Other Potatoes

I harvested the other potato bed this morning before it got too hot. There were half as many potatoes by weight (about 20 pounds total) from this bed and many of the potatoes were quite small. I thought I had planted Yukon Gold, but it turns out I think I planted Russets. This is the bed where the Yukon Gold I had bought failed to sprout once in the ground and I had grabbed potatoes that had sprouted from the garage.

This is a bit disappointing, but I suspect I should try to learn from it. Things to remember for next year include making sure I sprout the seed indoors instead of in the greenhouse. This bed also lacked the same friability that the other bed had. The soil was just a bit more compact and needs a fair amount of compost. This bed had more Colorado Potato Beetles and the plants didn't grow as vigorously, suggesting either deficiency in nutrients or poor seed to start with. So, there is a combination of factors.

So, all together, I harvested about 56 pounds of potatoes. That would translate to about a pound per week if Kathy and I tried to live off them. That is not sufficient. Next year, I will double the area devoted to potatoes (at least 4 beds). Assuming I get seed that will grow at the rate of the Pontiac Red's bed, I would expect 144 pounds, which is almost 2 pounds per week, much closer to what the two of us would actually consume. Ultimately, I probably need to double that, assuming I will have more than just the two of us to feed.