We get potato bugs and a few harlequin bugs on our potatoes. They can get out of hand in a short time and decimate the crop, but my wife and I keep an eye out and take action when we see the first adult of the season. We patrol the patch each day that we can get out there, and hand pick any that we see. You can squash them or put them in a can of soapy water. We also take care of any babies or eggs that we see. This may sound impractical, but the idiots seem to prefer perching on the top of the plants and it is quite easy, at least on our potato patch with seven 15 foot rows. If you keep up with it, they never get established. We always find a few on our eggplants and even the tomatoes, but they all get the same treatment. After several years of this, the potato bug population seems to be on the decline, too! And the plants look beautiful without using any chemicals.

Frank

You have a single potato patch. There's a possible problem. Disease builds up in the soil season by season. This doesn't kill your plants, it just cuts down production year by year. They recommend rotating potatoes to once in three years.

If that's not the problem, spacing might be. Plant too close and you get smaller spuds. pH could also be a problem, though it would have to be extreme.And if your plants aren't getting water as the tubers develop, they won't get big.

Jon,
Good points, and thanks much for the response! I rotate all the plants I grow in my garden to avoid disease buildup. The plants do seem healthy, and I plant in late Mar/Early Apr here depending on the weather. They grow well and only seem to die back after flowering in July. the attached pic is June 25 with early varieties starting to die back but alter varieties on the left still going strong. You do have me thinking about spacing though. I plant in a staggered 30 inch wide double row, getting about 22-24 plants in (I think) the 12 foot row. They are roughly a foot apart. I wonder if this is enough? I have a good water supply run right out to the garden and they never wilt, but maybe I should try spacing them out a little this year. Not sure of the pH either. Gotta look into that, but I read that they tolerate a wide range, between 5.8 and 6.5 but like to be on the acid side. I think we have slightly acidic soil but I have been liming it up, so maybe that is part of the problem.

Frank

My answer is always get a soil test. I had a poor potato crop last year and it might have just been a bad year. It sounds like if you are watering enough everything should be fine except the soil numbers. Potatoes are heavy feeders but don't like too much nitrogen. They like water in vast amounts.
Also think about where you get your seed and what varieties you buy. Purple Viking gives me lunkers, Shepody is good too. I do not grow non certified seed anymore.

I seem to remember part of a discussion here last year where it was put out that temperature in the root zone had an effect on the size of the potatoes formed... Warmer gave a few larger potatoes and cooler gave several smaller potatoes per plant, unless I have it reversed. But maybe that is playing a part.

A foot apart should be fine, although some varieties want more space than others. And I agree that too much nitrogen will cut your tuber production, although in that case your above ground growth should be maximum. If your above ground growth doesn't look great, and you're also getting low tuber production, then it's probably not too much nitrogen. Stay away from manure for this reason, unless it's fully composted.

It's all about Stem Density. Read up on this and you can start growing larger potatoes. See link below. Also Google Potato Stem Density.

Here is a link that might be useful: Potato Stem Density

mrdoitall i read it not good info source at all.

I guess the author never read Colin Bowcock how to giant vegetables 1979. page 47-56 since if he had he would never under stand how he got it so wrong. since Bowcock produced 516lbs of potato from one seed potato planted whole.

Frank, I'm really glad you posted this since I am looking to improve my potato production this year, too.

Only thing I can see about your potato patch is that there doesn't seem to be space between the rows for hilling. I normally try to hill them up at least a foot, and then mulch with hay, which keeps the moisture in. But that would produce more potatoes, not bigger ones, I think. (since you say you water them well, so the hay mulch wouldn't add much to the moisture levels)

Please let us know if you discover the true secret!

and great cob -- so, how did Bowcock do that?

If you want large potatoes twelve inches apart is way too close.

I never plant less than sixteen inches apart.
If the ground gets too warm, your tuber production will suffer greatly.
Even though I put mulch over mine again last year it was so hot that while it was wet under the mulch the ground was warming beyond normal.

I ended up digging most potatoes far earlier than normal and the yield showed it but the few I had that grew in the normal matter did well.
I planted at varying depths and the deep ones did the best.

Why are you liming?
That doe NOT help potoatoes.

This post was edited by RpR_ on Tue, Mar 5, 13 at 23:56

•Posted by thegreatcob none (My Page) on
Tue, Mar 5, 13 at 4:17
mrdoitall i read it not good info source at all.

LOL I guess it's not much use to you if you can't read and comprehend it. RIGHT!!! Well I have been experimenting with stem Density and pruning potatoes for about 10 year. There is not much info out there on this way of growing potatoes I also string my potato vines. I don’t let them lay on the soil. I also have to use a tractor to dig my potatoes. Some of my potatoes will hit 2 lbs each. I get 20 lbs of potatoes from 1 lb of seed potato. So what do you need someone to say Cut the potato. Plant it this way. Space it this much. Or do you need some magic spray to make them grow big for you. Well don't grow them in your flower pots. Or your 4 to 6 foot potato towers that people like you talk about. Been growing a garden 40 years or more. Oh yea I have to use a tractor in my garden. No 3x8 raised bed here. Here a link for you to buy some of this magic spray to make your raised bed potatoes big. LOL A$$ hole

I don't see any place where anyone asked if the OP is planting their saved potatoes for seed.

When I save my own seed potatoes year after year the yield diminishes due to some latent viruses and I have to start from new seed again.

-Mark

Guys and Gals,
Let's be GENTLE. I did not want to start a fight here! I am glad to see that many of us are passionate about our gardens and our experience, but please keep our comments constructive and not be too judgmental so we don't hurt any feelings. I am delighted by all the great comments from you all, and especially those who have been doing it for a long time. Sulfur good - I think I knew that and forgot, lol. I do deep planting and hilling by digging individual holes with a post hole digger, adding some good garden soil at the bottom, putting in the potato, and only lightly covering it up. I have loose gravelly soil, so I just let it grow like that, about 4-5 inches deep in the 'pit'. After a few weeks when the weeds start to grow, I don't bother weeding, I just use a hoe to pull the soil into the hole and 'hill' the potatoes that way. It kills all the weeds, makes the garden look great, and helps keep the roots way down when the heat comes later. I have not mulched at that point, but I think I will try. Mulching materials are rare here, and I hate to spend money on them. Maybe I can use grass clippings, although I normally never collect them.
Thanks again, and I hope to see some one pound (or more) potatoes this year!

On that Stem density article - it was a little dry reading, but I think it made a good point about how you can get potatoes too close together without realizing it. I will look at my pix and the plants after they come up to see how many stems there actually are.

Frank

Found a picture of my potato planting. Read about using a post-hole digger and it seemed to work. Comments, thoughts on this? Spacing, depth, etc? I think this is a 12 foot row and I have 12x2 tubers planted with about 12-18 inches between double rows to allow me to walk in there and hoe.

Frank

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." - Carl Sagan

thegreatcob - Evidence please regarding that extraordinary claim by Mr. Bowcock? Sources, links, successful duplications of method (and proof backing up those claims). You are implying that people have to purchase a book to see the proof of a claim that you are supporting, or possibly promoting for some reason unknown to the readers here.

That is all I will say regarding that subject.

There is something to be said about the multiple stem thing. When I dig up a multiple stem plant I usually find many average to small potatoes. When I come to a single stem plant I always figure there will be one or two average or large potatoes with just a few smaller ones, and I am usually not disappointed. Bottom line for me is that I do not like seeing a single stem plant as I know there will be a less than satisfactory yield. I have found that planting whole average-sized seed potatoes minimizes incidences of single stem plants. This was simply reaction to an observation. I was not aware that there was actual research regarding this subject.

Questions and comments if I may:
1.) OP wants bigger potatoes. Please clarify. What sizes have you been getting that you consider unsatisfactory?

2.) Why do you want bigger potatoes? For nice big bakers, or ease of use meaning fewer to peel for a meal? Just wondering. I understand - I too think it is neat to dig up a big potato here and there out of my patch, but I would choose potato quality and storeability over size any day. Just my opinion.

3.) As previously asked by others, are you using certified seed potatoes or saving and planting your own seed stock year after year? I do both because I saw declines when using my own seed stock exclusively for several years straight. Now I only use saved seed stock once or at most twice removed from commercially acquired seed stock. Seems to work to my satisfaction.

4.) What are your soil test results? Do you amend accordingly?

5.) Do your potatoes ever get scab?

6.) Rotational issues? I understand people with smaller gardens do not have much of a choice, but the simple fact is that rotating by moving the patch from one end of a small garden to the other end is not ideal at best, of zero benefit at worst. IMO best scenario is a distanced 5 year rotation to minimize disease, pest, nutrient issues. Unfortunately not a realistic option for most gardeners, though. Just understand that if a person is working with a small garden, rotating might not be helping the way it should.

7.) Varieties? Are you planting the same varieties every year? Or did you maybe switch varieties? Some varieties simply do not produce large potatoes. Other varieties, while having excellent food qualities, do not have high production rates.

8.) Hilling, plant spacing, planting depth - all important issues. Do these consistently from year to year, otherwise a person can not narrow down any problems by process of elimination.

9.) Was it simply a bad year for potatoes in your area regarding weather, temps, moisture, etc.? Have you asked neighbor gardeners in your community how their potato crops faired?

Since this thread is about sharing "potato growing secrets", I will share one of mine. I am not saying it is a solution to anyones problems, but I dig individual holes when I plant seed potatoes rather than split the soil and plant. I then place a shovelful of compost in each hole, correctly orient each seed potato and gently press into the compost. Cover with soil and water. I have noticed positive yield results and larger, healthier plants, but I have never done side by side comparison tests to prove the concept.

Wishing successful gardens to all,
-Tom

I agree that having medium whole potatoes with only two eyes and 2 or 3 stalks per plant is good for good tuber size. Also, this hill, hill, hill thing can probably cause more tuber set which means more small potatoes. Plant 4 inches or so in loose soil. Potatoes do like good potassium levels.

From your picuture you are way, way, way too close.

As I said I plant sixteen inches minimum. Another reason besides potato size, is I can dig up a potato without spiking potatoes from the neighboiring plants, although even at that spacing some potatoes really spread out.

I put twenty four inches between rows.
I cover my roses every year, deeply, so I have leaves and straw to put on top of the potatoes.
After trying shallow planting again last year, and having expected results, I am going back to deep planting exclusively--six to eight inches deep.

I ordered potatoes from three sources last year, just for variety and trying new potatoes and the last ones came later than expected.
The regular spots were full (I also plant any left-over in the basement) so I put them in an old rose garden that is being eliminated.

Even though the ground was very hard black gumbo, they did extremely well in that hard soil.

I had potato bugs horridly bad ilast year. I fnally had to use Sevin as hand picking did not work at all. Even the Sevin did not get them all.

I not know if I will mulch the bed this year: A: I am deep planting, B: as once the heat set in last year, as I said, the mulch helped keep the ground more moist but it seemed radiate the heat down with it, as I would go around put my hand in the soil at various places and it was very warm even down well below the mulch.

Even though I had mulch up to eighteen inches deep, by fall it was down to at most a couple of inches in the deepest areas.

We plant potatoes as the 1st crop on new garden soil where previously was edge of forest since we're in a clearing in the woods. In full sun locations potatoes would produce more. We deal with our location and climate the best we can. Our rocky clay soil is broken up by the potatoes & mulching, so the next crop grows much better!

We have a long, cool wet spring in WA state mostly in 40s & 50s until June-ish and in our shady location the soil stays cool until late June or early July. You would think it would be prime potato growing conditions apart from the dappled shade from tall fir trees.

We have a larger harvest when we --

--rotate plant families on a 4 year schedule (remove all volunteer tomatoes or potatoes)
--don't lime or manure, but do spread complete organic fertilizer according to the bag or box at planting plus some cured homemade compost
--use small (M-L hen's egg sized) certified seed potatoes
--chit or presprout potatoes inside
--mulch well & often with a mix of straw, dried grass clippings from our lawn with no chemicals, coffee grounds, or shredded paper
--set up soaker or sprinkler hoses on top of mulch
--patrol for slugs and spread iron phosphate bait

Less potatoes when we --
--save seed from previous year
--plant in containers (large garbage can with holes, composter, 5 gal black pots, smaller cardboard boxes)
--don't supplemental water during any 5 day dry span in spring (our summer drought is a given starting 4th of July, so must water then)

Nothing beats a homegrown chemical free potato. We just dug the last of them last week.

Hope that helps,
Corrine

Corrine,
Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences! I hope that we can all improve our potato crop this year based on the shared knowledge of so many.

I certainly agree about the goodness of home grown potatoes. It is quite amazing the way they grow and produce so much for so little invested. It is one of the joys of gardening to discover the wonderful bounty laying just under the soil each July, and even if you happen to get a lot of small potatoes, they are still delicious to eat!

Frank

OK, here is my 2 cents. If you aren't planting a whole bunch of potatoes and just want enough for eating and storing a couple months, try using bags. I don't have a good place to plant them in the ground (being used for all my other crops) so I use cloth grocery bags, the kind with the rectangular bottoms and that are permeable. Just put some soil on the bottom, then your seed potato then a little more soil. When they start to grow, add more soil. Keep doing this til they reach the top. I have harvested a lot of very nice spuds this way and you put them where you want and grow as many as you want. Just make sure the bags are larger size. I poke a few holes in the bottom (take out any bottom liner) and maybe some on the sides to allow for drainage. I even plant flowers in front of the batch of bags to make it look prettier. Works for me.

Yes it is strange for someone to want big potatoes when most people want to reduce the size but increase the quantity. Potato farmers plant very close to do this. My town has thousands of acres of potatoes.

I agree with Tom on seeds and using your own too long.

Hey little_minnie,
I ilke em so I can hold them to peel them. Smaller than 1-2 inches is just not my type of potato, no matter how great the yield. Is that really strange? What do you do with the little uns?
Frank

soilent_green no extraordinary evidence needed
Guinness Book 1982
How Grow Giant Vegetables by Colin Bowcock p49-46

Ahhh so unless we want to go out and try to buy a 30 year old book, apparently the only one ever published by that author, that had limited publication to begin with and has been out of print for decades we just have to take your word for his claims, right?

His is just one man's opinion yet you are presenting it as the final word yet his opinion and opinion has apparently never been duplicated, documented, validated or proof offered. I think they call that hearsay at best.

Dave

digdirt you can get copy to read through inter-library loan at your local public library. university Idaho lends there copy which is how read the book myself

ps Guinness book requires lots proof to be given record.
the claim was document by several uk new papers.

This post was edited by thegreatcob on Wed, Mar 13, 13 at 12:04