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Dark_ale
05-08-2009, 06:13 AM
The old farmers almanac does not have a fall date for potatoes, I think they are around 90 to 100 days until harvest so with our mild winters,(Liberty county) I was thinking I could plant some in Sept or Oct? Can you get a fall crop of new potatoes?
Blue_Wave028
05-08-2009, 08:26 AM
We used to plant fall potatoes every year. We always saved the small potatoes from the spring garden to plant whole. I think if you plant just the eyes like in the spring garden they won't come up due to the seed eye rotting in the hot ground. Some old farts told me you can plant the eyes in the fall but you have to roll them in ashes.
Meadowlark
05-08-2009, 10:34 AM
I've tried it a couple of times here north of Livingston, without much success. May have started too early in late August...the heat just burned them up. Its a narrow window to find 90 to 100 days without a freeze but with the cool temps that they really thrive in.

If you try it, please post your results. I'll probably try again also.
BEER4BAIT
05-08-2009, 11:05 AM
Last call for taters Jun 7, 10-12 and last day the 15th. Water them well in the heat early in the day.
w_r_ranch
05-12-2009, 09:22 AM
We plant fall potatoes every year using the small potatoes from the spring crop. While you will never get as many or as large as the spring crop, it is still worth the trouble in our opinion. Typically, we harvest 50-75 lbs from the fall crop vs. 250-300 lbs. from the spring crop.

Till the ground, add your fertilizer & form your rows the first week of Sept. so it can sit for a bit. We plant them 4 inches deep & 12 inches apart between the 18th - the 21st of Sept. Either roll them in wood ashes (as Blue_Wave said) or in sulfur (I personally prefer using sulfur, as it is a fungicide, acid fertilizer and insecticide).

Keep the rows moist (not wet) & the heat shouldn't hurt them at all. If you get hit with a frost in mid Nov./early Dec., just leave them in the ground. While the tops will certainly die back, the potatoes themselves will continue to grow. We harvest them in Jan.

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