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  • From: John and Katy Ehrlich <johnkaty AT shaw.ca>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions
  • Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:11:57 -0700

How much do you expect to get per pound?  Retail and wholesale?

I planted 800# this year and purchased the FP100 Chechi/Magli digger.

Thanks, John 

On 6-Jun-10, at 7:58 AM, Richard Stewart wrote:

We panted an acre of mixed Kennecec and Red Pontiac.  This is our first year growing such a large amount of potatoes.  Our total seed purchase was 2, 250# purchased in three orders from our,no lie, locally owned hardware store.  No shipping charges as it was shipped with the rest of their seeds and grass seeds.

We allowed two weeks between plantings.  The first was 650# the second was 1000# and the third was 600#.  This allowed us to better gauge our needs and not over purchase.

We also purchased a PTO 3pt single row chain digger from Wilisie up in Canada at the Farm show in Louisville this past winter and got a farm show deal with zero shipping.

After the ground was prepared (manure spread last fall on corn ground, chisel plowed prior to freeze, and disked then tilled in spring) we cut guide rows with a single hilling disk...call 'em 1" deep...to act as planting guides.  We then handed planted cuttings.  When then used a tractor to hill immediately upon planting.  Later we use the same tool bar with additional sweeps to hill a second time and weed between rows.  Considering its all bottom ground with high density of both johnson grass and giant rag weed, this method has worked amazingly well.  With all this heat this year the potatoes are already in heavy bloom.  

Come late July our first harvest will be single rows with the harvest being sized and placed into totes by volunteers who will receive a meal, drinks, and 50 to 100# of potatoes for their effort.

This is our first attempt at producing more than a couple thousand pounds of potatoes.  Once we have things figured out its my plan to invest in a planter.

I use ZERO mulch right now and treat the potatoes as any other crop and cultivate.  Maybe once we start working wheat into our crop rotation (this fall) for a soft red whole wheat flour we may use our own straw, but I see little need as of yet.  That opinion may change if weed control issues truly become a problem.  Right now though mechanical cultivation seems to work ok.

I've been posting our potato attempts on our Facebook page for those interested in viewing...


Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855

(513) 967-1106


On Jun 6, 2010, at 10:30 AM, Bill Shoemaker wrote:

After reading about it in Organic Gardening, I tried using straw mulch over Kennebec potatoes a long time ago. I created a normal planting furrow, laid out the seed potatoes, then covered with loose wheat straw. I made it about 12" thick. They grew up through the mulch fine. There were no weeds, except a few that pulled easy. The potatoes grew beautifully and were easy to harvest, large and clean. However, the mulch was loose. I'm not sure how well the shoots of the potatoers would push up through rolloed out bales.

Bill

---- Original message ----
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2010 06:24:51 -0700
From: <clearviewfarm AT bluefrog.com>  
Subject: [Market-farming]  Potato Planting Suggestions  
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>

Have any of you put down seed potatoes, then covered them with a rolled-out round bale of hay or straw?  If so, how thick of a mat do you think is best?  Is it better to put some soil over the top of the seeds first?  

Thanks in advance,
Kurt Forman
Clearview Farm
Palmyra, NY 14522

--- grizzdover AT gmail.com wrote:

From: grizzdover AT gmail.com
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] Potato Digger Suggestions
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2010 06:54:35 -0500

Hello All,

Out of fear of a farm crew mutiny : ) we've decided to purchase a
tractor powered potato digger.  I have had experience with the PTO
driven type of digger, but have just recently seen some that are
powered with hydraulics.  Are there reasons to choose one type over
the other (we have the option of using either with our tractor)?
Also, I have seen two distinct "styles" of PTO driven:  1. Chain
Conveyor Belt and 2. Italian Shaker Basket.  The digger I've used
before was the "conveyor belt" style and it seemed to be alittle rough
on the spudskin (new word?).  I've heard the shaker basket style is
supposed to be more gentle.  Any thoughts?
Are there any reccomendations of models or brands, or more importantly
any to stay away from?

Thanks in advance

Ben
Turtle Farm
Granger, Iowa
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William H Shoemaker, UI-Crop Sciences
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road  St Charles, IL  60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610
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John and Katy Ehrlich
Alderlea Farm
3390 Glenora Rd
Duncan, BC V9L 6S1
250 715-0799








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