Need a potato education

[Kale]

OK Dale, I will try that way.I was probably planting them too deep didnt get anything so,I root them in water, let them vine like madd then come around mid-june plant the potato root part and lay the rest on the soil and pin them down about 8-10 inches apart.
I received well over a 5gallon bucket of Slimy smooshy rotten potatoes because I was deeply advised to leave them all winter against my thoughts.It was terrible
Of course this year; I will try your way and mine just in case I do something wrong.and will harvest early fall!!

I just got back with good starters.Going to try.
Thanks for these tips! Excellent!
I can't wait to see

Oh, I just re read ...I tried that and I never got little guys (slips ) to transplant...
O.K. I can't wait to try again and log what I do,and progress
I usually don't log potato stories*lol

Smiley_Face,I understand the covering as you go concept I just think I may have been planting too deep, actually as I think of it, I know I did...I thought it was the potato's fault*lol

Thanks again!

Kale

 

[Dale]

Kale it's also better to plant to shallow than too deep. You can always pull dirt to the plants. Let me know if I can help any further. My husband used to grow wonderful sweet potatoes. I think he grew potatoes for one of his 4H projects when he was a teenager. Good luck!!! Keep us posted, inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Gloria]

My Dad always planted sweet potato slips on one row. As they grew and produced vines, he took cutting from the longest vines, stuck them into the soil to make another row. The cuttings rooted and did well. I've never done this but my brother got cuttings last year from a friend, used this method and had a good harvest. Anyone else grown sweet potatoes from cuttings?

 

[Mainegal]

Wow
I love sweet potatoes and would love to grow some. When I've looked for them online, I have only seen plants that they sell.
I can plant one in the ground then take the plants off it?? Would love for your hubby to give me more detail on growing them.

 

[Gloria]

You can grow sweet potato vines in a glass in your kitchen window! Put a potato in a glass and keep the water about half way the potato. It takes a while but it will root in the water and make vines from the top. Yes, you can plant a sweet potato (even from the grocery store) and get cuttings from it to root and grow potatoes. This potato looks a little rough as I have ignored it but I didn't intend to take cuttings from it.. here's a pic.

 

[Mainegal]

Gloria
Not sure if I understand. Do I put a whole potato in a glass or a piece of one? And I need to keep the water covering 1/2 of the potato? Sorry but my brain is not working today

 

[myfedora]

Will frost hurt potato plants? I know another one of those DUH questions!

 

[Dale]

Frost won't hurt the Irish potato but will hurt the sweet potato plants.

 

[Gloria]

Gloria
Not sure if I understand. Do I put a whole potato in a glass or a piece of one? And I need to keep the water covering 1/2 of the potato? Sorry but my brain is not working today

Laurie, that's a whole sweet potato in the glass. It's long but small in diameter.

 

[myfedora]

I am the only one around here that will eat sweet taters so I don't plant them I just buy them when I get the craving. Thanks Dale!

 

[smiley_face2]

We just don't get a long enough, hot enough summer here to grow sweet potatoes, which makes me very sad because we all love them. We'll just have to rely on you folks down south to keep sending them up to us!

 

[Mainegal]

Laurie, that's a whole sweet potato in the glass. It's long but small in diameter.

Thanks Gloria, I think it's too late for me this yr but will try some for next yr

 

[Crabbergirl]

Laurie,
They root really fast (in water). You might try one I bet you have time.

 

[Mainegal]

ok i'll try one and see thanks

 

[Gloria]

Here's a pic of my white potato plants today..planted beside a row of sweet corn.

Click on the thumbnail, it gives a larger view...

 

[Dale]

Those look great Gloria. You are way ahead of me with your garden.

 

[Gloria]

Dale ..if I don't soon get some rain in this barren dessert..I just don't know!!!!! I may have to start all over!!!

 

[Randy]

I complain about the rain about 9 months out of the year, but we get very little in the other three months. So I know up front that without irrigation, I can not have a garden. But I couldn't afford to irrigate as much garden as Miss Gloria plants. LOL

 

[Dale]

Randy Gloria has a bigger garden than anyone I know.

Gloria you got 1/2 a tenth of rain yesterday and suppose to get more today and tomorrow. It's getting dry here as well.

 

[Gloria]

Dale, I didn't get the first drop where I am!! I kept seeing the clouds but they would swing around me. There has been times in the past that I've stood on my front porch and saw the biggest down pours about half mile from me. Now that hurts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!