GOT POTATOES!

[Mini Horses]

My butternuts lasted well into Spring, inside, here. They were still good! Into summer they did get a tough pithy and I chopped and fed to chickens. But lasted about 7 months inside!. Stored in a plastic basket that had holes all around, covered with light weight cloth for light cotrol, stored on upper lever of steps to 2nd floor. So, cool & dark, air flow good.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I'm growing a potato on the windowsill. I believe it's a Magic Molly. I have some of that variety ordered from Fedco, but... just in case they are out of stock when the time comes... I'm hoping the window sill plant will produce some spuds that can be planted in the garden.

Next up... I usually grow my potatoes in a 4" trench, then cover with deep layers of mulch as the tops grow. I'm wondering what you all have noticed for comparison of the various growing methods:

Trench and hilling with soil?

Trench and deep mulch?

Lay on top of the soil and cover with deep mulch?

Hay or straw bale gardening?

Potato tower?

Do you use whole spuds, or do you cut them? Do you pre-sprout, or dry the cuts?

Other techniques that work well for you?

Let's hear it: especially if you have done comparison plots, in same season with same variety.

Then, favorite varieties, favorite recipes,

 

[R2elk]

I couldn't get Purple Viking potatoes last year so I planted one in a 5 gallon bucket this winter.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Nice. I read up on the Purple Viking yesterday. Sounds like a nice spud. I'm guessing it's similar to Magic Molly, though... I think the MM is darker, and it's also classified as a fingerling. Do you plan to wrap your bucket in black plastic? I'd be a bit concerned that the green plastic will not occlude enough light. Looks like you're not far off from bloom.

 

[CrealCritter]

Many years ago when my Father in Law was still alive. He loved growing potatoes. We would dig deep and hill the wide rows high.

I helped him one year and bought 2 sacks of seed potatoes from rural king. One red and one white. We planted a row of each. When we harvested, the small ones went back in the sacks. Red in the red and white in the white sacks. He stored the sacks all winter, under his house in the crawlspace.

The next year we pulled the sacks out from under the house and planted the non rotten seed potatoes again. One row of red and one row of white. However what we harvested, on the same tomato plant was both red and white potatoes. Those crossed potatoes were the best tasting potatoes, I think I ever had.

We planted them 3 more seasons. But when my father in law came down with ALZ, the two sacks of seed potatoes wound up missing. I have no idea what he did with them but whatever happened to the sacks of seed potatoes, is perfectly OK with me.

 

[R2elk]

Nice. I read up on the Purple Viking yesterday. Sounds like a nice spud. I'm guessing it's similar to Magic Molly, though... I think the MM is darker, and it's also classified as a fingerling. Do you plan to wrap your bucket in black plastic? I'd be a bit concerned that the green plastic will not occlude enough light. Looks like you're not far off from bloom.

There is no comparison between Magic Molly and Purple.Viking. Magic Molly is a small purple fleshed potato. Purple Viking is a large purple skinned, white fleshed potato.

It is already past the bloom stage. It got buds on it but none of them actually bloomed.

Wrapping the bucket in black plastic is not going to happen. The sunlight through the window is so strong that black pots have to be covered with a reflective surface (aluminum foil) to prevent the pots from overheating and cooking the roots. I learned this the hard way.

 

[R2elk]

My Purple Viking better have produced potatoes. For the second year in a row, Purple Viking seed potatoes will not be available.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

There is no comparison between Magic Molly and Purple.Viking. Magic Molly is a small purple fleshed potato. Purple Viking is a large purple skinned, white fleshed potato.

It is already past the bloom stage. It got buds on it but none of them actually bloomed.

Wrapping the bucket in black plastic is not going to happen. The sunlight through the window is so strong that black pots have to be covered with a reflective surface (aluminum foil) to prevent the pots from overheating and cooking the roots. I learned this the hard way.

Thanks for the info about MM vs. PV. Tin foil would be the better choice b/c it will occlude all light, as well as reflect heat off the pot. I found that my MM were a good size, at least quite a few of them were. About 4 - 6 oz.

 

[R2elk]

Thanks for the info about MM vs. PV. Tin foil would be the better choice b/c it will occlude all light, as well as reflect heat off the pot. I found that my MM were a good size, at least quite a few of them were. About 4 - 6 oz.

Purple Viking can get to the 1 to 2 lb. range. I was probing the potting soil in the bucket today and found one good sized potato about an inch below the surface. I did not do any further probing nor did I uncover this one enough to determine just how big it is. It appeared to be at least 3 to 4 inches in length.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Do you intend to harvest and eat, or use them for seed potatoes in your garden???

In my windowsill pot, I cut off 2 growing tips, and stuck them in the soil. They have rooted, and are now putting on new growth.