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SPUDS CLUB
Below is information on the 2009 SPUDS Club. Our potato planting was done on May 26th and we hope to harvest the first week or two in October. If you have any other pictures you want to load up, send them to Wendy at wdfrontier@aol.com and she'll add them in!
SPUDS Club – 2009
Members: lauralee@warwick.net, karentro3@yahoo.com, lorrainsy@optonline.net, slabside@optonline.net, normabozo@yahoo.com, ladysheehan@yahoo.com, stewartgeorgia@hotmail.com, vnewlands@mortcity.com, JJscottmiller@hotmail.com, myminx@optonline.net, mrkroyer@optonline.net, laslott10@optonline.net, gailstoughton@hotmail.com, karenkm@optonline.net, sean_cavan@yahoo.com, sullygirl2001@yahoo.com, jhodg4@verizon.net
First Planting Date: 5/26/09
10 rows 10 feet long – potatoes are planted under the string in each row.
What to Expect:
What to do when it is your turn for weeding and watering? Let’s start with some of what to expect during the growing season. Pictures included for those of us concerned about weeding out the young potato plants!!!!
Step 1 – Planting the Potatoes
Now that we’ve planted, the first thing we will look for is the new green growth/sprouts. During these first couple of weeks, we want to be sure that the potatoes have sufficient and consistent moisture (don’t overwater!) and the weeds are taken out so the potatoes do not have to compete for soil nutrients.
Step 2 – Earthing Up Your Potatoes (mounding)
Earthing up stops light reaching the tubers. Light on the tubers will turn them green. When your young potato shoots reach about 15cm or 6” tall, add an extra 10 cm or 4” of soil/compost on the top. Keep doing this so as the plants grow. Some leaves need to continue showing to absorb the sunlight but do not worry about covering a few leaves up.
Step 3 – Feeding, Weeding and Watering
You may not need to water your potatoes until the tubers are about marble size and start to swell. This is likely to be around the time that the plants flower but not all varieties flower so scrape back a bit of soil from time to time to check.
During the growing season, ensure that weeds are removed and apply some organic fertilizer again around mid-August. A month or so after planting, the dense foliage of the plant should then block out sufficient light to deter all but the most vigorous weeds within the growing row. Continue to keep weeds out of the paths to insure the potatoes get the most soil nutrients.
As the potato plant grows, do not remove or 'stop' the foliage, it is supplying food to the tubers. However, remove any flower heads or buds which appear because these will produce potato seeds which will divert energy from the potato tubers.
Step 4 – Harvesting and Storage
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Potatoes are ready for harvest when the foliage first starts to die and turn yellow.
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Maincrop potatoes will be ready for harvest in mid-Autumn. It’s about 120-125 days for potatoes to be ready. For all potatoes, dig them up from the side of the ridge (a fork or spade are both fine) to avoid damaging the potatoes. See the diagram on the left. The foliage can be placed on the compost heap only if it completely free from disease - if not, burn it. If you don't need all the potatoes from a plant at one time or if you want a few early in the season, simply burrow around the roots with your hands and remove the potatoes you need. The remaining potatoes will continue to grow.
Remove any soil clinging to the potatoes and leave them on the soil for a few hours to dry out - if they are stored damp, they will rot. Leaving them on the soil surface in the sun will harden the skin slightly, doubling the storage time. Store the potatoes in boxes or sacks, checking them every few days, removing all but those in good condition. Damaged or blemished potatoes should be eaten immediately.
One word of caution, some potato flowers may well turn to berries which are definitely poisonous. Eaten in sufficient amounts the berries can be fatal. You may wish to remove them if children are likely to see them
Here is our current schedule of who is in charge of the potato bed to keep it healthy each week. See blank space and can fill in? Let us know and we'll get this updated. Not a problem if we get more than one person for a week but we may ask you to move (if you can) to fill in any gaps in the schedule we end up with. Please select the week you want and then post it as a message to the message board on the web site (use this link to get there - http://www.sustainablewestmilford.citymax.com/page/page/4589943.htm
and click on the SPUDS CLUB topic.
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