r/Potatoes • u/Hour-Helicopter639 • 2d ago

Potatoes

Gallery image

Gallery image

Are my potatoes ready for harvest, or do they need a while longer?

9 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

1

u/Choice-Education7650 2d ago

I would let them die back a little more. My Potatoes are the only thing the deer didn't chomp. The took one nibble and left the toxic leaves alone.

1

u/Hour-Helicopter639 2d ago

Okay I can leave them be for a while. This is my first time growing potatoes and I didn't want to harvest too early! Sorry the deer got ahold of yours.

1

u/Spudsmad 1d ago

Need closeup photo of the browned leaves but could be the fungus phytophera infestans ie late potato blight.
Given your bucket growing system suggest cut off the browned leaves and stems.
Leave plant to grow on..
You could sneakily pull back some of the earth to check on the tuber size

1

u/Hour-Helicopter639 1d ago

I'll get a better closeup this afternoon for you. They've stayed green the entire time and only recently have they started to yellow and few leaves die off.

1

u/Spudsmad 1d ago

Await your photo . Thanks

1

u/Hour-Helicopter639 1d ago

Here is a video of the plants.

https://reddit.com/link/p72aafa/video/kb8w50rj5smh1/player

2

u/Spudsmad 1d ago

Thanks for putting the video on the site. I think that it’s early blight,
Suggest you just leave the plants to grow on and put on weight.
Potatoes grow in a series of phases. The initial growth establishing the shoots, foliage and root system and then the tubers forming on stolons . Then flowering , followed by the tubers bulking period. The foliage will reduce height ( falls down in its knees) and the foliage will slowly turn from green to yellow and die.
The tubers having expanded in size will start to form a thick skin and the attachment to the stolon will eventually also shrivel .
Suggest that you start eating the potatoes , and keep any surplus fully skin set potatoes in a three ply paper sack in a cool dark place. Ensure any cut, diseased tubers are not stored.But, leave the stored potatoes dirty.
Washing will reduce the storable potential.
Should keep at least 2+ months

1

u/Hour-Helicopter639 1d ago

Thank you for explaining all of that to me. I actually didn't know how to store them after harvest, but you answered that question for me. I appreciate all that you told me it helps a lot. I will let them do as they need to do but I'll definitely keep a close eye on everything!

2

u/Spudsmad 1d ago

Forgot to mention that you should not repeat grow potatoes in the pots without changing the soil, or compost used. My suggestion would be to grow courgettes ( zucchini) in the pots and sane soil. Different plant species do not problem from any latent disease carry over. I have done this and works well,

1

u/backtotheland76 1d ago

Gently dig around in the soil. You could even pick a couple and not hurt the plant. However, if you plan to store them for any length of time you'll want to leave them longer to cure, or harden off, so they'll get a tougher skin which is better for storage

1

u/Hour-Helicopter639 1d ago

I do plan on storing them so ill leave them be for a while longer. I did dig around and saw 2 smaller potatoes but I covered them back up and left them be.

1

u/Senior_Upstairs3938 1d ago

I just think they’re neat

1

u/Hour-Helicopter639 1d ago

Thank you! This is my first year growing anything and I kinda went big with potatoes, cucumbers, okra, and tomatoes.