Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => GARDENING AROUND THE HOUSE => Topic started by: asprince on June 26, 2010, 02:37:48 PM

Title: Tater Question
Post by: asprince on June 26, 2010, 02:37:48 PM
I plant potatoes (red) in my garden every year but this year I got different results. The plants looked healthy, bloomed, and matured but when It came time to dig, most plants had no potatoes on them. None. I usually get buckets full. The only thing different was that I planted them about two weeks later due to the excessive spring rain. Any ideas what may have happened?


Steve 
Title: Re: Tater Question
Post by: G3farms on June 26, 2010, 04:38:32 PM
sounds like the fertilizer you used was too high in nitrogen, it causes all plant growth and no roots.

G3
Title: Re: Tater Question
Post by: Brian D. Bray on June 26, 2010, 11:15:15 PM
Quote from: G3farms on June 26, 2010, 04:38:32 PM
sounds like the fertilizer you used was too high in nitrogen, it causes all plant growth and no roots.

G3

Potatoes, like peanuts and other legumes (clover, trefoil, vetch) put nitrogen into the soil.  If you use a high nitrogen fertilizer on such plants they will not develop the root nodes (potatoes, peanuts, etc) that the plant uses to put the nitrogen into the soil.
Title: Re: Tater Question
Post by: asprince on June 26, 2010, 11:28:25 PM
Should I not use fertilizer when I plant potatoes?

Steve
Title: Re: Tater Question
Post by: G3farms on June 26, 2010, 11:32:00 PM
use something like a 6-12-12, or even lower nitrogen. A soil test will tell just exactly what you need, spuds need a certain ph also (can't remember exactly what)

G3
Title: Re: Tater Question
Post by: Little John_NC on July 05, 2010, 08:21:23 PM
Steve
I been trying to figure this out .  I planted 4 rows of red taters . I planted the first two rows earlier than the last two rows by 3 weeks and like you it was due to a lot of rain. The first two row made buckets of taters and the last two rows made vines. The last two rows I dug 4 weeks after I dug the first two rows. I got 15 golf ball size taters from the last two rows.  Got 4 -5 gal bucket of taters off the first two rows.  All four rows planted side by side.........go figure.......John