Your comments and tips

10 Apr 12, Clive (Australia - temperate climate)

I have several boxes of small potatoes left over from a crop I grew from certified seed potatoes last summer. I would like to plant them this coming spring, (August onward) but they are already statrting to sprout. If I siply remove the sprouts now and keep them dry and in the dark, will they be suitable for planting in 12-16 weeks time? Thanks for anyones interest, Regards, Clive.

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09 Jan 12, Michelle (Australia - temperate climate)

We had 6-8 potato plants grow after planting. We built up the dirt with bricks around them, but now all but two have died once covered with more dirt. I was told you could harvest once they flowered and they have been in the ground for a good two to three months. However, when we dug them up there was only two pea sized potatoes on one of the vines, which was disappointing to say the least. Any ideas?

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13 Feb 12, (Australia - temperate climate)

Wait for ur plants to die off completely and then harvest meanwhile put some compost or veg peels , grass cuttings on the soil.. And if yur plant has disease I may suggest plant afresh in a fresh spot with heaps of compost and loose soil and give ur plant a bit of room.. Use season once a week and u ll be amazed by the produce:)

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03 Feb 12, James (Australia - temperate climate)

I had the same problem but I was growing them in winter, which season were you growing in? Generally the longer you leave the potatoes the larger they get, it should be harvest time when the plant starts to die. Give them a bit more time. Did you add any nutrients to the soil? Other than that I can't think of where you may have gone wrong, maybe the potatoes were disease infested, did the dying plants appear to be suffering from disease?

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03 Jan 12, Gina (Australia - temperate climate)

I have grown potatoes several times but never had flowers. I harvest potatoes (when I get sick of waiting for the flowers) but can't understand why everyones says "wait till it flowers". Do all varieties flower??

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06 Jan 12, Tracey (Australia - temperate climate)

No, not all potato varieties flower. If you have the patience, wait until the plant dies, then you can be sure you've waited long enough. If I'm after new potatoes I start bandicooting at around the 90 day mark, or when the plant starts to look a bit ratty.

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07 Nov 11, Sylvana (Australia - temperate climate)

The potato plants in our pre-school are starting to die down and ready for harvest in about two weeks. The children are eager to harvest them. Can the pre-school catering cook, clean and cook the potatoes immediately after harvesting them, or do they have to cure first for 10 days? thank you Grandmother to a pre-schooler Sylvana

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07 Nov 11, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Sylvana - Yes, you can use the potatoes straight away. They will be delicious 'new' potatoes which just need their skins rubbed off before cooking. The drying time is to ensure that potatoes will keep in storage. It hardens the skins.

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21 Jun 11, Arthur (Australia - temperate climate)

I put my sweet potatoes in a cardboard box in dry sand two weeks ago close to a heater inside the house.Checking I found little white shoots apearing.Ive planted some I.ll let you how the are going in about three weeks time'

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14 Apr 11, stella (Australia - temperate climate)

i had thrown few potatoes that i didnt use in a make shift compost pot..but now there has been 2 potato plants growing they are like 15cm tall..will i be able to harvest potatoes from there???

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