barney
12 pointer
- Oct 11, 2005
- 18,690
Mostly Kennebecs this year with a few Pontiacs and a some others I grew just to keep seed. Thanks!
Garden 2022
- Thread starter Lady Hunter
- Start date
grinder
12 pointer
I need to start double cropping taters. Dug mine early july and they are all going to sprouts now. How late you recomend plating fall taters ?
Onthedge
6 pointer
We put late taters out last year, first or second week of June and they done well.
barney
12 pointer
- Oct 11, 2005
- 18,690
I generally just plant one crop early spring, dig a few as I need em through the summer, but I don’t dig the remainder until at least mid to late September for storage. By then skins have set and the spuds are dormant. If they're introduced to light and heat they will break dormancy and start sprouting right away.
In February I like to go through what's left in the cellar and break all of the small sprouts off to keep em from shriveling as the weather starts to warm. Most years we have taters left over when the new crop comes on.
Dark Cloud
12 pointer
We always dug in fall, we had a hole under the floor ,we would let em dry for several days ,under the floor .After they dried ,and cuts healed up ,we would line the hole with hay or straw ,put the potatoes in the hole ,throw straw on top, and cover the hole up with boards .We would have potatoes ,up to about the time to plant ,in the spring with pretty firm potatoes.
EC
12 pointer
I see you have “tater tots” in your garden. LolThis is the latest I have ever dug spuds. We attempted back in October but even after watering the rows down the evening before the soil was just to dry and was scratching the skins while plowing em out. I decided to wait until there was some moisture in the ground before attempting again. Got the kids and grandkids lined up for dinner and a tater digging today.
grinder
12 pointer
I guess i see my error now. I was afraid they would rot in the ground. I always dug about july, and straight to shelves in my basement( no light) never thought of breaking sprouts off, i’ll try that.
web splitter
8 pointer
- Feb 3, 2015
- 714
Same. Now i know a little more of how I will go about it next year. This is the 1st year we grew potatoes. Great crop we felt like but we dug them what I now know was too early. Some of ours sprouted in the basement.
barney
12 pointer
- Oct 11, 2005
- 18,690
Over the years I've learned that the later in the year that spuds are dug the longer they will keep into the next year with decent storage conditions, of course.
It's one of those things where soil conditions have to be watched, tho. You want moist cool soil that will just fall off, not mud. There's that point that usually comes in October where the ground gets wet and stays that way.
I've gotten a kick over the last few years out of those "experts" on YouTube showing and telling people how to garden. I get especially pissed when it comes to tater harvest. Most all tell folks to dig when the vines start dying, then they proceed to dig and throw the taters into a bucket like they're picking up rocks. Taters go through a process called senescence where the tubers are preparing themselves for long dormancy by setting their skins and also some internal changes as the vines are dying back. Senescence isn't finished until the vines are completely dead and dry.
