Potato Patch

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Author Message   Doctorspud  My Weather Posted on Sunday, May 04, 2008 - 01:21 pm EST :    It is finally warming up to even think about turning the ground. Next week I'll be heading to my folks place to start working the potato patch. This year I am going to use a method of seed saving used by seed growers over one hundred years ago, hill selection. This method is something like a checker board since you plant in 3 foot rows with hills 3 feet apart so that you can cultivate both ways. I'll be using my Troybilt horse to start the cultivating but will finish with by high wheel push cultivator. Hilling/ridging was not that common before 1900 as the older varieties seemed to grow deeper in the ground. Ill be planting var. RUSSET BURBANK and var. GREEN MOUNTAIN and my own 'seedling', a yet un-named russeted variety that I propagated from true seed of the var. KATAHDIN quite a few years ago. I do cheat and use commercial fertilizer but only use copper/rotenone/pyrthium for pest control. (I foliage feed with 'Miracle Grow' since it is used immediatly by the plant and there is no ground carry-over like granular nitrogen, ect. Oh, the seed saving method, I have worked with the Wisconsin Seed Potato Farm and the seed industry for some time and continually downloading and reading up on everything to do with spuds. When doing hill selection, any plant that does not look well gets cut out....of the rest, I only will keep the perfect yielding hills, 8-12 even sized spuds that are at least 6 ounces in wt. with no tuber defects. Nest few years I'll take that seed and grow it out using the tuber-unit method.....seems like alot of work, but it's fun and keeps me out of the taverns....Once I figure out how to post pictures here, I am going to keep a photo diary of the potato patch and if you'd like, keep you'all informed on whats going on.........doc Doctorspud - wisconsin, Zone "3 - 4"   Oldiebutgoodie  Posted on Monday, May 05, 2008 - 04:51 am EST :    I hope your expertise with growing potatoes can help me, Doc. I have a recurring problem with some sort of blight on my spuds. They taste good and store well (I've still got about half a bushel left from last year's crop.) but they're difficult to peel and too ugly to bake. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Oldiebutgoodie - Ontario, Zone "5"

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