Don’t potatoes have trouble bulking up the tubers in hot (80+) soil? Isn’t that why you should plant early?
It depends on how quickly your soil heats up, which can depend on soil moisture level, hours of direct sun and mulch thickness. Use a soil thermometer to get an idea of your soil’s temp characteristics. Raised beds supposedly heat up more quickly, but if they are heavily mulched, maybe not so much.
You can also plant in the heat of the summer so that when the soil cools and days shorten, the tubers will form fine. These can be left in the ground in some zones (and areas protected from voles) until December.
My loamy soil heats up quickly but also cools down quickly. Fairly large diurnal variation.
I am going to mulch with straw after hilling them.
Seems to me I most always planted potatoes with the rows running east and west. Not sure why, now that I think of it. But, by hilling the potatoes more with each cultivation, the side of the ridge facing north was always shaded even in hot of summer. Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice any problems with size of potatoes due to summer heat?
Don’t know…
It keeps them really cool and moist
Planted them two weeks ago tomorrow. Not a single one breaking the surface yet, but until Thursday it had been cold.
After the sub-20 weather I poked into my potato bed - they look alive and fine so I’ll just wait
Where are you? Because I planted mine like three days after you and have nothing resembling that.
About 40 miles East of Tallahassee Florida. Monticello…
That explains it!
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April 14 last year, I had plants like this.
This year as of this morning…not a thing. Planted within a day or two of the same date.
I think cooler temps explains it, but I’m still mildly concerned.
I wouldn’t worry too much. Everything of mine seems to be a couple of weeks behind where things were last year.
I have about three that have broken the surface as of today. Two Kennebec, and one Desiree.
Of course, we probably have another freeze warning tomorrow night.
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And now we have a freeze warning. I wonder if they’re at a point where I should throw at least a few leaves or something over top of them tonight.
Mine are only barely popping up, it might’ve been fine anyway, but I did throw just a handful of half composted leaves from last fall over top of the ones popping up, which I will remove once it is above freezing.
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I planted three varieties, 10 of each.
Five of ten Kennebecs have broken
8 Desiree
Only 1 German Butterball, which has me concerned
