Potato problems

16 years ago

I have one potato bag that has been doing very well, but just lately is showing signs of either dying back or dying in general.

The plants shot up really beautifully and although I never did see flowers, the stalks and leaves were always dark green and vibrant.

Recently the stalks have stayed green (they do look more yellow than normal though) but the leaves have all dried up & are falling off. The stalks are still ram-rod straight & do not show signs of falling over so I am not convinced that the potatoes inside are "done".

Two weeks ago I was brushing some of the top layer of soil away & found a small potato. I did not touch it, or pull on it. I covered it back up & was excited for the sign of life. Then last week I noticed an odor coming from the bag & when I dug in again that same potato was now rotting & smelly. Could it have become damaged since it was hit with sunlight for the brief moment I found it?

Since this is my first time planting potatoes (obviously), I am unsure of how to know the following:

-When to stop watering to let the potatoes "dry out"

-When to harvest

-When the leaves/stalks have died back enough to know it is time to harvest

-Whether it is okay to check to see if potatoes are indeed growing inside the bag

If anyone could help me with this issue I would greatly appreciate it. I live in Southern CA & the temps have been around 94. The potato bag gets full sun & is watered (soaked) once a week. The type of potato seed planted was Yukon.

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Comments (4)

lonmower
16 years ago
STOP WATERING!

Potatoes are ready to harvest when the leaves turn yellow and die. You did not kill the potato by exposing it...however the watering (excessive) probably did the "little fellow" in. Near the end of the life cycle, watering should be reduced and ended to help toughen the skins.

Harvest the potatoes today and report back...Good Luck
kr222
16 years ago
Potatoes will eventually die back once they are ready for harvest. If all the foliage has died, then it's time to dump them out and see what you have. I wouldn't worry that your potatoes haven't flowered. Lots of people have written about experiences like that. The best way to determine if it's time to harvest is to wait for all the leaves to die back. If they no longer have leaves, they are no longer photosynthesizing and won't grow anymore. It's time to dig them up or dump them out.

As for the sunlight question, sunlight will turn potatoes green if left exposed for too long. This makes those portions mildly toxic. You didn't hurt it by briefly uncovering one. Sunlight wouldn't rot them in the way you describe. The fact that the potato was rotting and smelly so quickly may be due to a drainage issue. Perhaps the drainage holes were blocked and the potato rotted and roots are dying due to standing water.

I water potatoes regularly until I start to see the foliage die back by about half. After that I let them dry down a little when harvest looks to be a few days away.

Yes, you can check to see if potatoes are growing in the bag. I grow mine in containers and I poke my fingers in close to the stalk to see what I can find. Try to be delicate though. You don't want to damage too many roots. Lots of people also like to harvest new potatoes by reaching under and grabbing a few tiny potatoes from each plant, leaving the rest to grow to their full potential.

Keep us posted on how things turn out.
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Kim's Garden
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mtam0707
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you both for your input. I thought watering might be bad at this point so lately I have been merely spraying a bit over the plant, but not doing the usual 'soaking' I was during growth. I will dump the bag tonight after work to see what I have. Keep your fingers crossed!
kr222
16 years ago
Good luck!