As Im fairly new to gardening Id like to know how I go about growin
potatoes. What is the best time to grow them and whats the best brand?
As I dont actually have a garden I was hoping I could grow them insid a big plastic bin, is this possible and whats the best time to harves if Im after new potatoes
-- Grub
It's going to be awfully hard to provide enough light if you grow them inside. They really should have full sun. Otherwise, your plan should work. If you do grow them, one way or another, the potatoes will be big enough for new potatoes at about the same time the plants bloom. Wait a little longer if you want them to be bigger. (If you didn't want new potatoes, you would let the vines finish growing and let them start to die down for potatoes that will store well.) As far as what "brand" (let's call it variety or cultivar, not brand) it doesn't matter too much but I wouldn't grow one of the Idaho baking potato types for new potatoes. You want one of the smaller and more round varieties that are good for boiling.
Steve
Hi Grub, sounds like a good idea, I think you can make it work. But as a previous poster said, light will be your biggest problem.
Here is what we do here in zone 7(south central US) and you can draw come conclusions from it, maybe.
Many people plant in February, while others like me plants on St Patties day(Mar17). The harvest date will be virtually the same. Why you might ask--Because Irish potatoes are day length sensative--in other words they mature according to the day length, which is in July here. This don't mean you can't start grappling new potatoes in late May or early june(as a previous poster stated: when they start blooming). You very well may keep it going until early august, when the vine dies.
Around here people plant a second crop in July or early August for another cop in the fall.
Most of us old timers like Pontiac, which is a red potato . There are many new varieties on the market, but what I like for boiling in saltwater, while they are new is a red potato that is round or slightly egg shaped, and harvested when they are about the size or a marble, up to the size of a golf ball.
Incidentally, you don't have to destroy the plant, just pull back some of the dirt harvest a few and put the dirt back, the plant will continue to grow and produce.
Stick with this news group, they will make a farmer out of you- The Old Timer!
This is my 1st year growing potatoes......I love the baby potatoes,,,,,,,we grew them in flower pots.....big one's,,,,,,,at least 10 of them........you can grow veggie's anywhere and in any kind of container,,,,,,milk crate's,,kid's plastic pool,,,,,,,, old tin breadbox,, on your property or deck or even a small balcony,,the sky is the limit, just use your imagination...,,,,,,,and I'm thrilled,,,,,,,what a feast we had,,,,,enjoy!
I put in about 10 potato plants each year because DH loves the baby potatoes. I don't even know what kinds I have this year - some are white and some are red. What I do is a few weeks before starting up the garden I let a few potatoes in sprout. Whatever sprouts is what we get. This year I had whites and reds. A nice surprise was 3 rogue potato plants that popped up - one in the strawberry bed and 2 in the compost pile.
We've had good results dealing with Milk Ranch for our seed potatoes.
My wife likes the Caribe variety for new potatoes and the Bintje for full-term. We usually plant 5-7 varieties each year. We tried Purple Viking for the first time this year and they look promising.
Paul
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