Potatoes question

22 years ago

Hi all. I can't believe after all this time at gardenweb I just found this forum. I have a question about growing potatoes in raised rows...

This year I thought I'd try something different and raised my rows by hilling the dirt about a foot. Everything is flourishing, some to the extent of concern. The potatoes being one. The plants are so high they're falling over. I've been putting grass clippings around the bottom and I see that some of the potato roots are making spuds right under the clippings (will be neat to harvest new potatoes by just scraping back the clippings and then replacing them again. :o) I'm thinking I should pile more dirt around the base of the plants which will cover my grass clippings plan but I think the plants need it. OR, mabe I should stake the plants? Has anyone had any experience with this and what did you do?

Thanks in advance!

Heidi

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Comments (2)

pnbrown
22 years ago
Potatoes need to be hilled, but it sounds like you set your seed pieces rather high to start with. Potato vines tend to fall over though, in my experience.
Beemer
22 years ago
I come from potato country.

Potato vines will fall down -- don't worry! You can keep hilling up dirt around them, but may not be necessary.

Any part of the potato vine underground (or under mulch) can produce potatoes -- just make sure the mulch is thick enough to totally block sunlight -- or else you'll get nasty, bitter, green skins.

Actually, some people grow garden potatoes above ground in garbage cans. They put about 6" of dirt in the bottom and plant the potato set. Then as the potato plant grows, they heap in either more dirt or more mulch. Anything below "ground level" will produce potatoes. They then just tip the whole thing over in the fall and harvest the potatoes.
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