Why I Plant Some of my Potatoes in Early Summer

"How soon can I plant my potatoes?"
This is a question I often get - but I seldom get asked how late they can be planted. I plant a few beds each year in late June, and even early July. There's a number of good reasons why I do this, and in this video I'll tell you all about them!
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[@klnkat6600]

So good to know when to plant. I had my first harvest this year and used the same method. I only used scraps and gone too soft potatoes and it produced a moderate harvest spontaneously. I was actually not planting intentionally, I was merely amending the soil to create a garden in an old shrub bed. I added cardboard box shreds, packing paper shreds, table scraps, weeds, mown grass and branches, right on top of my ornamental marble chip garden strip. I was shocked to see so many volunteer Yukon gold plants. No dig, no work, no investment in materials or plants -- the Zero garden that multiplies. I have about six inches of soil now, on top of several inches of loosened, enriched soil under the surface. All this life happened on a hard packed, rock surfaced corner where the plantings had withered while the house lay unoccupied. I guess my experiment gave rise to life where there was none while stirring hope in me that I can still be productive and creative after 25 years of unintentional bed rest. The Lord gives life abundantly.. Potatoes are great for creating several inches of good soil out of nothing. I was inspired by your videos last year to begin with what I had. So I call it my Amazon garden since I used several delivery boxes and their packing paper as my starter kit. I put all the bits inside the boxes and let the weather do her work for me. The mostly boxes broke down on their own. Since I'm an invalid, this is the only method available to me. It was fulfilling to grow something for nothing. Your videos helped me all the way down in Texas. Thanks for your attention to detail.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Great to hear that you're still able to garden despite the physical challenges

[@dahutful]

One guy on KZbin he grows potatoes in 10” water buckets. He’ll only get 1.5-2.5 lbs per bucket but he keeps plenty of buckets going. He also manages to grow a lot potatoes from shop bought spuds. You might enjoy his channel: Home Grown Veg. Tell him I said, “hello.” David Hutton South Carolina PS I rarely rush to get things started. Appreciate your perspective

[@maritimegardening4887]

I watch his channel. Great guy. Can't see why I'd ever use buckets since I have actual soil to plant in.

[@dahutful]

Maritime Gardening I say that too. I have space and I still like to dabble with containers. I always have. Potatoes are new to me, and doing them in containers feels like a way to test the waters. And I’m starting to see yard waste appearing on the curbs around town... nothing to do with potatoes, but you gotta use what you can get. Love that! Thanks

[@lindasands1433]

Ps. Because I'm in New Zealand, I can't relate when you talk in 'months'. However, when you explain by frost dates & seasons it's helpful for me 👍

[@maritimegardening4887]

Good point!

[@aporter701]

Good video. Another worth watching. Rambling?,no,sharing. Keep it up.👌🤠

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thanks, will do!

[@michaelboom7704]

You know Greg...I kinda like that idea to plant some potatoes later...must rethink how I plant them.

[@maritimegardening4887]

cool

[@NewYorkJennifer]

I never knew until this year that potatoes were either determinate or indeterminate. Seems from what I read that early potatoes tend to be determinates, and the late ones are more likely to be indeterminate, which is why the late ones may give bigger yields as they will put more tubers out along the stem. Did you ever notice that?

[@maritimegardening4887]

I plant fast growing ones - all determinate.

[@SteadfastTrailFarm]

Yes!! I don't hill mine either! I do succession planting of potatoes starting in April till late June. So I have a summer and fall harvest! We have a few more weeks till frost then I'll harvest last potato bed AND sweet potatoes!! Always enjoy your videos!

[@toneyjohnson8910]

I harvested 44 lbs of potatoes third week of June and I should have planted more thanks will do that next year.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Wow that's an early harvest!

[@hopeup2792]

@@maritimegardening4887 I planted potatoes in grow bags in early March in Virginia and harvested them in early June. I didn’t know I could plant again in June for a fall harvest :( oh well next year. The grow bags worked great because I just dumped the soil in my wheel barrel and put the soil back in the bag or dumped into into a raised bed and will get my compost for the next round. My sweet potatoes were a bust... think I maybe needed some sand in the compost, maybe too heavy of a soil?

[@rabbitphilly1196]

This was amazing video! Wish I could work that fast! I’d be out of breath especially with talking! 😂 new subscriber great tips

[@terryleecone9675]

Thank you. Exactly what I wanted to know.

[@ENQUBATEE1]

Wow your potatoes have a lot root, beautiful harvest , thanks for sharing to us such informative , my potatoes produce root a little , you are the best gardener

[@maritimegardening4887]

You are most welcome

[@gogogardener]

Alot of good info. I'm in zone 9 and in a desert in Calif. I think I will try planting in August, if we get a few cooler days then. Typically, most days are well above 100 then, but mornings are cooler AND we usually get a few days that are cooler, letting us know Fall will eventually come. My county Master Gardener guide says that it can be done. I needed to see your results and tips to convince me. Thanks.

[@AAHomeGardening]

Lovely harvest

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thank you kindly

[@AAHomeGardening]

@@maritimegardening4887 you're welcome

[@AAHomeGardening]

@@maritimegardening4887 you're welcome

[@johnhazaras3160]

My main reason for planting my potatoes as early as possible is so I can get another planting after I harvest. This year I harvested potatoes and planted beets which I'm now starting to harvest. I did amend the soil a little with compost but not that much. I find harvesting beets as the weather cools down much sweeter. My potatoes had little damage and tasted good but I don't they would taste better by harvesting later. Whenever I can I prefer 2 plantings. I planted bush beans after harvesting my garlics and they did well also. I will try a later potatoe harvest next year and compare the size and flavour

[@maritimegardening4887]

That awesome - I can't pull that off here, but I'd do the same thing if I could make it work

[@canadiankabingurl9782]

Nice harvest. Thanks for sharing ☺

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thanks for watching!

[@luckychicav7981]

Hello Greg, I love your potatoes videos!☺️ Great harvest, 👍🏼 thank you for sharing how and when you plant them, much appreciated! 😉

[@maritimegardening4887]

Glad you like them!

[@bettinah.7429]

I planted mine really late this year,harvested some,need to pull the rest out this weekend.

[@AAHomeGardening]

I planted some autumn (fall) potato late August

[@maritimegardening4887]

Can't do that here - but I wish I could :)

[@AAHomeGardening]

@@maritimegardening4887 ha hush, will enjoy December harvest for both of us

[@wildedibles819]

I plant some when i pull my fall potatoes out The tiny ones go back in But they don't have long eyes they are just the small ones that would come up next year as volunteer But i don't plant when its warm But i plant more in the spring summer too I usually plant my garlic at the same time too I find these would come up anyway if i missed them Hill potatoes work well for indeterminate potatoes it won't help you with determinate

[@lindasands1433]

I think we learn a lot from 'accidents' & 'mistakes'. I have anyway

[@maritimegardening4887]

I agree!

[@CG-mj8tk]

Hi Greg, I'm thoroughly enjoying your practical, no no sense videos!the dirt in your beds look amazing....dark &crumbly. My question is does it look like that as a direct effect of mulching the previous fall? (I didn't know it composts that quickly if so)...or do u push the mulch (grass clippings, hat, etc) out of the beds for the planting season? I have so much rotting hay on my property so I hope to have good results. I will be attempting this method for the first time and so excited. Maybe I'll finally have the garden of my dreams??!

[@maritimegardening4887]

It looks like that from mulching for years. Also - that bed in particular had about 2 wheelbarrows of horse manure added to it when it was built back in 2014 - but the majority of my beds have only ever been mulched. If you want amazing soil quickly - horse manure is a good way to jump-start a bed

[@CG-mj8tk]

@@maritimegardening4887 ty. What I have access to now is cow & sheep manure. It's been sitting on my beds since winter so I hope that'll jumpstart it perhaps?...

[@IglooGirl1]

I just found you and am binge watching :) love your channel! I’m a new gardener & This will be my second year doing veggie gardens, so am working out a lot of kinks :) but you mention you don’t water the spuds once planted, is this because you’re in the maritimes & you get regular rain? I’m in the desert of BC so feel like I need to water everything a lot because of such low precipitation? I didn’t do well in the potato yield this year. Also my back yard gets A LOT of sun and high temps. July is mid 30s C & aug is high 30s/low 40s C for 2-4 weeks. I think it’s zone 7b.

[@maritimegardening4887]

You would probably do better with a fast growing variety (70 days to maturity) planted as early as possible so that you can harvest it before that super hot period. Potatoes don't like that kinda heat. You probably have to water them a bit if you have desert-like conditions. I certainly get much more rain than you if you are in Osoyoos or something like that.

[@IglooGirl1]

@@maritimegardening4887 Thanks for the reply Greg! I didnt even know there were potatoes that matured that fast, I was going to order some seed potatoes from Westcoast seeds as I had a hard time finding any last year. & bingo! you got it- Osoyoos! :) lol I'm surprised you know of it :) I sub'd to your podcast too for my commutes & today really enjoyed the one about cooking skills in the kitchen to make the most out of our harvest. lots of good tips, tyvm!

[@wendysgarden4283]

Smart! A decent-sized potato has 5 g of protein and half your daily requirement of Vitamin C, plus plenty of potassium. They taste good and you could survive a while on them plus kale! Speaking of potatoes, I just harvested half my leeks, and I think I'll make up a nice potato-leek soup for lunch this week. I have 135 pounds of spuds still, (60 kilos), so gotta get to consuming them, at 3 pounds a week until the next harvest.

[@maritimegardening4887]

They are one of the best calorie crops for the Northern gardener!

[@gailthornbury291]

That’s a lot of soup in your future...

[@mtadventures5006]

Hey, have you ever considered the trash can root cellar? Not sure if it would work there with the frost line but it would free up space in the garage.

[@mtadventures5006]

For the carrots, not pickles. Lol

[@maritimegardening4887]

You know I have - and I may use it for the pickles too!

[@mtadventures5006]

@@maritimegardening4887 I got some fermented pickles in the fridge right now. They been there for a long time. They dont look or smell off. I wonder if I should try them. They were a little bland when I made them.

[@DsHomeyGarden]

Hey Greg I watch you use your little garden tool million times, where can I get one or did you make that? Also my second attempt at growing potatoes after 5 weeks they are all mush. I'm now halfway into July in Atlanta I've got time to get one more try in.

[@maritimegardening4887]

hey dwayne - you can order them on amazon. you can also order them from veseys: www.veseys.com/ca/ez-digger-86229.html

[@DsHomeyGarden]

@@maritimegardening4887 I support You, so Vesseys it is. Always a huge thanks. Your up early.....

[@DsHomeyGarden]

Is yours the Cape Cod Weeder or the EZ Digger?

[@dougzale9136]

I harvested potatoes today and some have scabs on them my soil is alkaline 7 plus I used wood chips and leaves for hilling like Ruth gardening. Does the composting mulch add to the alkaline.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Only if the mulch is alkaline. It's unlikely that your mulch is the prob. Your soil simply seems too alkaline for potatoes - which like it somewhere in the 5-6pH range. I would explore using elemental sulfur - that may be your only option

[@myjunkmail007]

Greg, I know you store a lot of your root crops in cardboard boxes in the garage. Do you have problems with mice or chipmunks getting into them?

[@maritimegardening4887]

No - thankfully they don't get into the garage :)

[@franksinatra1070]

Thanks Greg good video. I like to stagger potatoes also but do the seed companies continue to ship them into early summer? I've been planting organic Yukon Gold from the grocery store but they don't do well usually and I'm afraid of diseases now also. Do you wait until the potatoes sprout before putting 6" of mulch over them or will they grow through it?

[@maritimegardening4887]

The mulch goes on when they are planted - they have no prob getting through it. The seed potatoes are delivered early - just put them in egg cartons in a window (chitting them) until you're ready to plant them. I have a vid on this kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZXbk2tsobCpiZo

[@debbiegilliam1725]

I never planted potatoes. I want to plant them next year. I’m in Connecticut I think it’s zone 6. What is the type of potato you use for a short growing season? And when is the earliest and latest do you plant them? I did hear you say you planted those in June

[@maritimegardening4887]

Plant them when you 1st see dandelions flower. If you're planting them in late June - choose a variety that reaches maturity in 80 days or less

[@ImNotStalkingYou]

I've been wondering if I could do this. I've always planted early but it's not really an option anymore because for the past 10 years it rains almost everyday until the middle of May.

[@maritimegardening4887]

now you know - as long as you can count on there being enough good days left in your season - it will work!

[@ethanm1580]

How was your harvest of your summer planted Ruth Stout method go?

[@maritimegardening4887]

I plant all my potatoes using the Ruth Stout method - do you mean the video I made this summer when I mowed a bunch of grass?

[@ethanm1580]

@@maritimegardening4887 Yes! that's the one.

[@grantraynard]

I've heard "bluenoser" comes from stained blue potato picking hands rubbing noses and leading to stained noses. Any stain coming off those potatoes?

[@maritimegardening4887]

None at all - "bluenoser" comes from the name of a famous, Nova Scotia based fishing vessel "the bluenose" which is also on the the Canadian dime kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXjZYaqbab9sfZI

[@casperlory]

Love ootatoes but they don't love my arthritis. Bummer.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Sorry to hear that

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

That's when we planted our last potatoes, unfortunately they were already decomposing, and raccoons dug them up, so it was all just a slimy mess.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Oh that's awful - sorry to hear that!

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

It was those particular potatoes themselves that were destined to fail, just a bag that was left out and instead of sprouting, they went bad. Many other things in the garden did far better~