Nevadans?

[americanvalkyrie]

I have really been enjoying the two varieties I planted, Purple Viking and Gold Rush. The Purple Vikings are like the red potatoes you buy at the store in texture, while the Gold Rush are a variety of Russet. Both are of course far better than the store potatoes!

I've been meaning to ask you. I harvested all of my potatoes weekend before last. There were a lot of really small ones that are just about the size of the seed potatoes I grew them from. How do I preserve them to plant next year? Is it even possible? Freeze them?

Put them in your garage, or someplace that's cold but not freezing, so the sugars can convert to starches. A paper bag or burlap sack is best storage, so they can breathe but can't get any light. But remember that if there's any possibility of disease in the potatoes, that'll carry on until next year (hence buying certified seed.) We like to save those for "crash hot potatoes." Boil them whole until fork-tender, then put them on an oiled baking sheet and smash them once or twice. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly, then bake at 450 until crispy. The kids love them, and they retain all original color.

The biggest reasons I haven't saved potato seed for next year:
1) They're way too tasty to conserve
2) I want an excuse to try a bunch of new ones next year
Selfish reasons, I know.

 

[NevadaRon]

Well now, maybe I'll have to rethink that whole saving seed potatoes idea! (For both reasons

)

Where did you get your potatoes?

 

[wolftracks]

OK I had a lot of catching up to do. Gotta chime in on the manure on the lawn. We had the best lawns when I was growing up and even when my stepdad was in a convelesant hospital before he died of cancer, they did. They had a horrible gardner and since in was in Yuma, the lawns burnt to a crisp. He always started with steer manure. Every year, he would cover our lawn in it. You have to keep it week for lake 2 weeks till is works in, but it gives you a beautiful lawn. If you start with that it will help the the lawn and anything else you want to come in richer latter on. The newspapers went soy in like 1998 to 299 if I remember. It will actually kill whats under if, so it's the paper, but all you have to do later is reseed the lawn and it will grow like crazy. BTW, he grew potatoes like this in as long as I can remember, and we always had a lawn afterwards that everyone would comment on.

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Well now, maybe I'll have to rethink that whole saving seed potatoes idea! (For both reasons

)

Where did you get your potatoes?

www.mainepotatolady.com

The shipping cost is kind of steep, but altogether it was still cheaper than other mail-order potato places I've tried. The low cost for the actual potatoes makes up for it!

 

[NevadaRon]

Plus if we combined an order we should save on shipping...

ETA: I'll look over her site tonight and let you know if I'm interested in anything.

 

[americanvalkyrie]

She doesn't have prices on there right now, as her way of ensuring people don't try to order when she's not shipping for the rest of the year. But I paid about $6 per 2.5-lb bag of potatoes, which gave me a good 20 seed potatoes each (which I could cut into 2-3 per potato.) The fingerlings were a little bit more, but not extraordinarily so.

No big rush right now. Last year I ordered in February, which was perfect timing to get in on the shipping queue.

 

[2seth2]

Try not to stress! It is such a fun show! I have long brown hair and will be wearing a gray NNPFA tshirt(possibly with a jacket IT IS CHILLY in the building first thing in the AM.
Just a reminder: be sure to check your birds and dust/spray your birds for mites/lice if u see any evidence. (2 dustings3-4 days apart will kill the adults and newly hatched eggs...dust doesn't get the eggs) Make sure birds are clean....I bathe all my chickens 3-4 days before the day of judging and keep birds on fresh shavings. This extra time allows the natural oils to return to the feathers... I use 3 wash tubs 1st mild soap(ivory) 2nd plain water(with drop of bluing for white birdsbut not too much) and 3rd is a second rinse with white vinegar to cut soap residue and really brings out the shine!
These are simply tips....a dirty bird or birds with bugs would be embarrassing. If the birds get a little poo on their feet in the show cage that is ok but dirty vents or caked on feathers isdifferent... you will see people primping on their birds until the judging starts. And many have all sorts ofthings they do to their birds. Vaseline or VetRx on combs/wattles and legs.finish sprays etc
Oh and I hope everyone brings a camera! I am always looking for candid shots of the show or birds....I get so busy that I miss alot. My daughter is a dirty blonde, her name is Heather and my Mom, Candy, will be at the raffle table ....yes I have forced my whole family into volunteering, since help are lacking help. DD is our club president, and show secretary, Greg is a big man but a sweet Teddy bear, Alex is stationed at the sale area and I even forced my best friend into helping out too! My hubby will be around too, usually getting bossed around by me

. (Sorry honey!)
But we are all ready to help u out! Oh and bring a chair and food if u want, we don't have afood vendor....and Tanners Flea Market is going on next door!

I am soooo lost

 

[SunnyDawn]

I'm going to be making a mass order to the same potato source that I did last year. I'll let you know when the time comes. I was going to give everyone the site, let them choose their potatoes and prepay me for those and their share of postage... and if anyone wants less than the 2.5-lb bags, I'd use the extras. The banana fingerlings were a massive hit.

I definitely want in on this again. I love the fingerling potatoes and this year won't be interrupted by a move. I don't even need 2.5 lbs of each cause I want to grow a large variety, so if someone wants to split the smallest order on a few of these I'm up for it.

 

[SunnyDawn]

www.mainepotatolady.com

The shipping cost is kind of steep, but altogether it was still cheaper than other mail-order potato places I've tried. The low cost for the actual potatoes makes up for it!

I want some Laratte again, Red Thumb, and French fingerlings. I also want to try Caribe, Red Gold, Dark Red Norland and Satina (so tempted to get Cobbler too). For mid-season I'd like some Yellow Finn, All Blue and Nicola.

 

[americanvalkyrie]

I want some Laratte again, Red Thumb, and French fingerlings. I also want to try Caribe, Red Gold, Dark Red Norland and Satina (so tempted to get Cobbler too). For mid-season I'd like some Yellow Finn, All Blue and Nicola.

Mmmm those sound great. I think I'm going to do Laratte, since I've heard great things about how prolific they are. Red Thumb for sure! I think I want to try Augusta because they sound beautiful, and Adirondack Red. AR was sold out by the time I ordered last year. The big performers for me were Purple Majesty and Peanut, but I think a lot of that had to do with where I planted them... right beside beans! All of the potatoes that did extremely well were beside beans, and I think that had to do with the nitrogen from the roots, in horrible dirt. But there will be a lot more compost in the garden this year. And since I'm not doing squash over there next year, all of that area will also be for potatoes.

If we can get more than 50lbs in an order, it's only $1/lb shipping.