So last year I planted a LOT of potato plants! Except, I had a baby at the end of October so an area of my potato patch didn't get harvested because we got a little side tracked. Anyway, by the time I realized we should get to harvesting the potatos, the plants had all died back and we can't figure out where to dig and its all a soupy muddy mess outside now anyway. SOOOO.... I'm trying to plan out my garden for next year and I'm pondering what will happen to that area of the garden. Anyone have experience in this type of thing? Will the buried tubers just grow into plants next year? If I till it will I just create a mess of potatos growing everywhere or will it obliterate what's there? Do I even need to worry - is it just dead because its been in the ground all winter?
AlyssaMarie @ Link'd Hearts Ranch
gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts
Posted - Jan 27 2010 : 10:06:14 PM
Well I have missed a spud or two and I get lots of vine no potato. But if the wines were died back you might have a chance of a few potatoes. Diana
I would think that the freezing temperatures would have turned the potato to mush- it did for some carrots my mom left in the ground last year. I always asumed that carrots and potatoes developed in parts of the world where there wasn't a hard freeze in the winter.
We usually have a fall crop of potatoes from the potatoes that we miss when harvesting. We also get potatoes the next year in the raised beds even though we have rotated the crops. I am sure the results would depend on your weather and conditions. I know that onions and garlic will come up again from the bulb left in the ground. That too would depend on how hard your winters are.
Pondering my Potato Mistake
Posted - Jan 27 2010 : 9:57:47 PM
