Like farmerdill I plant a few plants to pull entirely for new small potatoes and leave the rest to grow normally. Robbing from hills can be done but takes great care to avoid damage to the roots and remaining potatoes. Much easier to just pull a couple of plants.

As for trying to grow potatoes from harvested seed - waste of time, energy, and space IMO.

Nutrients are vital to good production. So what and how often do you feed them?

Dave

Is the 12 inch recommended spacing sufficient? I did 15 inch spacing last year, and the plants still ended up touching each other by harvest time.

I do not typically feed anything in my garden. I started with raised beds and topsoil with leaf hummus. I also put pine needles in every fall and compost.

"I do not typically feed anything in my garden. I started with raised
beds and topsoil with leaf hummus. I also put pine needles in every fall
and compost."

Those are all just soil amendments. So where are they supposed to get all the nutrients they need if you don't supply any? Minimal nutrients equals stressed plants and reduced production.

Dave

what type of potatoes do want grow and how large a harvest to you want?

I find that the russet bakers don't size up well here...tooo warm.

The Pontiac Red tends to size really well...not my favorite taste . Yukon fairly well....don't keep their great taaste very long for me. So I raise mostly Kennebecs.

This year I ordered a combo pack from Harris.

Also my garden has done really really well for everything - and based on comments here I think potatoes were not to bad - especially considering I picked some early and was intrusive. Kennebec, Yukon gold, red gold.

I just want to get as much as I can. As for fertilizer I keep hearing compost etc. is not fertilizer - I disagree. Everything in nature grows without fertilizer and from old compost - that is what topsoil is - rotted organic material.

I do occasionally spread fertilizer but not consistent. I am not opposed to it.

if you want to increase harvest beyond what may be found in nature you need to feed

I just want to get as much as I can.

Then feed your plants what they need to be as productive as they can be!

"As for fertilizer I keep hearing compost etc. is not fertilizer - I
disagree. Everything in nature grows without fertilizer and from old
compost - that is what topsoil is - rotted organic material."

Then you need to do some research into nutrients and nutrient sources, how various plants use them, the actual low nutrient levels of "compost" and what all is required to happen to that compost before the plants can use any of the nutrients it contains.

You might also want to do some reading on what constitutes "topsoil" and why it is NOT rotted organic matter. Rotted organic matter is compost and humus, not soil, and requires an active soil micro herd of bacteria to be an effective source of even minimal nutrients. Soil is made up of minerals primarily clay, sand, and rock particles which may or may not contain some small % of decayed organic matter.

Even the most dedicated organic gardener, one who religiously adds high quality compost multiple times a year, knows they must also provide nutrient supplements in some form to their garden for good production and to replace those nutrients as they are used up by the plants.

Basic gardening 101 - nothing in nature grows without some source of nutrients.

Dave

i will be growing one plant using the Bowcock method of growing potatoes so expect min 100 lbs from that plant.

Regarding harvesting small potatoes. New potatoes really need to be regarded as a crop in themselves, not a byproduct of the main crop. Instead of seeing them as robbing the final yield look at them as a delicacy and a much higher value harvest than main crop. In fact some people only grow new potatoes since the flavour is so superior when freshly dug whereas main crop are cheap to buy and pretty good quality. New potatoes are essentially a different vegetable kitchen and palate wise. You can get specific varieties specially suited for new potatoes.

Thanks guys I am always learning! Dumb question but can I just toss down some 10-10-20 fertilizer and "generally" it's good for most veggies?

Potatoes prefer a low ph. A ph of 7 is neutral and that is considered too high for potatoes.

"Unlike most vegetables, potatoes perform best in acid soil with pH 4.8 - 5.5. "

The above is from Cornell.

http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scenec6be.html

cindy, I don't think that potatoes produce more in acid soil. It is a scab issue.

If you don't have a scab issue, you don't need to have all that limiting acidy soil.

Please check my how to start seed potatoes - I think this was an issue for me in the past. I planted when the sprouts were small - or none, I simply cut up a potato and planted pieces with no sprouts.

I always do it that way. I do leave the cut pieces out a couple of days to scab over. However if I encounter a limited planting window, I will use fresh cut.

"can I just toss down some 10-10-20 fertilizer and "generally" it's good for most veggies?"

Assuming you mean a granular rather than a water soluble fertilizer, I suppose you could do that. But given all the alternative and better balanced nutrient sources available that wouldn't be my first choice. I prefer to use organic nutrient supplements. But for best results you need to have professional soil test done first to know what and how much is lacking. Many times a well-balanced liquid or water soluble will meet all the plant needs and are already easily available for plant uptake.

Dave

wayne - I do have a scab problem, even with rotating where I plant potatoes. Have been using sulfur for years without seeing an obvious difference, also.