A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening First Time Planting Potatoes-Question

Hi all! I'm new to the forum. It's nice to have the support of a gardening community! This is my first year planting potatoes. I'm up in Ohio, so I just got them in the ground. I have not been able to find out whether I need to water them in when I plant them. I did not, as the ground seemed fairly moist. Should I though? Any advice? Many thanks!!

I watered my potatos every day for a week when I first planted them. Now that they are growing well I water them every 3 or 4 days giving them some time to dry out a little in between. This works well for me, but it may be different weather and soil in your area. If your soil was moist and it's not too hot just use your jugement but I would probably water it just a little bit for good measure to start the lil guys off right!

I planted potatoes for the first time last year and with great success I might add. I also watered very heavily for the first week (but I did that for the entire garden). Then it was as needed. The local Co-op told me that you don't want them sitting in water, but moist, well drained soil is perfect. Hope this helps.

How do you know it's time to dig them out if they are underground?

Hi there! I am new to this forum as well, and am also a first time potato grower with a question :)

My dad had given me 1/2 his seed potatoes several months ago, which I put in and seem to be doing well. However shortly after that, he went into the hospital and never got his planted. He recently got out and gave me his, as he won't be gardening for a bit, but I am wondering if I should bother at this time of year. They seem to still be plantable, but I live in MA so am not sure if they will even grow? If not, will they keep over the winter to plant in spring?

Thanks for any help! I am looking forward to checking out all these forums :)

I think they will, but I'm not a potato grower. I seem to recall back in the old days at the farm when we grew potatoes we kept some in a cool dry place and then planted them the next year. But, I might be wrong. If someone else tells you different then you should believe them and not me...LOL

ok I planmted potatoes for m any a year and I wll say this---I would take potatoes that I had grown the previous year and plant them i f I had not reaten them---they of course had sprouted byt I stuck them in the ground anyway---they did not do as good as new seed potatoes but hey they did ok , esp for being a year old. Abnd yes I kept them laying in a low sided box, not touching each other, in my basement.

I would go ahead & try it...
but as Cindy says if someone comes along & says something else well believe them first before me.

I aim to please

Thanks for the replies! I will keep them in the basement and see what happens...can't hurt to try! :)