# Potatoes Flowering: Question



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Is there any advantage to pinching off the flowers as they form on potato plants?


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

There is no proven advantage to removing potato blossoms. Unlike plants which divert all energy to seed production, potato blossoms take very little extra energy to produce. They are of such little importance that some plants don't even bother producing any. 

Martin


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

I usually have a lot of blossoms picked off by the mocking birds. Taters still grow well it seems.


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## Skip (Mar 13, 2008)

The potatoes blooming, is this a sign that the crop is at which point? I had started some potatoes back when we still had snow on the ground in spots, and am wondering when is it okay to peak for little potatoes?


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> Thanks, fellas. Now I can quit pinching my potato flowers and save all that pinching for something REALLY important.




i think CF needs one, lol.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Skip said:


> The potatoes blooming, is this a sign that the crop is at which point? I had started some potatoes back when we still had snow on the ground in spots, and am wondering when is it okay to peak for little potatoes?


Potato blooming is an indication that tubers are beginning to form. That does not always apply as some early varieties don't bother producing flowers on every plant. Although there are indeed some small ones then, it's usually not until the blossoms drop that you will find any big enough to bother with. 

Also, any potato taken is not replaced with another. At that point, there are only a set number of tuber branches and when one is removed, another new one is not grown.

Martin


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## rufus (May 25, 2006)

Also, any potato taken is not replaced with another. At that point, there are only a set number of tuber branches and when one is removed, another new one is not grown.

Martin[/QUOTE]

Err, does that mean that if new potatoes are robbed before the flowers set, they will be replaced?


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

Only if you have a good recipe for fried potato blossoms.


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

The deer came and ate mine off last year!!! I had plenty of potatoes though - didn't seem to hurt them.


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## Skip (Mar 13, 2008)

Do I still keep hilling the plants once they have set flowers? I am hoping the answer is no. I believe the weather up here must have been most favourable for potatoes because mine are bigger than my tomatoe plants.


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## Skip (Mar 13, 2008)

Does any one know when the point of hilling potatoes because of no positive affect? I'm running out of materials to hill mine with.


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i'd say you are probably good if you have 6-8 inches of mulch/dirt/whatever that won't shrink down on you before harvest time.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Skip said:


> Does any one know when the point of hilling potatoes because of no positive affect? I'm running out of materials to hill mine with.


If you have them hilled 8" above the seed piece, that's enough. After the aboveground growth is 3 or 4 inches tall, the plant will have produced all of the stolons for tuber development. At that point, hilling sufficient to cover the tubers and prevent sunburn is all that is needed.

Martin


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## Skip (Mar 13, 2008)

Thank you for your replies. I'm having a love hate relationship with these potato plants. I planted them too close together and the row too wide, so hilling has been a challenge. Now they have pretty purple flowers on them. For all the work I am anxious to see what I harvest?


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## hengal (Mar 7, 2005)

Skip said:


> I believe the weather up here must have been most favourable for potatoes because mine are bigger than my tomatoe plants.



Mine too! Isn't that strange??? I've never in my life seen potato plants this tall - at least mine have never been this tall - some are up to my hips (I'm 5'5")
A friend I work with said hers are really tall this year also.
Hey, as long as the action is taking place under the ground I'm not going to complain.


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## Lynne (May 10, 2002)

MELOC said:


> i think CF needs one, lol.


That's what I was thinking too :rotfl:


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## Skip (Mar 13, 2008)

Hengal this is my first time growing potatoes so I have nothing to compare with. You'll have to let me know once you harvest your's if the harvest was more favourable than other years.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Nothing wrong with big plants, either. Bigger plants make bigger potatoes. And the longer I continue to plant them in their own little patch each year, the bigger they get. Seems that they never do use up much of the available nutrients and the soil becomes more and more to their liking. This has proven especially so with the Kennebecs which are now in the 18th season of even growing in the exact same row! I would not doubt that there may be some vines close to 6' long. I'm expecting some giant potatoes to go along with them.

Martin


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## Oceanrose (Mar 25, 2005)

I'm growing potatoes for the first time ever and I'm using trash cans. Mine just started flowering today and are about 6 inches taller than the top of the can. I'm interested to see how they end up! The blossoms are quite pretty I wasn't really expecting that part.


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## Cara (May 9, 2002)

I harvested two plants of my extra earlies yesterday. They were much bigger than I expected, but there weren't very many on each plant. I am hoping the main crop is better.

And a 'tater head question. What is the best way to store the ones you want to keep for seed next year?


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

Skip said:


> Does any one know when the point of hilling potatoes because of no positive affect? I'm running out of materials to hill mine with.


 I never hill mine - ever! and its one of the most prolific crops I have.
I plant them in rows, not hills and never touch them til I'm ready to harvest


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## hengal (Mar 7, 2005)

Skip said:


> Hengal this is my first time growing potatoes so I have nothing to compare with. You'll have to let me know once you harvest your's if the harvest was more favourable than other years.



I'll do that. Now after reading Martin's post I'm getting excited about the possibilities of a great crop!:happy:


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

mnn2501 said:


> I never hill mine - ever! and its one of the most prolific crops I have.
> I plant them in rows, not hills and never touch them til I'm ready to harvest


If planted deep enough, hilling would not be needed. However, planting them deep enough in northern zones is an invitation to having the whole planting simply rot in the soil. There needs to be a tuber production zone of 6 to 8 inches. Less than that and there will be exposed tubers.

Martin


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

I plant mine about 3 inches and have never had a problem, even when living in central Wisconsin (which I have not lived there for about 15 years) - I do have loose soil with plenty of organics mixed in. (I've always followed the idea that you grow good dirt and the dirt grows your veggies)
I think this year I had 2 potatoes hit the surface out of about 100 plants, to me its just not worth the extra work to save 2 more potatoes.

But... you do what you need to for your location and soil type


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