|
|
Post by reed on Jun 7, 2017 3:39:31 GMT -5
More stems = small tubers, generally. Reed, incidentally, I have had some potato plants send stolons 5-6' from where the tuber was planted. Some of the southern chilean 'landrace' tubers have this trait. In general, the tubers are very frost resistant, but are hard to get rid of. Even tubers smaller than a pea will survive in the soil. I was afraid of that, it also explains the clusters of volunteers over where they grew last year even though I practically sifted that soil last fall. I'm too new to TPS to think about discarding anything till I see how they do in my climate and soil. I like the frost tolerant aspect, would love if that also applied to seedlings so I could plant earlier and get better growth before hot weather arrives. Hopefully I'll have enough of my own seeds this year to test for that next spring. |
|
|
|
Post by philagardener on Jun 7, 2017 5:26:39 GMT -5
I've been Fall planting potatoes for several years now and find they come up much earlier than Spring planted ones. Works particularly well with fingerlings, which may be less domesticated. Not TPS at the moment, but every year I seem to lose fewer plants so maybe I am selecting for somatic variants.
|
|
|
|
Post by nathanp on Jun 7, 2017 5:29:43 GMT -5
I've been Fall planting potatoes for several years now and find they come up much earlier than Spring planted ones. Works particularly well with fingerlings, which may be less domesticated. Not TPS at the moment, but every year I seem to lose fewer plants so maybe I am selecting for somatic variants. The drawbacks to fall planted potatoes in my area, at least what I find, is that the CPB also overwinter, and wake up to have a ready meal of foliage from tubers that overwintered with them, and they also don't all survive in the soil. |
|
|
|
Post by nathanp on Jun 7, 2017 5:35:13 GMT -5
I was afraid of that, it also explains the clusters of volunteers over where they grew last year even though I practically sifted that soil last fall. I'm too new to TPS to think about discarding anything till I see how they do in my climate and soil. I like the frost tolerant aspect, would love if that also applied to seedlings so I could plant earlier and get better growth before hot weather arrives. Hopefully I'll have enough of my own seeds this year to test for that next spring. That does not necessarily mean low yield. I have had some that produce a lot of small potatoes, several pounds. One line is listed in the USDA genebank as having very high yield, but you won't get tubers over 2" in size. |
|
|
|
Post by mjc on Jun 7, 2017 8:21:30 GMT -5
That does not necessarily mean low yield. I have had some that produce a lot of small potatoes, several pounds. One line is listed in the USDA genebank as having very high yield, but you won't get tubers over 2" in size. Think of it this way... All those small 2" tubers are 'gourmet' items and command a premium price at the store. |
|
|
|
Post by reed on Jun 12, 2017 20:57:39 GMT -5
Here are some of the first flowers on my TPS plants. Only maybe 25% have bloomed so far and of them I'd say 80% are white the rest this pretty purple. You can see even in these pictures some have aborted in the bud stage. Most have aborted on some plants. I suspect it is due to the heat we have been having, maybe I could decrease it by providing shade but I would rather have a few seed that matured in spite of it than a lot of artificiality assisted ones.  Here are the berries and a potato from the White Superior. These are very good potatoes. I will definitely try to grow these seeds next year. Maybe they will continue the self pollinating feature of this plant. The potato obviously came from a neighboring plant.  |
|
|
|
Post by steev on Jun 12, 2017 22:09:44 GMT -5
Nice spud; I'd shred it and fry it with eggs, onion, tomato and chili ASAP, all in bacon grease, of course; life is short; enjoy the day that is given; the future is not assured.
|
|
|
|
Post by reed on Jun 15, 2017 4:40:12 GMT -5
Never tried that recipe but will do so. That particular potato was rubbed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and black pepper and rolled around over a wood fire till the skin was a little crisp. Not bad at all. Not sure if it is cause they are newly dug, the variety or a combination but have to be careful not to overcook these.
Had some more TPS plants bloom and one has pink flowers. I had no idea potatoes had such diverse and pretty flowers. Bumblebees seem impressed as well.
|
|
|
|
Post by billw on Jun 15, 2017 15:39:48 GMT -5
Because European and American potato breeding has focused on white potatoes and tuber color is related to flower color, you mostly see white flowers if you grow those varieties. It is a little more complicated than that, because there is a distribution gene in addition to pigmentation genes, so you can have a variety that produces red or purple pigments but doesn't distribute them to the tubers. But, yes, you can get white corollas, blue corollas, red corollas, and purple corollas (combination of red and blue). Those are combined with separately controlled anther colors, so you can get various combinations of white, blue, red, and purple corollas with yellow, red, and blue/black anthers. There are also flecked flowers and striped anthers. It is surprising that potatoes haven't been more frequently bred as ornamentals. Short day varieties produce huge plants with lots of flowers that are easy to propagate since they produce tubers. They could be grown a lot like dahlias.  |
|
|
|
Post by mjc on Jun 27, 2017 12:53:34 GMT -5
For the first time, in a while, I have potatoes that are actually flowering.
The variety is Salem. The interesting thing about these taters is that they are 'local'...grown within 25 miles of my place. I know the place they were grown and it is 'clean' so I was pretty confident about using them as seed stock (plus they were not treated to retard sprouting) and probably were minimally, if at all, hit with any 'cides.
|
|
|
|
Post by reed on Jul 3, 2017 4:50:47 GMT -5
I now have two seed berries on my TPS plants. One for the purple flower ones and one from the white. all the other flowers dropped off. Interesting to me it that they are blooming some more, I'v never seen potatoes continue to bloom like that. I don't expect any more berries form those same plants as it is so hot and dry now, I'm surprised the vines are not dying.
The stems and actually now even the vines of the white superior have died. The two berries from them were still green and firm so I brought them in and put them on the window sill like you might a tomato to continue ripening. One has softened up and turned yellow and the other is starting to. I'll squash out the seeds and ferment in next day or two and keep my fingers crossed that they are mature. Maybe do a germ test if there is sufficient quantity.
|
|
|
|
Post by nathanp on Jul 3, 2017 6:34:44 GMT -5
I often get a 2nd round of flowers and berries after the August heat subsides, at least for the potato plants that are longer season and have not already gone into senescence.
If the temperature were to stay below 85F consistently, you could probably get flowering continuously throughout the growing season on many varieties, but alas that is not to be in most locations.
If the berries are turning color, softening, or starting to ferment, then they are definitely ripe. Even if they are not, you still can get viable seed if they have been on the plant for about 30 days or longer.
|
|
|
|
Post by farmermike on Jul 3, 2017 19:59:51 GMT -5
I still haven't had ANY potato plants even open flowers this year. A few individuals have formed clusters of buds, but all have aborted and dropped off before getting anywhere near opening. Not sure what I need to do to grow some of my own true seeds. Maybe I need to be watering a lot more, or give them more shade or better soil.
My TPS plants are in pots in partial shade and are still going strong, so I'm hopeful that they still might flower and produce berries. I had great luck with the TPS I sprouted this year, so I think that may become a large part of my potato growing (not to mention breeding) in the future. Just need to figure out a way to make my own, so I don't have to rely on trading for or purchasing seeds.
Anyone know of any really heat or drought tolerant potatoes that might produce true seed in a hot Mediterranean climate?
|
|
|
|
Post by reed on Jul 3, 2017 21:24:09 GMT -5
I have a similar issue and also want to produce my own seeds. I think heavy mulching and watering might help but didn't do much of either in hopes of getting some seed without. Figuring they might in future produce a more heat tolerant strain. Assuming they are able to mature I'll be happy with just these two berries.
The other two berries from the white superior plants set and mostly grew in somewhat cooler conditions because they were tuber planted early on. I figure if I get decent sized tubers from my TPS and if I can store them till next spring maybe the same thing will work for them. Even if so, I'll still favor any that matured despite the heat on first year plants.
|
|
|
|
Post by nathanp on Jul 3, 2017 22:38:09 GMT -5
What varieties are each of you growing? Or if you are growing TPS, what varieties was the TPS from? I have found that commercial varieties, for the most part, are not very fertile, and often that lack of fertility is inherited. So finding varieties that are fertile is key to growing your own TPS. I find this website to be helpful when looking at commercial varieties. You can search by any number of criteria, including looking at berries, pollen fertility, etc. It is a Europe based website, so the varieties don't always match what is available in the US. Europotato link |
|
