Monday 6 January 2014

Questions About Potatoes

Not a "real" post, not really telling you anything, just asking.  I could ask Google but I thought I'd live like our ancestors and ask people instead... except on the internet.
Just asking about growing potatoes.
My potatoes seem to grow fine; guarded against heat as much as possible and not over-watered, they seem to grow well.  The thing that concerns me is the plants all die before they flower, which I've never had before. A few potatoes are produced (any are a bonus!) but I'm wondering if something I'm doing or something in the environment may be causing the lack of flowers.
It's the potatoes I've planted in Brisbane that haven't produced flowers; in previous seasons I was living in Maryborough.
Would I have a better crop from the same plants if they did flower?
Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome!
Signed with gardeny goodness,
Cassandra Louise.

14 comments:

  1. Honestly, I wouldn't have a clue about potatoes! It's my first year of growing veggies and grasshoppers have eaten most of them. Hope you get some good advice from Team IBOT.

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    1. Grasshoppers are my greatest nemesis! I'm not certain, but I blame them for eating my strawberries just as they ripened. Grrr!

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  2. I can't help you sorry, I haven't grown potatoes since I was a kid. Are you growing them at the right time of the year?

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    1. They would grow all year long in Maryborough... maybe the climate in Brisbane is more different than I thought. Hmmm... :-/

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  3. I know exactly what you are going through, I had the same problem with my potato plants! Find out what happened in the post I wrote at the time!!!! http://redlandcityliving.com/the-impatient-gardener/ LOL

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  4. No idea! Never grown potatoes!

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  5. I've never grown potatoes, sorry. If not the climate, what exactly are you planting? Any chance you got a *gasp* GM batch, say from the supermarket? :/ Does that even happen with those? ? #teamIBOT

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    1. Even in Maryborough I've always been lazy/resourceful and just planted any potatoes I found sprouting in the pantry. Always flowered in Maryborough but six plants so far with no flowers in Brisbane. :-/

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  6. My sister-in-law plants potatoes in large planters with a little bit of potting soil and a lot of hay/straw. She just keeps them watered and when they mature, she turns the bucket over and dumps out the potatoes.

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    1. Sounds like a good system! I plant mine in pots but I've never used straw. :-)

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  7. I've just grown some potatoes, the plants did flower, and I am not sure whether I planted them at the right time or not. I grew them in a pot with normal dirt and some sheep poo and then just tipped the pot out to harvest the spuds. In my Gardening Australia diary it says they need sun and to plant in autumn, spring.

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    1. Well mine went in in Spring so I guess I'll see how they went for sure when the last plant finishes. :-) x

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