a harvest in late spring. I'll make a video next year if it all works out.
hi Patrick, if you harvest early potatoes does the rest of the plant keep producing more tubers ? If grown in grow bags/food grade barrels in partial shade can they grow when early summer temps here in TX are in upper 80s? thanks
Yes, the plants will continue producing. Just make sure to only harvest the new potatoes that you can easily find on the soil surface. That way you won't disturb the plant. Yes, moving plants to the shade when it's hot can help.
Srinivasan Padmanabhan I grew some in pots & some in the ground this year (Austin, tx), some in full sun, some in partial. I put them out in February & all have been successful, esp. my purple Vikings, which I love the look of, too. Bad tomato year tho 🙁
I Amanda! I'm in the Chicago area. This video shows how I make my worm bins: ruclips.net/video/qHZUCiVxJ28/видео.html And this video summarizes my basic approach: ruclips.net/video/SKKKEaR3mwk/видео.html
Two questions. I've always understood potatoes take up a lot of ground coverage. And you even use several different varieties! Could you indicate how much space the potatoes take in your veggie patch? Plus what do you plant in these areas next year? As the areas don't look small, i am somehow expecting some form of crop rotation. Yes, even after seeing some of your other videos :)
We have about 600 sq ft of garden beds dedicated to crops (not including grow bags and other temporary containers). This year we only dedicated about 22 sq feet of garden beds to potatoes. We also grew potatoes in a compost bin (7 sq ft). The rest were grown in grow bags. We won't plant potatoes or related crops in those areas for at least 2 years.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening so with that kind of space how much do you produce? Do you have an estimated pounds per square foot?
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Hooray! I'll sign up as soon as the pre-release list goes up. Your depth of knowledge and clearly articulated insights are a true treassure to the gardening community.
I know I will buy it! Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience. Since I am in zone 9, do you think I could grow potatoes in a grow bag and put it in my carport (would get partial sun) to keep it cooler?
Thanks so much for your interest! If I lived in zone 9, I'd grow potatoes when temps are mostly in the 60's and 70's (assuming you have a few months with temps like that). That way you can grow them in full sun. I hope this helps!
can u list what type of potatoes u do grow, how they look outside and inside, and how they taste. becz potatoes are so cheap, but i heard that they taste better fresh. list the names so i can do some research in this topic further so i may decide. thanks
Mulching will definitely help keep the soil cooler and extend the harvest a bit, but it's hard to say how long. If you combine that with starting as early as possible, you'll definitely be able to extend your harvests.
I thought i was done with eating my own potatoes after seeing my middle and main crops fail because of blight, but the late tubers i reserved for replanting fell into two categories, plant next year and not good for planting so i should eat them. Sooo i'm eating a couple more. Not bad, i made it to mid september with a really pitiful continuous harvest! (2/3 has failed) If my bergerac (60 plants) would not have failed, i would have had enough to get me through winter, as i calculated, and they would have been done around about now or in a few weeks when the weather cools considerably. Next year i'm not going for these old gourmet varieties, alas :( for lates anymore but bulky, blight resistant ones instead, sarpo or carolus in my case, of which i have saved enough spotless tubers for replanting. I am especially enamoured with carolus (a dutch creation, if i'm not mistaken). Nice floury potato, beautiful smooth, goodlooking tubers, good taste. Perfect for winter mash dishes. Seems completely indestructable in the middle of a blight hammered garden.
I'm sorry to hear about the challenges with blight. Please let me know if the other varieties work better for you next year. We're fortunate that blight isn't much of an issue, especially early in the season.
Sarpo and carolus seem to be very blight resistant. I grew them this year. Sarpo from seeds and carolus from store potatoes. The rest of them would have done a lot better too if we wouldn't have had almost 2 months of continuous cold weather and rain in early summer. Better next year! There is always something not doing well. Thats just the way it goes.
Patrick I attempted growing potatoes in a grow bag this year using a mixture of sandy loam and compost. I put some comfrey leaves in as well. The plants grew HUGE, we are talking about five or six feet tall, flowered and developed potato berries. I pulled a few plants out of curiosity as I found no "new potatoes" when I felt around the soil. There were no mature potatoes and by the looks of it tiny ones that were just forming on the roots. Has this happened to you in the past? I'm assuming maybe too much nitrogen in the compost if that is possible?
I think there's a good chance your diagnosis is right - the mix might have been too nutrient rich. We've never seen what you've described, but our container potatoes don't do nearly as well as the in-ground ones.
We plant early season potatoes in mid-March under cover (about 6 weeks before the last frost) for a harvest in late May. Successive plantings of early and late season varieties in April and early May give us potatoes through the summer.
Yes, you can plant potatoes from the store, but it's best to make sure they're organic because conventional potatoes are sprayed with sprout inhibitors. We also buy seed potatoes from seed stores.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening +OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Ok, so you're taking some serious risk there, right? An extended or unusually long winter would kill your early potatos... Well, I guess you've got to take your chances... Anyway, thanks for making us a little wiser again. :-) P.S. Man, how many different varieties of potato do you have??
There's very little risk in starting potatoes three weeks before the average last frost. We've never lost potatoes to the cold. Potatoes grow best in cool weather and need plenty of growing time before the soil gets too warm. Of course, one should always take the extended weather forecast into account when planting, especially during extreme weather. This year we grew Red Norland, Yukon Gold, Red Gold, Purple Majesty, Purple Viking, Purple Peruvian, German Butterball and Russets (7 varieties).
What would you say was some of the biggest mistakes you have made since you started gardening? It looks almost like a routine for you at this point but I am sure there must of been a few big failures along the way that have helped you get to where you are right now.
That's a great question, but a tough one to answer. I've been doing this since I was a kid. I learned first from my parents, who grew up on farms and knew a lot about growing food. So, I started out learning from experts rather than learning from trial and error. I can't think of any big mistakes that have served as learning experiences. However, I do constantly experiment and try new things and learn from those experiences.
Still very helpful all of these years later. I hope all is well.
Looks really good Patrick. Our heat in 8a sure does limit our time for growing potatoes, but we get what we can! We cure our potatoes and then put them in milk crates lined with burlap. They stack and store great in a small closet :-)
Thanks, Jared! Yeah, the heat definitely shortens the growing season. If I lived in Mississippi, I'd focus on starting them as early as possible (minimum 3 weeks before last frost).
Just got a craving for some new potatoes after watching this...It is greatly appreciated Patrick that you showed us all this TIPS.
It's my pleasure!
we used to plant potatoes every year, we have tried every way there is to raise potatoes. this year we left them out of the garden for more room for other things. this worked very well. we bought at the grocery store when on sale. this last week we bought 30 lbs. of Yukon gold potatoes for .99 a# pressure canned 20# for winter this will work great for us. really like your tips.
Thanks, David! That's a great deal on the Yukon Golds!
I need to adopt this strategy. I struggle to get out of the mindset of getting one big harvest of eveything...aka the way I was taught. Thanks for the info. If nothing else it gets people to think in a different way. Thanks for your channel. I learn more from here than anywhere else on youtube. I appreciate all the work you put into it.
You're very welcome! Thanks for the encouraging feedback!
Great tips for spreading out potatoes harvests from spring to early fall, Patrick. Takes a little planning, but is well worth it.
Thanks!
We love potatoes and just pulled some Rosemarry Pink and Purple Magic tonight. They will make a great addition to tomorrow's superb
They're one of favorite homegrown crops. So much better than store bought!
so much!!
Patrick, your garden is looking better than ever my friend! I haven't been keeping up much with your progress (or updating my own) this year because of work and trying to grow my other channel, but every time I come back and see one of your videos it makes me realize how much work I didn't get done... but at least I can live vicariously through your garden, lol. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Conrad! That's very nice of you to say.In the past, my work made it very difficult to find time to keep a garden going, so I know how that goes. I hope you have more time for it in the future.
Great video! Love the concept. In Australia we call it bandicooting (I presume after the bandicoot animal) when we dig around the potato plant and gather some early potatoes before they all are ready for harvest.
Thanks, Jennifer! I love that term. We don't have those little critters here. :D
Your videos are the ones I learn the most. Unfortunately, due to all the flooding early in my season, then the HEAT (I'm in Louisiana), my potatoes were almost a complete failure. Oh, well. Better luck next year! Maybe I can find some for a late season planting after it cools a bit. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge!
Thanks, Theresa! I hope the weather cooperates for a fall potato crop!
Timely video. Was just thinking about starting some fall potatoes in zone 9a.
Very cool! Yeah, you have a very different potato season in zone 9a than we have here. :D
Hi, I am in zone 9 and have never planted potatoes, and would really like to. When would be a good time? It's just now getting in the low 90's (it's been in the upper 90's). I was thinking probably October/Nov would be good to have for maybe Jan or Feb? Does that sound about right? I don't think they would do as well if later, due to all the rain we get, when/if we get it (live outside of Houston, Tx)
If possible, I'd try to time it so that temps are mostly in the 60's and 70's for most of the growing period. You can start them when it's warmer as long as temps cool within about a month of the plants coming up.
Great info and tips. TY. I planted my first potatoes this year here in TN. I put in 3lbs and got 20lbs out. Not to bad for 3 lg.grow bags. Great ideas for continuous harvest. Thanks again.
That's a great yield, Tina!
what luck! I was notified about this video as I was cutting up out first potato harvest ever for dinner. I'll have to put these tips into practice next spring.
That's great, Paula! Enjoy those homegrown potatoes!
I stagger potatoes, too. I've got a few grow bags of potatoes I haven't dug up, because I have potatoes in the kitchen. Just leaving them there. Wow, seeing you without a baseball cap..that's a first, haha! Well, now I guess I won't be doing a potato episode, haha, you have covered it all here. Do you have a vid that talks about what you cover them with, besides worm castings...? Thumbs up!
We mulch potatoes with leaves, grass clippings, comfrey, and worm castings. You haven't seen me without a baseball cap? I'm sure you have! A lot of times I shoot videos very early in the morning. I roll out of bed, put the cap on to cover my messy hair, and shoot the video. :D
Here's a very recent episode with no baseball cap: ruclips.net/video/GBHCOX32HOM/видео.html
Not in Zone 5 over here but this is GREAT info, I am passing it along.
Thanks!
All great ideas. Can't wait to put some of them into practice next year
Thanks for sharing
In November last year I followed a suggestion to plant potatoes under 8" of leaves in the fall to get an early start next year. It wasn't recommended but as winter got close I covered them with black plastic. I checked them last week and the ones I checked had started sprouting. We'll see what happens.
I'm glad to hear the potatoes are sprouting! I've thought of doing the same thing. What zone are you in?
You must have a good source that sells small amounts of seed potatoes. I was a long while finding one in Canada but I have been buying from Eagle Creek in Alberta for a couple of years now and it is great to be able to grow a variety of potatoes.
Yes, they sell small amounts but charge way too much. I'm hoping to save some seed potatoes this year and grow more organic potatoes from the grocery store.
That is good! Gardening like your life depends on it.
Thanks!
Thanks so mulch for your wisdoms!
Fantastic video! I was debating my strategies for potatoes with my husband, this video really helped...thank you xx
Thanks! You're very welcome.
This is a great idea Patrick! Maybe you should call it, "Don't put all your potatoes in one basket". : ) Happy Gardening to you!
Thanks! That's a good one! 😀
Hey Patrick, Paul just reminded me that we usually go with what the old timers here told us and that is to plant potatoes on St. Patricks Day. This has worked for us year after year..but that said we have tons of leaves or straw (fresh or spoiled) on top of the beds all winter so even though the soil underneath is not properly warmed, by the time we hill it up for planting, it seems to do well with the potatoes. Also, funny thing here is that we always seem to forget where we planted some potatoes and find a pretty good batch while turning ground after thaw in spring. And we get mighty cold and windy here on the mountain. Makes us wonder why we fret over where to store the current yield. Just like J. Artichokes. Can leave all winter in unprotected ground and still don't rot. But thanks for the ideas of planting different varieties at different times. How on earth do you manage crop rotation with all those night shades going? We remember you mentioning that the biodiverse beds don't really need rotation but still interested in how you manage it.
Yeah, I'm going to try planting some potatoes this fall after the soil cools down and see what kind of crop I get late next spring.
this was so very helpful! thank you!
Another informative video... thank you...
Thanks!
Lots of good information there! And, lots of variety too. Well put together.
Brent
Thank you!
Really nice info Patrick, thank you, not an expert on potatoes just plant a few each year because fresh dug potatoes are soooo good :-)
Thanks, Elyse! Yeah, homegrown potatoes taste amazing!
Excellent! Beautiful potatoes!
Thanks!
Another excellent video you really should be on the TV : ))
Thanks, Tina!
Great strategies Pat, keep 'em coming!
Thanks, Matthew!
Have you tried to grow a 2nd crop of potatoes after your early variety is harvested? If the tubers will sprout, it seems like there would be enough time for one, especially with the low tunnels.
Hi Matthew! Midsummer isn't a good time to start potatoes here. It can get quite hot and potatoes don't grow well when the soil temperature is 80f / 27c or higher.
I just came across your video. Great information! Can you tell me please what size grow bags you used for your potatoes and what growing zone you are in.
Thanks for the ideas on planting different types of potatoes. I am in Paraguay and we are starting spring now although it is still kind of cold. We have red potatoes growing in bags and they will be ready in mid October but it seems the plants are getting sick, it has been vey windy here and at first I thought the wind had spoiled the plants, now 4 days later I can see the leaves are getting yellow and with black spots, maybe it is a virus. Can you make a video on organic remedies for potato desease. Love your yard, your videos and your CAT. Great information.
Hi Sonia! Potato plants start to die back when harvest time approaches. Our potato leaves start to yellow a month or so before harvest too.
Thank you!
love your soil
Thanks!
I bet because you harvest some of the potatoes and leave the rest you get more consistent larger potatoes then if you would have harvested the whole plant all at once. Maybe I am wrong but I would think if you find a larger potato and harvest that then the plant could put more energy into the smaller ones that are left behind.
You may very well be right.
I like to think I'm right every once in awhile :) But don't tell anyone I have a reputation to uphold :)
Benja's Uber 1337 Hobby
Great tips as usual. I'm wondering where you get your seed potatoes that early in the growing season?
We got the Red Norlands and Yukon Golds at The Home Depot. They get them in pretty early.
I'm in zone 5 as well. Elgin.
QUESTION: Since we need cooler soil temps should we grow potatoes in less sun? How many minimum hours would be sufficient?
Thank You
Mike
Thumbs up Patrick
Thanks, Patrick!
Patrick, what do you do w all that harvested potatoes? i would like some suggestions, or recepes. I'm trying to eat good lately.
Thank you.
Great tips! Thank you!!! God Bless.
Thanks, Lisa!
Hi Patrick! Regarding succession planting, in your video you mention that you plant different varieties in succession. Do you ever use potatoes that you have just harvested as seed potatoes for a succession crop? If no, why not? If yes, do you need to have them cure for a couple weeks for them to be viable, or something else, like chilling them for a week? I'm in zone 6b/7 in NJ and if I planted potatoes now I would have them in the ground for at least 3 months until a really hard frost, and probably 4 months. Thanks for any info you can give me! Ciao! Joe
Hi Joe! We save potatoes to plant next year, but our harvests are too late in the season to start a second crop in the same year.
Hi Patrick, where do you get your red gold potatoes? thanks
This is where I got the Red Gold potatoes: www.gurneys.com/product/red_gold_potato_
Hi Patrick, I love those red or purple skin potatoes that looked rare, what are the names for them so I can get them. thank you
Hi Betty! They're Purple Viking Potatoes: www.gurneys.com/product/purple_viking_potatoes
Thanks for all you efforts! Greatly appreciated. How many sq. ft. Does you garden consist of?
You're welcome, Jeff! We have about 650 sq ft of space dedicated to crops.
What soil mix do you cover your potatoes with? I have plenty of last fall's leaves commingled with composted rabbit manure and peat moss in my overwintered compost pile. It heated up nicely and I got to turn it at least four times. Do you think that I can use that compost mix to cover my potatoes or should I have a barrier of soil or peat moss between them for food safety sake? or should I forgo that mix for yet another separate pile of composted leaves and food scraps that I have. I do have plenty of worm compost as well. I'm trying to figure out which compost type works best in which veg. garden situation.
I typically mulch our potatoes with vermicompost, leaves, comfrey, and grass clippings. Yes, you should be able to use your compost.
I am in zone 5 and plant them as I dig them. They are under the wood chips all winter and pop up in spring and I get them all summer and fall. Then it starts all over again
Hi Sue I was just about to ask this question if anyone leaves their spuds in over winter. I am in the UK and my growing conditions are similar to Zone 5. Paul Gautchi does just that, and plants as he harvests, I might try and give this a go this year as I just have had a load of woodchips delivered in the spring, it will be amazing it if does work and they survive the winter and the spring frosts and the slugs : ))
I also follow Paul and that is where I got that from. It worked great this year. I did it last year in several places and the wet area was a fail. The area next to the Hubbard squash got lost but came up this year big beautiful potatoes. It seems like they can not stay wet or they rot or get eaten by ??? When I planted them I put them half under the soil and the rest under the wood chips. I started with 12" of chips and now it has shrunk to 6". Lots of those bugs that roll in a ball and earwigs that have not damaged the plant. My chickens eat what they can and I have to follow them to put back the chips.
Thank you Sue I am going to give this a go, I also have quite a few green potatoes and smaller ones I thought I could plant back and see what happens as they would be thrown away anyway.
That's great, Sue! I'm going to plant some this fall for next spring too.
Thanks for another great vid! I was wondering if you have done a video specifically on watering. Maybe I missed it but if not I would like to know how you water your beds and if its automatic at all.
Cheers!
Paul
You're welcome, Paul! I haven't done a video on watering. We get a decent amount of rain here. We also keep the beds covered with mulch. As a result, we don't have to water often. When we do, we hand water with a garden hose. If we lived in an area that gets less rain, I'd use a drip irrigation system.
The 2 persons who didn't like the strategy must be from Pluto.
You are lucky to have that many verities, I am relying on only two verities and for purples I think I have to order.
This year my harvest was a biggest fail ever, plenty of marble size tatters.
Question: how deep you dig your beds?
Thanks! I'm sorry to hear your potatoes didn't do well this year. Have you tried growing Purple Vikings?
We don't dig our beds at all except to plant potatoes and transplant other crops. We only dig deep enough to do the planting.
I was thinking about what you said about your potatoes. I wonder if the soil was too hot for tubers to form (> 80f / 27c)? When did you plant relative to your last frost and did you have a very hot summer?
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening My question was only for potatoes, I do no dig for all other beds. I am bringing some purple seeds from US or will try to find them locally for next year. We may get first frost in a week as night temperature already dipped to 40F or 5C.
We often place the potatoes on the soil surface and then add a few inches of compost and/or mulch. We then hill them up a few times as they grow. When we dig them in, we bury them 3 to 4 inches. I was thinking about what you said about your potatoes. I wonder if the soil was too hot for tubers to form (> 80f / 27c)? When did you plant relative to your last frost and did you have a very hot summer?
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Soil temperature was not the issue, we hit 90f in first week of May (before even first frost May 23rd and planting) since then we have rain, rain and rain. Temperature never crossed 30c or 86f. I think this was the first year I planted them about 3 inches deep and top dress with 2 inches ages horse manure.
Thank you, Patrick, for the great ideas. Planting in March is wonderful. Did you put the row cover over the plastic or under? Did you double hoop it so there was a air gap between the plastic and the row cover?
My pleasure, Lark! I only used row cover after the plants emerged and nighttime temps were well below freezing. I placed the cover directly over the plants. I only had to do it a few times.
I would love to know what the potato varieties are that you show at the end of the video.
Sure, Paula. In order of appearance they are:
June 13 - Red Norland and Yukon Gold
June 23 - Red Norland and Yukon Gold
July 26 - Red Gold
August 7 - Purple Majesty (on top) and Purple Viking
August 16 - Purple Majesty and Russet
August 24 - Purple Viking
September 2 - Purple Viking
September 3 - Purple Viking
i think you covered this in a video before you planted this year's crop of potatoes, but since you aren't storing, i'm assuming you buy potatoes for planting each year? also, i think you were talking about purchasing potato seeds at one point. what became of that thought?
Hi Charles! Yes, in the past we bought seed potatoes every year (sometimes organic potatoes from the grocery store). I don't think I'm going to try potato seeds. This fall I'm going to try something new. I'm going to save some of our harvested potatoes and plant them when the soil is cool enough that they won't sprout. In March, I'll cover them with low tunnels for a spring harvest in hopes of a harvest in late spring. I'll make a video next year if it all works out.
hi Patrick, if you harvest early potatoes does the rest of the plant keep producing more tubers ? If grown in grow bags/food grade barrels in partial shade can they grow when early summer temps here in TX are in upper 80s? thanks
Yes, the plants will continue producing. Just make sure to only harvest the new potatoes that you can easily find on the soil surface. That way you won't disturb the plant. Yes, moving plants to the shade when it's hot can help.
Srinivasan Padmanabhan I grew some in pots & some in the ground this year (Austin, tx), some in full sun, some in partial. I put them out in February & all have been successful, esp. my purple Vikings, which I love the look of, too. Bad tomato year tho 🙁
Where do you live? I just can't understand how a zone 5 can have such greenery! And how to do you start a worm bin?
I Amanda! I'm in the Chicago area. This video shows how I make my worm bins: ruclips.net/video/qHZUCiVxJ28/видео.html And this video summarizes my basic approach: ruclips.net/video/SKKKEaR3mwk/видео.html
Cheers for the tips 👍
Two questions. I've always understood potatoes take up a lot of ground coverage. And you even use several different varieties! Could you indicate how much space the potatoes take in your veggie patch? Plus what do you plant in these areas next year? As the areas don't look small, i am somehow expecting some form of crop rotation. Yes, even after seeing some of your other videos :)
We have about 600 sq ft of garden beds dedicated to crops (not including grow bags and other temporary containers). This year we only dedicated about 22 sq feet of garden beds to potatoes. We also grew potatoes in a compost bin (7 sq ft). The rest were grown in grow bags. We won't plant potatoes or related crops in those areas for at least 2 years.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening so with that kind of space how much do you produce? Do you have an estimated pounds per square foot?
Great info Patrick. Thank you. Have you ever considered writing a book?
Thanks! Yes, I'm very slowly working on a book now. Hopefully, I'll have more time to commit to it this winter.
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Hooray! I'll sign up as soon as the pre-release list goes up. Your depth of knowledge and clearly articulated insights are a true treassure to the gardening community.
Thanks, Nic! That's very nice of you to say.
I know I will buy it! Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience. Since I am in zone 9, do you think I could grow potatoes in a grow bag and put it in my carport (would get partial sun) to keep it cooler?
Thanks so much for your interest! If I lived in zone 9, I'd grow potatoes when temps are mostly in the 60's and 70's (assuming you have a few months with temps like that). That way you can grow them in full sun. I hope this helps!
can u list what type of potatoes u do grow, how they look outside and inside, and how they taste. becz potatoes are so cheap, but i heard that they taste better fresh. list the names so i can do some research in this topic further so i may decide. thanks
I grow Purple Viking, Yukon Gold, and Red Norland.
So can container grown potatoes be done in partial shade during hot summer ( 90 to 100f july through august)? Thanks
Nevermind. Looks like you already answered it. Sorry about that.
Where do you get your seed potatoes from?
Which potato varieties grow underground and which grow up the vine and need to be covered so that they are not exposed to sunlight?
We hill all potato varieties because as they grow they can push through the soil surface and become exposed to sunlight.
Thank you for info.!
You're welcome!
how do you bok mark something, i had to hunt your videos down, several of them to find.
To extend the harvest here in TN (Zone 6b) how effective do you think very deep mulching might be at slowing the warming of the soil?
Mulching will definitely help keep the soil cooler and extend the harvest a bit, but it's hard to say how long. If you combine that with starting as early as possible, you'll definitely be able to extend your harvests.
I thought i was done with eating my own potatoes after seeing my middle and main crops fail because of blight, but the late tubers i reserved for replanting fell into two categories, plant next year and not good for planting so i should eat them. Sooo i'm eating a couple more. Not bad, i made it to mid september with a really pitiful continuous harvest! (2/3 has failed) If my bergerac (60 plants) would not have failed, i would have had enough to get me through winter, as i calculated, and they would have been done around about now or in a few weeks when the weather cools considerably. Next year i'm not going for these old gourmet varieties, alas :( for lates anymore but bulky, blight resistant ones instead, sarpo or carolus in my case, of which i have saved enough spotless tubers for replanting. I am especially enamoured with carolus (a dutch creation, if i'm not mistaken). Nice floury potato, beautiful smooth, goodlooking tubers, good taste. Perfect for winter mash dishes. Seems completely indestructable in the middle of a blight hammered garden.
I'm sorry to hear about the challenges with blight. Please let me know if the other varieties work better for you next year. We're fortunate that blight isn't much of an issue, especially early in the season.
Sarpo and carolus seem to be very blight resistant. I grew them this year. Sarpo from seeds and carolus from store potatoes. The rest of them would have done a lot better too if we wouldn't have had almost 2 months of continuous cold weather and rain in early summer. Better next year! There is always something not doing well. Thats just the way it goes.
What's the latest in the year you plant?
Your kitty looks like batman!
He thinks he's batman too!
We call them "spuds." I tend not to grow them because I can buy them cheaply. You may have given me cause to reconsider mate.
Homegrown spuds taste so good! I can't resist them. :D
Patrick I attempted growing potatoes in a grow bag this year using a mixture of sandy loam and compost. I put some comfrey leaves in as well. The plants grew HUGE, we are talking about five or six feet tall, flowered and developed potato berries. I pulled a few plants out of curiosity as I found no "new potatoes" when I felt around the soil. There were no mature potatoes and by the looks of it tiny ones that were just forming on the roots. Has this happened to you in the past? I'm assuming maybe too much nitrogen in the compost if that is possible?
I think there's a good chance your diagnosis is right - the mix might have been too nutrient rich. We've never seen what you've described, but our container potatoes don't do nearly as well as the in-ground ones.
How would I mitigate that problem? More sand and less compost?
Yes, I'd also use more soil. What kind of potatoes were they?
Kennebec
I wonder if you'd have better luck with an early season potato in grow bags?
so plant in april/may and harvest in june?
We plant early season potatoes in mid-March under cover (about 6 weeks before the last frost) for a harvest in late May. Successive plantings of early and late season varieties in April and early May give us potatoes through the summer.
Taters, Taters, and mo Taters!! Yuumm!
We love our taters, Keith!
So you just go to the store to get the potatoes that you want to grow and put them in the ground to grow. I gonna have to try it
Yes, you can plant potatoes from the store, but it's best to make sure they're organic because conventional potatoes are sprayed with sprout inhibitors. We also buy seed potatoes from seed stores.
Potato Po Totto Harvest a lot yo
Thanks!
How do you know when is exactly three weeks before the last frost?
Hi Fernando! The term "last frost" really means "average last frost date". You can find your average last frost date online.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening +OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Ok, so you're taking some serious risk there, right? An extended or unusually long winter would kill your early potatos... Well, I guess you've got to take your chances...
Anyway, thanks for making us a little wiser again. :-)
P.S. Man, how many different varieties of potato do you have??
There's very little risk in starting potatoes three weeks before the average last frost. We've never lost potatoes to the cold. Potatoes grow best in cool weather and need plenty of growing time before the soil gets too warm. Of course, one should always take the extended weather forecast into account when planting, especially during extreme weather. This year we grew Red Norland, Yukon Gold, Red Gold, Purple Majesty, Purple Viking, Purple Peruvian, German Butterball and Russets (7 varieties).
What would you say was some of the biggest mistakes you have made since you started gardening? It looks almost like a routine for you at this point but I am sure there must of been a few big failures along the way that have helped you get to where you are right now.
That's a great question, but a tough one to answer. I've been doing this since I was a kid. I learned first from my parents, who grew up on farms and knew a lot about growing food. So, I started out learning from experts rather than learning from trial and error. I can't think of any big mistakes that have served as learning experiences. However, I do constantly experiment and try new things and learn from those experiences.
You should tell that to Matt Damon from The Martian ;P
Matt and I would have made a great potato growing team. :D
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Then you can upgrade to 'One planet revolution' lol
Looks like these all go in as whole potatoes, not sections with at least one eye…
I really like the videos but please change the music
Thanks, Mark! I've been working on some new music for the videos, which should be ready late this year or early next year.
I really like when people who aren't paying for content feel entitled to demand things or insert their shitty opinions.
I FULLY AGREE with you..HARRY HERPSON