Potatoes

**Dutchie** · 06-23-2009, 08:49 AM

I have just started with a veggie garden this year and I have a question regarding potatoes.
This will probably sound stupid to the 'veteran' gardeners but I have honestly no idea.
When do I know if the potatoes are ready to be dug up?
The plants are already about 1 1/2 feet high.
Thanks!

**fixer** · 06-23-2009, 09:10 AM

With the variety of potatoes I grow (Kennebec), I wait until the vines die. I will also dig one plant to see how the crop is progressing.

**pat in east texas** · 06-23-2009, 09:29 AM

I've dug my potatoes up this year early because the plants looked crummy. And I got a lot of medium sized potatoes. You can harvest anytime that they're the size you want. In previous years, I've dug a few when I wanted them and let the rest grow till later. There's nothing like a fresh-dug potato, peeled with just the water pressure from the faucet!

**Incognito** · 06-23-2009, 10:28 AM

Wait until the plants have flowered. Then carefully dig about 1 foot away from the potato plant, towards the plant, until you come across the little potatoes. Dig very slowly so you don't gash them.
Then just take enough for a taste, and leave the plant in the ground to finish growing. The potato vines will start to die back and turn brown as the potatoes underneath grow bigger. When the potato vines have died back, pull up the plant, and dig carefully to remove all mature potatoes.

Be sure to hill the potatoes when the vines first get about 1 foot or more high, so they don't get green skins from the sunlight. Don't eat those, because they contain chlorophyll, which is toxic. Or you can peel away all of the green part, and still eat the rest. Using a hoe, scrape up the soil all around the plant, to make a little hill around all the vines. That protects the potatoes underneath from sunlight, and allows more soft growing space for the potatoes to grow in and mature.

Also, watch out for the Colorado potato beetles. They have black and white striped backs, and their larvae are little orange maggots which will devour the leaves of the plant. Just check them regularly, pick them off and you'll keep them under control.

**pop goes the weasel** · 06-23-2009, 10:46 AM

I can never wait for the plants to die lol. Need my fresh tator fix. We have somewhere betwee 120 and 150 hils so I got out and steal a few to brown in butter with breakfast. This year they are so big. I actually took a shovel and hilled them that way. We have plants that are almost hip high. Just hope they aren't all stalk and no tators. Mine are in blossom already as are the beans.

**frugalfranny** · 06-24-2009, 02:17 AM

I am glad you asked that dutchie as I didn't know either.

I am thinking about trying them next year. The only potatoe I have grown was by accident in my compost pile. Tossed it in and the goofy thing grew. had a couple spuds on it too!!

**Durgan** · 06-24-2009, 06:44 AM

Tubers form after the blossoms start. It is possible to dig baby potatoes at this time. I usually plant an extra row then use the small new potatoes during the Summer.

As other posters have mentioned for a proper harvest the vines should die off and leave three weeks before digging for storage. This delay hardens the skins and improves storage time.This three weeks depends somewhat on the weather conditions.