Potato Growing Theory

[Durgan]

Potato Growing Theory:

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DZVDQ 12 June 2010 Potatoes

New tubers of the potato plant grow about six inches above and around the seed stock in a circle. The new tubers must be covered to prevent light turning them green indicating solanine, which is harmful if ingested. This is the sole and only reason for hilling.

There still persists an irrational belief that potatoes grow from stolons along the stalk, and often high hilling is undertaken to encourage this imaginary growth. This practice hides the leaves of the plant, which is forced o produce more leaves for survival, which is self defeating.

My method is to plant the potatoes in a small trench, and when the plant is six to eight inches high to fill the trench with soil to a depth of about six inches above the seed potato. Potatoes need constant moisture, so the hilled potatoes are heavily mulched after a heavy rainfall to prevent moisture evaporation. The vegetation is allowed to flourish, generating food for the new tubers. Hiding the vegetation by unnecessarily concealing by hilling is bad culture practice.

Commercial growing or a very large patch required mass hilling due to the effort required. But the small home gardener can produce ideal conditions.

Production should be measured by the weight and useful size produced by each plant. Comparing the seeded weight to the harvested weight is utter nonsense, particularly in a small patch. I have rather unscientifically estimated that anything above four pound per plant is acceptable. This year ten plants of each of my five varieties will be carefully tabulated to get a realistic weight value per plant.

For reference here is background information to indicate and substantiate my procedure.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZELNG 21 August 2009 How a Potato Plant Grows

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?YSMQE 2 May 2010 Planting Potatoes
A kilogram of five varieties were selected. Five rows, about eight inches deep, and two feet between rows, was dug, and the tubers separated about a foot apart and lightly covered. The row length is 25 feet.
The varieties were ordered from Eagle Creek in Alberta, since there was blight in my area last year and I thought it was prudent to order out of Province. Varieties are; Russian Blue, Agria, Viking, Alaskan Sweetheart, Chieftain.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?EMUAN 25 May 2010 Hilling Potatoes
Potatoes were fertilized with compost between the plants in the small trench where they were planted. The soil between the rows was rototilled to loosen the soil and the surface area was smoothed over. The seed potato is covered with about six inches of soil. This will be the first and final hilling. After the next heavy rainfall the ground area will be covered about threes inches deep with wood chip mulch to retain moisture. Each potato plant was marked with a stake, since the vegetation is gone when digging and this will identify the center of the tubers.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GUPAA 1 June 2010 Conserving moisture in potato patch by mulching.
After an appropriate heavy rainfall, moisture is being conserved by heavily mulching the potato patch. The patch was previously hilled to a depth of about six inches above the seed potato. There should be enough moisture retained to almost complete the potato growth, but there will still be some more rainfall, throughout the growing season. This is the first time that I have tried mulching potatoes. The mulch is bedding wood chips, which I believe is of spruce tree source.

[Millymollymandy]

That's how I'm growing mine this year because earthing up (hilling) is futile in dry conditions because what little rain we get can't penetrate and just runs off the mounded up soil. Hopefully I'll get spuds without scab this year. The only problem I foresee is that it will be harder work digging them up.

[Durgan]

That's how I'm growing mine this year because earthing up (hilling) is futile in dry conditions because what little rain we get can't penetrate and just runs off the mounded up soil. Hopefully I'll get spuds without scab this year. The only problem I foresee is that it will be harder work digging them up.

Probably one if the reasons for the support of slavery. Anyway, I don't expect much problem. The mulch will be raked off and stored for next year. The posts mark the center of the plant,so at least I have some idea where the center is to limit excessive digging. And there are only about 70 plants.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Glad to have you here Durgan, interested (again) to see your results :-)

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?LREPQ 22 June 2010 Potatoes.
A string is tied around the vegetation to keep the stalks upright. The premise being that the vegetation exposed to the sun is essential for maximum tuber growth.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?OGLPR 27 June 2010 Potato Patch Update on Growth to date.
Growth from 2 May 2010 until 27 June 2010. The potato plants are 36 inches tall, with maximum vegetation exposed to the sun. no water has been applied other than normal rainfall.There are a few immature potato bugs, which get squashed daily. I am looking forward to the harvest with some high expectations of quality and quantity. There are about 70 plants and each row is a different variety. Russian Blue, Agria, Viking, Alaskan Sweetheart, and Chieftain are the varieties. The Russian Blue and Chieftain have been grown in previous years.

[Durgan]

Preliminary Results

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?XKLUS 15 July 2010 Viking Potato
One Viking potato plant was dug long before the tops have started to die off, meaning long before maturity. The potatoes were perfect and the weight was 2.5 pounds. From previous experience I would consider this plant to be perfect, justifying my growing procedure. Notice how the new tubers congregate around the seed potato around the root.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Excellent, and i suppose you can expect a somewhat higher final weight on plants that are left until die back

[Durgan]

Excellent, and i suppose you can expect a somewhat higher final weight on plants that are left until die back

There are ten plants of each of the five varieties, which will be allowed to reach maturity, then I will average the weight. If the Viking cultivar is any indicator, an average of around five pound per plant or more is expected. The weather has been accommodating with sufficient rain and plenty of Sun. My only problem is the support stakes were not strong enough and to keep the vegetation upright is a bit of a problem.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Would it be useful perhaps to stretch a length of chicken mesh the length of the row with heavier stakes to support it, then to use soft ties/stockinette to espalier(is) the plants over both sides of it surface?

[Durgan]

Would it be useful perhaps to stretch a length of chicken mesh the length of the row with heavier stakes to support it, then to use soft ties/stockinette to espalier(is) the plants over both sides of it surface?

Actually a stake implanted near the seed potato at the time of planting works well, using a string to encircle the vegetation. A relatively strong bamboo stick about three feet above the ground would suffice, but I don't have access to bamboo of sufficient diameter, so will use rebar next year. My plants are just below four feet tall, with much vegetation and possibly six stalks, which are very weak.