Showing posts with label Russian Banana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russian Banana. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Potatoes Update. Final Planting, and Filling In Trenches. 4.23.19

Potato Bed.  4.23.19
Yesterday I planted the last of the chitted potatoes.  One package of Kennebec, one of Idaho Russet, and a few remaining overwintered Russets, probably, from the garage.

It is interesting, these did not grow long stems.  They were in the sunroom.  About 1/4 inch growth.  I wonder if they are alive.

Of the potatoes that I planted on 3.1.19, all are alive and very lush.  As are the ones that I planted later.
That is despite some frosts and the soil being chilly.  There are also potatoes growing in some of the garden beds that  missed when  digging potatoes last year and some that have overwintered for 2 or 3 consecutive winters.

For those rows where the potato plants are taller than their trenches, I filled in soil so there are several inches of stem below soil level now.  I mixed in some organic MoreCrop vegetable fertilizer.  This is the first year I have done that.  I had also mixed in some at planting time, which might be why they are so lush.

There are more than planned.  I go overboard, plus there were those that I saved from overwintering in the garage.  Those had long sprouts, 1 or 2 feet long, that I broke off, then allowed new sprouts to form before planting.  Those are doing just as well as the new ones.

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Chitting Potatoes. 2.20.19

Seed Potatoes, Kinnebec.  2.19.19

Seed Potato Labels.  2.19.19
These are the first batches of potatoes that I plan to plant.   I bought 2 packages at the hardware store, Kinnebec and Russian Banana.  Not having grown either variety before, it's nice to try.

I had lots of the smaller size russets in the garage over the winter, with 6 inch or longer sprouts.  I broke off the sprouts, and am chitting them in a sunny window so new, stouter sprouts with shorter interstems will grow.  
Russet Seed Potatoes from Garage, Overwinter.  2.19.19

More Russets from Garage.  2.19.19

Russian Banana Seed Potatoes.  2.19.19
I still have packages of Yukon Gold, Red Norland, and I think some fresh Idaho Russet seed potatoes.  That's enough.  I don't know if the overwintered ones will work, or produce as much.  I'll wait a couple of weeks before chitting the other batches.  Too much to plant, otherwise.