> I'm moving to the eastern edge of central Massachusetts. Is it
> possible to winter over potatoes here, and if so how is it done? How
> well do the potatoes
> produce when wintered over? I've heard that wintered potatoes produce > only
> small spuds. They grow to a small size and stay that way. If that's
> so, does anyone have any ideas that might increase the spud's size?
> Having small new potatoes during winter isn't such a bad idea, though,
> as long as there's enough.
Potatoes aren't frost-hardy. You can't winter-over the vines; any potatoes left in the ground will turn into black, slimy goo. If you want to save seed potatoes from your harvest each year, store them in a cool, dry place, the same way you'd store potatoes you're planning on eating. In spring, after the last frost, cut the seed potatoes into eyes, dust the cut surfaces with sulphur powder, and plant in your hills. The size of potatoes you'll get out of the hills depends on the variety you grow and the length of your growing season . . . the longer the season, the bigger the taters.
Chris Owens