Veg Growing potatoes in the fall and winter?

[parsonswife]

I saw an ad for “fall planting seed potatoes” I didn’t know you could grow them during winter......is this just for some locations?

 

[China Connection]

Might be for under glass or plastic etc. In other words insulated growing conditions.

 

[frazbo]

I saw an ad for “fall planting seed potatoes” I didn’t know you could grow them during winter......is this just for some locations?

Did a search on it and it can be done...raised beds not recommended but that's all I have, I live on a limestone plate...keep potatoes uncut, right before the first frost, plant about 8 in deep...do a search, after reading some of the sites, they're all basically the same, I'm going to try it, I have a good crop so I can sacrifice some to see if it works, and make sure the raised beds are well insulated. I live in southern MO and our winters are not that bad.

I'm excited about this...thanks for posting the question because I'd never had thought about it.

 

[summerthyme]

Just remember that while the tubers can survive just fine over the winter, the foliage is *very* frost tender. Planting seed potatoes in the fall may give you a bit of a head start on Spring growth, especially if you tend to have wet weather in the Spring that keeps you out of the garden in the early season. But be ready to hill or cover the plants if frost threatens!

Also, while intentionally planting healthy seed tubers may work out, *don't* allow "volunteer" potato plants to grow from tubers accidently left in the ground at harvest, *unless* you are absolutely certain you had *no* diseases in the patch the previous year.

Late blight, scab and other nasty diseases only survive in living plant tissue (which is what potatoes are) so even if you had disease problems in the garden, you may be able to grow healthy plants by planting healthy certified seed stock. But volunteer plants are the biggest source of blight infection in areas where it's a problem.

Summerthyme

 

[dioptase]

When I harvested my Dark Red Norland potatoes back in August (from a raised bed), I apparently missed some because now there is potato foliage coming up. This was the first time ever that I planted potatoes (certified seed potatoes) in that spot, so I am just leaving them there. We are in a Zone 9 climate and the weather won't get too cold until late December, and I think I may be able to get a harvest in before then.

Meanwhile, I had some shriveled Russett seed potatoes that I got this spring and never planted (no room). Those are now in a fabric bag and the foliage is coming along nicely. Ditto I plan on harvesting in December. The potatoes won't be as numerous or as large compared to if they were grown in a raised bed, but still worth the effort, I think.

What kind of harvest I will get from either, I don't know, but I figured it is worth a shot.

 

[frazbo]

When I harvested my Dark Red Norland potatoes back in August (from a raised bed), I apparently missed some because now there is potato foliage coming up. This was the first time ever that I planted potatoes (certified seed potatoes) in that spot, so I am just leaving them there. We are in a Zone 9 climate and the weather won't get too cold until late December, and I think I may be able to get a harvest in before then.

Meanwhile, I had some shriveled Russett seed potatoes that I got this spring and never planted (no room). Those are now in a fabric bag and the foliage is coming along nicely. Ditto I plan on harvesting in December. The potatoes won't be as numerous or as large compared to if they were grown in a raised bed, but still worth the effort, I think.

What kind of harvest I will get from either, I don't know, but I figured it is worth a shot.

I agree. You have to experiment with your garden to see what works and what doesn't for your zone all throughout the year. That's how we learn!

 

[naturallysweet]

Assuming, you don't have heavy clay or a deep hard freeze that freezes the ground hard to where the potatoes are planted. You can plant potatoes in the fall. They won't grow tell spring.

 

[dioptase]

Well, arguably it's "fall" now (though we are in for another week of hot weather this coming week). The foliage is coming along nicely both in the raised bed and in the fabric bag, so something is growing. We won't get a light freeze until around Thanksgiving Day, IF then... more like sometime in December. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The fabric bag wouldn't have been used for anything else until next spring anyway, so no problem there (other than the hassle of hauling water). I lose part of a raised bed where the Dark Red Norland potatoes are, but I guess I will survive.