I ran out of room for any special section for my potatos, so I stuck them here and there in between my rows of beans. (companion planting info indicates that they grow well together) I only had about 15 or so pieces to plant, and I spaced them quite a bit apart. Each 7" row of beans has two potato mounds. (the beans are green pole and yellow bush.)

Has anybody tried this, or would anybody know of any problems I may not have thought about? Any insight on potatos (Yukon Gold or Golden Yukon - whatever) would be appreciated.

BrownGorker

Never tried this, but sounds like it would work. Yukon Gold are a good variety. I just went out this morning and stole some from the hills (have 63 hills) and can't wait to eat them. (They are Yukon Gold.) They just started blooming a few days ago and I just knew I could steal a few! The peas are ready too-what a combo for supper! Good luck with your experiment!

63 hills????
what are you going to dooo w/ all those? i don't remember, are you one of our farmer's marketers?

We EAT them of course! And we are not overweight. Not a farmers marketer. I dig them and spread them out on shelves in the old coal room in the basement and they keep very well. I always end up giving some away because I love to share my stuff. My garden is way too huge for a family of 3. Used to be 5 but just can't get out of the habit of planting ALOT of everything. People at work love me in the summer. I've even gotten some of them to start gardening! Guess I planted a seed.

Mumsey I want to sow bean seeds today. I have pole bean seeds and will plant them next to my potatoes, don't know the brand. I'm in zone5 BC so hope this will work as beans are new to me as is most gardening.

Ken John, Pole beans should be OK by your potatoes if you give them something to climb on. (Don't know if they are companion plants or not, I never pay much attention to that.) I use 5 ft. cages made of concrete wire (same kind I use for tomatoes). I plant the beans in 3 rows 8-10" apart and stagger the cages over the center row and they climb nicely.

Pole beans are a great back saver, always hated bending over to pick them. A couple years ago I accidentally bought pole beans, not paying attention when I bought them. Good mistake, I'll never plant another bush bean! Good luck.

PS Stole my first Yukon Golds from the potato patch, couldn't stand it any longer, just had to have some for supper. Fried them up with some Sweet Sandwich Onions, garlic, dill weed and olive oil....making myself hungry....wonder if I could go steal a few more...

I have a question about potatoes, too....
A neighbor had some left over that had buds on them, don't know what kind, but i took them (can't throw those away!!!) and planted them for the heck of it. now I have beautiful green leaves coming out of the ground. my question is How long do they take to gtow, and how do I not kill them? I'm in zone 5 planted them around 3rd week of May.
Anybody know the answers??
thanks!

Gigicap, just let them grow! If you have allowed for it, just pull the dirt up around the plant as it grows. If not, let them be and they will make potatoes! They grow fast, I'm in Zone 5 also and mine are blooming. You will have potatoes by August. Dig them when the vines die off, or steal a few by carefully digging with your hands around the base of the plant. Don't use a spade or shovel, you will destroy too many runners that are making potatoes. The first ones always grow close to the plant just a couple inches under the ground. They are very easy to grow! Good luck!

Hahaha. I am a newish gardener, and I think I may have just discovered what is growing in my compost. I have a huge black plastic garbage bag for compost (I only have a back porch for container gardening). Mostly the leaves that drop from the tree behind my place go in the bag, and then anything from my kitchen....even the errant potato that has sprouted little thingies, or the potato that has gone bad. Just for kicks I threw a few borage seeds into my compost, because I had more seeds than I had pots to plant them in, and I have a few upshoots (which I plan to turn under eventually to add to the compost---I am aging the compost till next March or April, so I don't especially care what's growing in there). Anyway, a new plant has taken hold in my compost bag. It appears to have a thick stem, and has leaves that look similar to my lemon balm, although by smell it is definitely not the same thing!

My back porch smells like it's rotting now, and I don't know if it's this new plant in my compost, or some other item in there. I was wondering if it's a potato growing in there? What do you all think? I fear my neighbor, who spends lots of time on his back porch is going to be giving me dirty looks soon, due to the smell. Anything I can do to mask it? Do I need to buy a thing of sawdust somewhere?

Thanks Mumsey for the vote of condidence! I really appreciate it!

BrownGorker

Sorry Mumsey I missed your reply but do appreciate your guidance and look forward to my pole beans shooting through and climbing the poles I have set up. Can I use thin wire or must it be string ??? ?:| Ken John. p.s. Those Yukon Golds sound fantastic and your supper WONDERFUL !!!!!

Quite OK KenJohn. Been away for a few days myself, working an 8 day stretch, 2 to go. I would use wire, but not too thin. The string will tend to stretch and then sag with the weight of the vines. Just my opinion, maybe someone else has ideas about string. Gotta hit the road. Good luck!