Store-Bought Potatoes

[TNTreeHugger]

I bought a bag of the yellow taters, probably the Yukon Gold, a couple weeks ago at Wallyworld.
I had them only a week and when I went to use them they were soft and had nubby sprouts on them.
So I decided to stick them in my garden and see what happens.

This morning, while pulling weeds, I noticed something poking up out of the soil!

Do these look like potato plants to you, and will they make potatoes?
Should I maybe pull them up and separate the shoots and replant, spacing them out?

 

[Bill G]

Are you telling me you do not cut them?
Have you never planted potatoes?
You realize March 29 was the day to plant potatoes I hope.

 

[Del_]

I bought a bag of the yellow taters, probably the Yukon Gold, a couple weeks ago at Wallyworld.
I had them only a week and when I went to use them they were soft and had nubby sprouts on them.
So I decided to stick them in my garden and see what happens.

This morning, while pulling weeds, I noticed something poking up out of the soil!

Do these look like potato plants to you, and will they make potatoes?
Should I maybe pull them up and separate the shoots and replant, spacing them out?

View attachment 1169176View attachment 1169177View attachment 1169178

As usual, you can safely ignore Bill's advice. He's not here to help, he's only here to stir the ****. I've had him on ignore for a long time now and soon back on ignore again. What a waste of time he is.

Yes, those are potatoes coming up.

Don't do any digging or dividing until it's harvest time. When potatoes flower you can often get some 'new' potatoes before the main digging.

We planted 30 lbs. of Yukon Gold and we planted whole potatoes because of the growth habit of Yukon Gold. When Yukon Gold tubers are cut into pieces they tend to form lots of small potatoes close to the soil surface where they get light and parts of the potato greens up. The green parts contain carcinogens. It's very important to hill up Yukon Gold.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Yes, those are potatoes coming up.

We planted 30 lbs. of Yukon Gold and we planted whole potatoes because of the growth habit of Yukon Gold. When Yukon Gold tubers are cut into pieces they tend to form lots of small potatoes close to the soil surface where they get light and parts of the potato greens up. The green parts contain carcinogens. It's very important to hill up Yukon Gold.

TY.
When you say "hill up" do you mean plant in a hill, or build up a hill around the plant as it grows?

 

[Mad Professor]

TY.
When you say "hill up" do you mean plant in a hill, or build up a hill around the plant as it grows?

The latter.

I plant whole taters too as I have plenty enough left over in the root cellar each spring, to just drop whole ones in the trenches. After I harrow I run the two bottom plow again and make a few double rows, not large scale.

 

[Seachaser]

You can add dirt as the plant grows and increase the potatoes it produces.

 

[Mad Professor]

The latter.

I plant whole taters too as I have plenty enough left over in the root cellar each spring, to just drop whole ones in the trenches. After I harrow I run the two bottom plow again and make a few double rows, not large scale.

Potato trenches, via two bottom plow and Ford 9N.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Potato trenches, via two bottom plow and Ford 9N.
View attachment 1169528

And you drop the taters in the middle of the V then cover them up, making a single mound?

Wish I had a garden spot like that. Very nice.

 

[Del_]

And you drop the taters in the middle of the V then cover them up, making a single mound?

Wish I had a garden spot like that. Very nice.

Any shoots the potato has should point to the sky. They will be foliage.

Roots will start to form shortly.

 

[farmer steve]

Rain,rain and more rain. Not much garden activity for a bit. I do see some asparagus starting to poke through. Might be enough in a day or 2 for supper.

 

[sean donato]

Rain,rain and more rain. Not much garden activity for a bit. I do see some asparagus starting to poke through. Might be enough in a day or 2 for supper.

I wish the rain would stop too. Yards a swamp at the moment. I got some asparagus roots to plant this year. Wife has been to a bunch of sales getting plants already. Just not dry enough to get in the dirt yet.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Don't worry, you guys in PA, we had all that rain the past several days and now it's absolutely gorgeous weather, sunny and low 80s for the next few days - then more rain.
I it..
Wondering if the co-op has those sweet potato plants in yet? I need to call them Monday.

Yikes. Just looked at the radar map - NY is getting snow and rain today.

 

[sean donato]

Do you have some sort of local farm store? Tsc and agway have seed potatoes in stock again. Haven't looked for sweet potatoes though.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Do you have some sort of local farm store? Tsc and agway have seed potatoes in stock again. Haven't looked for sweet potatoes though.

Not sure what you mean by "local farm store?"
We have a few stores that sell local produce, but I don't think they sell things for planting.
We have TSC and also the county farmers co-ops. That's where I bought my plants and straw last year.
The local hardware stores sell some stuff like that too, like the Bonnie plants.
There's also Lowes and Wallyworld for seeds.
I think Lowes is waaay over-priced in their garden center.

 

[Mad Professor]

Not sure what you mean by "local farm store?"
We have a few stores that sell local produce, but I don't think they sell things for planting.
We have TSC and also the county farmers co-ops. That's where I bought my plants and straw last year.
The local hardware stores sell some stuff like that too, like the Bonnie plants.
There's also Lowes and Wallyworld for seeds.
I think Lowes is waaay over-priced in their garden center.

Farm and Feed store like Agway.

Here's a link to a local one here

https://www.whitmansfeed.com/

 

[sean donato]

Not sure what you mean by "local farm store?"
We have a few stores that sell local produce, but I don't think they sell things for planting.
We have TSC and also the county farmers co-ops. That's where I bought my plants and straw last year.
The local hardware stores sell some stuff like that too, like the Bonnie plants.
There's also Lowes and Wallyworld for seeds.
I think Lowes is waaay over-priced in their garden center.

Farm store, ie tractor supply Co, agway, etc. Store that cater more to farming/outdoor living vs lowes and wally world.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Farm store, ie tractor supply Co, agway, etc. Store that cater more to farming/outdoor living vs lowes and wally world.

Yeah, that would be the farmers co-ops and we have the TSC store, too..

 

[farmer steve]

Yeah, that would be the farmers co-ops and we have the TSC store, too..

Not sure of your exact location but there is a produce auction in Ethridge TN. The name is Plowboy auction. Google it.. They may have sweet potato plants and other miscellaneous vegetable plants and flowers this time of year.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Not sure of your exact location but there is a produce auction in Ethridge TN. The name is Plowboy auction. Google it.. They may have sweet potato plants and other miscellaneous vegetable plants and flowers this time of year.

We have a couple of local stores that sell local grown produce, mostly grown by Amish.
I'll be planting: 5 sweet potato, 2-3 heirloom tomato plants, and 4 hills each of squash and zucchini (seeds).
Hardly worth the drive anywhere for that little bit. But, I had good luck with what I bought at the co-op last year, so that's where I'll get them again.

I appreciate your suggestion though.

 

[JRM]

Your gonna have zucchini and squash coming out your ears!