Green thumb is itching, anyone else?

[Sooner]

Do the potato's have to have eyes before you cut them or can you just cut them and plant them? Some of the potato's in my tater bin have started to get teeny tiny eyes ( you almost have to have a magnifying glass to see them ) and I was just wandering if I could plant them like that or do I have to wait till the eyes get bigger. If I have to wait till they get bigger is their a way to make them do it faster?

I was hoping someone that has more experiance would answer this but here goes. According to the package there needs to be an eye that is described as a small indent. I had some that had already started growing but other spots that hadn't so I guess I will have to see how they do & let you know.

Hopefully NanaKat will come by to answer this for us.

 

[rancher hicks]

I was hoping someone that has more experiance would answer this but here goes. According to the package there needs to be an eye that is described as a small indent. I had some that had already started growing but other spots that hadn't so I guess I will have to see how they do & let you know.

Hopefully NanaKat will come by to answer this for us.

I've never planted taters but read that blue's are healthy. I just don't know where to buy starters. I was thinking about trying to use the feed bags like they do those bags they sell for growing potatoes in.
I thought I might cut out the top and bottom roll it down to start ,setting it in my raised bed and then as they grow fill it and roll it up til it's near the top of the bag.

The bags they sell are made out of the black mulching cloth and the feed bags are not water proof like the bags they sell.

 

[AliceMae]

About the potatoes ~ this will make some of you chuckle!

I had about 8 store-bought potatoes (some red, some white) left in the bag and forgotten under a new fresh bag. Well, when I found it, guess what - yup, they were all sprouted! I cut a chunk out around each "eye", left them for about 24 hours only on newspaper, planted them just cuz I had them and had the space in my garden. I didn't expect much, but every single one of them grew and produced!

However, don't take me too seriously cuz I'll try a lot of silly stuff.

 

[Chickenpoor]

I was hoping someone that has more experiance would answer this but here goes. According to the package there needs to be an eye that is described as a small indent. I had some that had already started growing but other spots that hadn't so I guess I will have to see how they do & let you know.

Hopefully NanaKat will come by to answer this for us.

Ok thank for the reply Sooner.

 

[GardenGal]

I always start my potato plants from healthy, store bought potatoes. I just stick them in a paper bag and leave them until they have eyes. They're really forgiving. I also start garlic from commercial stuff I let sprout. It's great!

I have a chicken-related question - I want to plant rhubarb but I've read the leaves are toxic. I'm concerned about planting rhubarb for fear our chickens will eat the leaves and croak. Anybody here growing rhubarb in the same yard as their chickens?

 

[AliceMae]

I always start my potato plants from healthy, store bought potatoes. I just stick them in a paper bag and leave them until they have eyes. They're really forgiving. I also start garlic from commercial stuff I let sprout. It's great!

I have a chicken-related question - I want to plant rhubarb but I've read the leaves are toxic. I'm concerned about planting rhubarb for fear our chickens will eat the leaves and croak. Anybody here growing rhubarb in the same yard as their chickens?

Hey GardenGal ~ Not to say for sure chickens won't peck at rhubarb but my chickens have never gone near the patch I have growing right next to my veggie garden. They will for sure wander in the veggies picking away at bugs, young plants and any ripe tomatoes.

They aren't supposed to be in that area of my property but if not watched - there they'll go!

 

[babymakes6]

My chickens, turkeys, and ducks all leave my 5 Rhubarb plants alone. I think God has given them an instinct to know which plants are good, and which should not be touched.

 

[hispoptart]

We get our potatoes from the garden shop, same place we get our plants that we don't want to start from seed. As for the potatoe bags, we didn't have any luck growing potatoes in them. We plant several hundred plants in the garden, but bought those just for the fun of it. We only got enough potatoes from the 2 bags to last us about a week. They were not as big as the ones from the garden either. We used the same soil, so not sure why they didn't do as well. We gave them away.

 

[GardenGal]

Thanks for the rhubarb advice.

I've grown potatoes for a few years now, and haven't had any luck growing them in fences or containers. I think that's because wild birds can't get in and eat the potato (sow) bugs. They grow like crazy if you plant them deep with lots of compost. These are some of my first potatoes. I didn't plant them, didn't even know what they were until I pulled the plant up! Boy, that was fun

 

[vclark321]

I am more than ready to get dirty! I have been dreaming and planning since January 1st! Here in Western Washington I can only get the plants started indoors early, but I have dedicated an extra room to being a nursery room! In it are my new chicks, mealworm bins and now my veggie starts! It is warm in there and smells like summer! The itch is in full swing!