Going to do more Taters this year

DaveB

DaveB

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Sprouted our own and had good results last year. Small raised bed. Alaska gold variety

I am in Shelby County with some acreage in Fayette.

Could use some recommendations for plain old russets or anything.
 
I grew up on kennebachs they are a long season white potato, best for baking and mashed taters IMHO.
Red Pontiac is a very good short season potato, we always had them ate before they finished. They made the best stewed new potatoes ever!
Now that I'm older I have developed a taste for the russets and the Amish will sell them to me for less than I can grow them for.
 
I have a new spot for mine. Tilled in the fall and planted crimson clover over it. Added chicken manure and wood ash in the winter, and recently tilled some sand into it. I've got some red ones to put in it soon.
 
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Me too
 
Popcorn said:
Wow!
You plant whole taters!?
We always cut ours leaving 2 or 3 eyes per piece then dried the wound before planting.
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It would take 3 of us several days to cut 4,000 lbs of seed potatoes. If you apply additional nitrogen, space them about 16 inches in row, and 48" in between you will yield the same.

The old timers cut them to make them go further. Other smaller Commercial farms don't have the time either.

You potatoes will be slightly bigger if you cut vs don't but will be less of them.
 
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PossumSlayer said:
Do potatoes improve soil quality? I've heard that from a couple folks in Lincoln county. They're a couple potato farms on the south side of the county I know of.
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They are very easy on the soil because they have a relatively small vine and most of what we take is carbohydrate and water stored by the plant. In comparison to other crops they are low impact. Way better than hay or corn.
 
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