I have just found your channel and I'm enjoying it. Can you please say how big your container is for your potatoes in this video and also what is the purpose of continuing to add the soil I didn't understand that part. Thank you.
Hi, Lisa. The cloth grow bags that I used are 16" in diameter and 16" tall. They hold 50 qts of potting mix. The black plastic containers that I'm using are about the same height and they are 10-gal pots. These 2 types of containers have worked really well for us. The purpose of continuing to add the soil is to encourage additional potatoes to develop along the stem of the potato plant. I'm sorry I wasn't more clear about that.
I planted my potatoes march 20th here in SE Nebraska [zone 5b] and they are just now starting to bring up green sprouts. It started snowing today and expect a hard freeze for the next 2 nights. I simply covered them with a thick layer of straw. Hoping they survive. I should have watched your video.
I also have raised beds and I find it impossible to hill up the potatoes because of the soil being close to the top of the edges. Can you explain to me, how you are able to keep hilling up around the potatoes without the soil falling out the raised bed? Thanks.
You can hill them up in a raised bed if you make a trench, as I explained near the end. I prefer not to do that in my raised beds, so I use the method that I first demonstrated. I find it easier to use the hilling method in containers.
@@SusansInTheGarden Thank you!! I don't know how I missed that first explanation. I did exactly as you said in the first demonstrate. So now I can stop worrying about my potatoes😊
Thank you for the video 🤗 always happy to see a notification about your new video. I did something silly, I read few months ago that you can half the big potatoes and plant them as you did, I only missed the information that you meant to half them just the day before you plant them and not many many days in advance 🤷🤦 They still survived, shriveled a bit, I still planted them, we will se how they turn out. First year growing them in big 30 liter pots. 😊 Greetings, Judit
Great show as always. I am planting potatoes this year in burlap bags. It should be fun to see what we get at the end of the season.I was going to plant the potatoes this week , and it snowed. What can you do?...LOL.My asparagus is coming up gang busters , even with the snow. When spring comes, the plants start giving us such wonders that are so delicious. I love the Spring. Take care.
I always forget to mention this (although it's in the video descriptions now) but I'm in zone 5b. I live in Spokane, Wash., which is generally in zone 6 but we're in a microclimate which puts us more in 5b. I'm so glad you're enjoying my videos, thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Hi, Renee. I agree, it is confusing! I don't give my potato plantings much fertilizer at all. I usually add a bit of bone meal to the soil because it's high in phosphorus (the middle number on the package). I know a lot of sources suggest a balanced fertilizer for growing potatoes, which means there are equal proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (i.e., 10-10-10). I only use organic fertilizers.
Do you plant determinate or indeterminate potatoes? I buy the determinate so I don’t have to hill them, the instructions indicated that they will only grow in that level and do not need to be hilled, are they incorrect?
That is a very interesting question. I grow a mix of determinates and indeterminates. It is my understanding that the determinates don't need that layering process although I feel the hilling process will encourage more growth which is helpful to produce a nice crop of potatoes.
Hi, Elizabeth. I bought it at Gardener's Supply. It is by far my favorite and most useful tool. You can find more information on it in my "Susan's Essential Garden Tools" video: th-cam.com/video/WzIsuaH24Gc/w-d-xo.html
It might be important to mention that the adding soil as it grows only works for indeterminate potatoes 🥔. I find that grow bags only produce small potatoes 🥔. Anything smaller then 2 inches gets left in the garden to freeze and rot away during the winter in my in ground beds
Hi Susan, I'm thinking about your potatoe spacing. You space 1ft or 12 inches apart as I saw, but how do the potatoes not overcrowd or compete for space this way as they grow? Do you do this for maincrop or the early only?
@@kittypurr71 I should clarify that 1' spacing is standard practice for planting potatoes. We have always gotten a good harvest and full-sized potatoes for the majority of each harvest (there's always a little guy here and there).
@@SusansInTheGarden thanks for clarifying, I've always planted further apart so I can weed and hill. I just thought too crowded would give a small yield.
Hi, Melinda. When we first made our raised beds, we knew we'd be covering the paths with landscape fabric and a few inches of bark mulch, so we scraped the top 2-3" of soil off the paths and filled the beds with them. That gave us most of what we needed but we also added in organic compost, grass clippings (we don't use herbicides on our lawn), and some shredded leaves.
This is a great book!
A neighbor gave me a bunch of seed potatoes. So this year I am going to try my hand at growing them in a pot. So far they are doing really well. 👏
Awesome!
Thank you Susan! Always good. Happy Spring 🌱🌺🍃😊
Thank you! You too!
Great informative video.
Can't wait for the book :)
Thanks, Mary!
Thank you! So timely and informative!
Glad it was helpful, Diane!
So very helpful!
I'm so glad!
Can't wait to see the update. This is my 1st year with potatoes. I think it's time to add dirt to mine. 🤔
Seed potatoes cut and drying on our table. Timely video!
Perfect!
Thanks for this useful video, Susan!
Glad it was helpful, Marilyn!
Thanks Susan great video,can’t wait to get my copy of your book
Thank you, Val!
I have just found your channel and I'm enjoying it. Can you please say how big your container is for your potatoes in this video and also what is the purpose of continuing to add the soil I didn't understand that part. Thank you.
Hi, Lisa. The cloth grow bags that I used are 16" in diameter and 16" tall. They hold 50 qts of potting mix. The black plastic containers that I'm using are about the same height and they are 10-gal pots. These 2 types of containers have worked really well for us. The purpose of continuing to add the soil is to encourage additional potatoes to develop along the stem of the potato plant. I'm sorry I wasn't more clear about that.
@@SusansInTheGarden No no problem. Thank you. I can't wait to try the grow bags.
I planted my potatoes march 20th here in SE Nebraska [zone 5b] and they are just now starting to bring up green sprouts. It started snowing today and expect a hard freeze for the next 2 nights. I simply covered them with a thick layer of straw. Hoping they survive. I should have watched your video.
That is so frustrating. You might cover them with a tarp as well.
I also have raised beds and I find it impossible to hill up the potatoes because of the soil being close to the top of the edges. Can you explain to me, how you are able to keep hilling up around the potatoes without the soil falling out the raised bed? Thanks.
You can hill them up in a raised bed if you make a trench, as I explained near the end. I prefer not to do that in my raised beds, so I use the method that I first demonstrated. I find it easier to use the hilling method in containers.
@@SusansInTheGarden Thank you!! I don't know how I missed that first explanation. I did exactly as you said in the first demonstrate. So now I can stop worrying about my potatoes😊
Good informative video, ordering your book!
Awesome, thank you!
Thank you for the video 🤗 always happy to see a notification about your new video. I did something silly, I read few months ago that you can half the big potatoes and plant them as you did, I only missed the information that you meant to half them just the day before you plant them and not many many days in advance 🤷🤦 They still survived, shriveled a bit, I still planted them, we will se how they turn out. First year growing them in big 30 liter pots. 😊 Greetings, Judit
Plants are very resilient so they will probably surprise you! Have a lovely day, Judit.
Great show as always. I am planting potatoes this year in burlap bags. It should be fun to see what we get at the end of the season.I was going to plant the potatoes this week , and it snowed. What can you do?...LOL.My asparagus is coming up gang busters , even with the snow. When spring comes, the plants start giving us such wonders that are so delicious. I love the Spring. Take care.
Oh my. I hope the snow is short-lived! Hang in there.
Thank you. Love your channel. Question: what zone are you?
I always forget to mention this (although it's in the video descriptions now) but I'm in zone 5b. I live in Spokane, Wash., which is generally in zone 6 but we're in a microclimate which puts us more in 5b. I'm so glad you're enjoying my videos, thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Susan, what type of fertilizer do you use on your potatoes, if any? I am always confused bout that. Thank you
Hi, Renee. I agree, it is confusing! I don't give my potato plantings much fertilizer at all. I usually add a bit of bone meal to the soil because it's high in phosphorus (the middle number on the package). I know a lot of sources suggest a balanced fertilizer for growing potatoes, which means there are equal proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (i.e., 10-10-10). I only use organic fertilizers.
Do you plant determinate or indeterminate potatoes? I buy the determinate so I don’t have to hill them, the instructions indicated that they will only grow in that level and do not need to be hilled, are they incorrect?
That is a very interesting question. I grow a mix of determinates and indeterminates. It is my understanding that the determinates don't need that layering process although I feel the hilling process will encourage more growth which is helpful to produce a nice crop of potatoes.
Susan, where did you buy your garden kneeling pad? I really need one of those!
A few weeks ago she did a video on her favorite tools for the garden and she talks about it. Good video! 😊
@@kileyrobinson2550 Thank you Kiley! Have a fruitful day!
Hi, Elizabeth. I bought it at Gardener's Supply. It is by far my favorite and most useful tool. You can find more information on it in my "Susan's Essential Garden Tools" video: th-cam.com/video/WzIsuaH24Gc/w-d-xo.html
@@SusansInTheGarden thank you Susan!
It might be important to mention that the adding soil as it grows only works for indeterminate potatoes 🥔.
I find that grow bags only produce small potatoes 🥔.
Anything smaller then 2 inches gets left in the garden to freeze and rot away during the winter in my in ground beds
Hi Susan, I'm thinking about your potatoe spacing. You space 1ft or 12 inches apart as I saw, but how do the potatoes not overcrowd or compete for space this way as they grow? Do you do this for maincrop or the early only?
Hi, Sheila. I only grow a main crop and have used this spacing for decades with no problems.
@@SusansInTheGarden thanks for getting back, I guess I would just ask how is the yield and size of potatoes?
@@kittypurr71 I should clarify that 1' spacing is standard practice for planting potatoes. We have always gotten a good harvest and full-sized potatoes for the majority of each harvest (there's always a little guy here and there).
@@SusansInTheGarden thanks for clarifying, I've always planted further apart so I can weed and hill. I just thought too crowded would give a small yield.
@@kittypurr71 No problem at all!
What kind of soil do you put in your raised beds? Thank you!
Hi, Melinda. When we first made our raised beds, we knew we'd be covering the paths with landscape fabric and a few inches of bark mulch, so we scraped the top 2-3" of soil off the paths and filled the beds with them. That gave us most of what we needed but we also added in organic compost, grass clippings (we don't use herbicides on our lawn), and some shredded leaves.
Miss Susan May I know the dimension of your plat garden, how wide ANG how long ?
Hello, Napoleon. Do you mean the size of my whole vegetable garden? If so, it is about 50'x75'.