Taters

[skeets]

Well I finished the tater patch,, and to say it was a bust would be a gross understatment. A friend from the Lodge brough over his poatoe picker, a really neat little machine ,hooks up to the 3pt and PTO and you drag it behind down the row, and if digs deep enough to pull the taters up and then they go back through a shaker that knocks off the dirt and tops,, it works really well. This year for what ever reason the Yukon Golds I planted tops started to die off about 2 weeks ago. Maybe lack of rain to hot what ever, I know they have a 100 day growing season but it seems a bit early this year. Anyways he brought it over yesterday and I hooked it to lil orange and off we go,, Since about 2009 I have been averaging any wheres between 150 to 200 pounds of Yukon Golds in the patch about an acre in size and donate them to the local food bank through the lodge. Anyways the first row wasnt anything to write home about the second was even less and it went down hill from there. If we got 60 pounds I would be supprised. I guess the question Im asking is has anyone else had a bust on taters or had the tops die off early?
The county agent hasnt gotten back to me yet so I was wondering

 

[Ike]

I had the tops die off early one year but never figured out what caused it. This year I tried something different. I planted them in wood chips. They took for ever coming up but I have never had the tops get so big so fast. Time will tell how they do as the taters are suppose to grow in the chips and not in the ground

 

[skeets]

MAN that has got to be a bunch of wood chips,,lol

 

[Tooljunkie]

I remember an old guy tha grew his taters in pete moss, biggest thing was watering. Could reach into dirt and pull them out very easily.

Friend uncle grow them for a processor, he gets potatoes so big the plant wont take them. One would feed a family. They get tilled back in. Same thing with carrots. So big nobody wants them.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Some of mine are just starting to bloom, so too soon to tell. So far the tops look good.

 

[ipz2222]

The tops on my yukons looked so good, healthy and strong, I was looking for a way to cook them. The potatoes did fair but not exceptional.

 

[olthumpa]

I planted Green Mountain tates. Last year was a complete bust! NOTHING.
Planted Green Mountain tates again this year. The tops are doing great. Hand dug around one plant and things are looking good this year. Crossing fingers that nothing happens to them. Cukes and peppers

 

[bearskinner]

Guess I'm lucky to live in the state of Idaho. There's a fresh fruit/ veggie stand just down the road, I can pickup a 10 lb sack for $1.00, and I have to admit, those huge Idaho spuds are awesome!

 

[cviola2005]

I harvested my tators last weeks. I planted reds and yukon gold. somehow a few russets grew too. I didn't plant very much, about 10 plants of each. Got about 20 lbs of reds, 30-35 lbs of golds, and a few russets. Faired pretty well, I think, though I wish I had built them up with more dirt as they grew. Will do so next year.

 

[Diydave]

Best advice I can give on the art of growin good taters, is to plant them in fresh plowed, NEW ground. That means away from last years patch, as far as possible. Anytime i have rough ground to grade up, I plow it, and plant taters in it, for a season. After harvest it grades out pretty good.

 

[Ike]

I planted some in new ground a few years ago out back They grew like mad and produced good until my wife left the small ones lay. Never did get anymore after that. The deer had a feast. They dug every hill out and ate them. North of me they raise seed potatos and they dump the rejects over the bank. You can go by there anytime during harvest time and there are a 75 to 100 deer on the piles. Draws them in from all over

 

[WingNut]

No way it had anything to do with those nasty tater bugs ?
they'll eat the tops clean off if unchecked.

That's the biggest reason I try to move the tater patch every year, as far as possible.

OH YA, ditto on the deer problem, but I forgive them a little bit every fall as I cook up those tenderloins

Anybody else have a bug problem, and what do you use to get rid of them ?
Keep in mind that hate to use any kind of chemical.

 

[skeets]

No bugs this year yo speak of except the cicadas and they was every where!!,, And it dependds on how much you have to clean up, a bud raises guinea fowl and he says they will clean out a tater patch corn patch maters and peppers fo bugs in a heart beat, scratch up and will not harm any crops,, I dont know I never tried them, between the OL cat and the coyotes they wouldnt have much of a chance around here,,,lol

 

[cviola2005]

I recently read about using dawn dish soap diluted in cold water and spraying on the foliage of the plants as a bug repellent. I haven't tried yet, but someone I know swears by it.

 

[Ike]

I have heard that the dish soap works. I have live here for 10 years and have not had any bugs on the taters. This area was all woods when I bought it 30 years ago so maybe that has something to do with it. My nearest neighbor lives over a mile away. We left some on the deck a couple years ago and a bear came up and ate them He is here several times a year looking in the window. I can tell you nothing clears the arties faster than sitting in a chair in front of the door and look out to see a bear staring back at you abouot 8 inches away

 

[olthumpa]

guinea fowl
marigolds planted in the garden
diluted dish soap

All work great for me.