As many of you know, we have struggled greatly with growing potatoes. We’ve tried a couple of different containers, a couple of different soil and straw combinations, and a couple of different spots in the garden (full sun, patrial shade, etc.) and have yet to perfect the perfect growing conditions in which to produce a significant potato harvest.
So, given that all of our past efforts haven’t paid off, we’re trying something a little different this year!
I recently read here that pinching off the beautiful flowers that appear mid season can encourage further tuber development! When I read that I thought, “Of course! Flowers suck all the life out of lots of edibles! How have I not thought of this earlier?!” Oh well…there’s no time like the present, right? If we were growing gobs and gobs of potatoes, this wouldn’t really be feasible…but on a small scale operation like ours? Totally doable!
Whether this helps or not will (unfortunately) not be told for a couple more months, but the promise of (more than a handful of) homegrown potatoes is more than worth the few minutes it took to pinch off a few flowers.
xoxo,
M
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Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop #120, Tuesday Greens #38,
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #82, HomeAcre Hop #29,
From the Farm Blog Hop
Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop #120, Tuesday Greens #38,
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #82, HomeAcre Hop #29,
From the Farm Blog Hop
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9 Comments
Carol J. Alexander
I want an update. I stink at growing potatoes. Thanks for sharing on the HomeAcre Hop. Please come back and share with us this week: http://everythinghomewithcarol.com/the-self-sufficient-homemaker-hop-10/
Becky Elmuccio
Fingers crossed that it helps! Thanks for sharing on Tuesday Greens!
Shane Floyd
I loved your article, it was very informative…would love it if you hopped on by our blog hop on Sunday…The Homesteaders Hop.
http://www.modernhomesteaders.net
Bee Girl
Hi Shane! Thanks for popping over and for the invite! I’ll pop over!
Jennifer - The Deliberate Mom
Oh yes! I just planted potatoes this year… this is good to know. Thanks!
xoxo
Bee Girl
Hopefully it works for both of us!!!
Stoney Acres
That’s one I’ve never heard before. We have a big row of potatoes this year. Maybe I will take the flowers off on some and leave some on and compare the harvest!
Our best success with potatoes has always come from planting them directly in the soil and then mounding around the plants as they grow. We never had much luck in containers.
Bee Girl
I’d love to have the space to devote a patch of dirt to potatoes each year! some day 🙂 I’d be curious to see what happens with yours if you decide to go ahead with your experiment!
Jocelyn
I agree–try anything you can to see what works. I’d do the same.
Good luck to you. I always have problems with potatoes as well.