Keep your potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, cabbage, and other root crops in the ground this winter and harvest them as they are needed. Cut off the tops and cover these vegetables with a thick layer of leaves, straw or hay to keep the ground warm. Depending on how cold it gets in your area, the mulch layer may need to be four inches or more in thickness. These vegetables need to be mulched as soon as possible so don’t wait too long. Once the ground freezes (about mid-December in Grand Junction, CO) it is too late.
When you need these vegetables move the mulch aside and dig what you need. Replace the mulch to keep the ground warm. Be sure to have all these vegetables dug by spring. As soon as these vegetables start to grow in the spring their eating quality will be significantly reduced.
This technique of overwintering your root crops is more successful when you have a sandy soil. If the soil is heavy and you have a lot of rain or snow try to keep the soil dry. Cover the mulch layer with a tarp that sheds water. Dig a trench at the edge of the tarp to direct water away from the mulched area.
If you have a heavy clay soil and can’t keep it dry, dig a trench and fill it with dry straw, hay or leaves. Place the root vegetables on this layer and apply more straw, hay, or leaves to fill the trench. Cover the trench with a tarp if you get a lot of snow or rain. The layers of straw, hay, or straw allow the soil to drain and help keep the vegetables dry and free from rot.
Previous recommendations for overwintering cabbage included the removal of the outer layer of cabbage leaves and the head of cabbage dipped in hot wax. The wax-dipped head of cabbage could be hung in an area where the temperature was just above freezing or layered in the mulch-filled trench. This was said to increase the ability to overwinter cabbage. I’m not sure if this is necessary. No matter how you over winter cabbage the outer leaves will often rot and need to be removed before use.
If you prefer to freeze or can these vegetables, or turn your cabbage into sauerkraut, you can learn more about how to do this safely by contacting Rhonda Follman at the Colorado State University Extension office at 970 244-1834 or Rhonda.Follman@colostate.edu.
Showing posts with label potato. Show all posts
Showing posts with label potato. Show all posts
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Watering Potatoes Properly Prevents Problems.
Improper soil moisture during the development of the potato plant and tubers leads to numerous problems to include delayed emergence, bacterial seed piece decay and plant death, distorted tubers, small tubers, tubers with large lenticles, and hollow heart and growth cracks along with other problems.
The knobby tuber in this photo is just one of the results of improper water management.
During sprout development, the soil should contain 70-80% available moisture. After emergence, the soil moisture should be maintained at 75-85%. During tuber initiation and bulking, the growth period with the highest demand for water, the available soil water content should be maintained between 80-90%. When the plants start to die in the fall, the moisture content can be allowed to drop to 60-65%.
So, how do you determine how much moisture is in the soil. You could invest in tensiometers or soil moisture probes, or use the much simpler and less costly soil-ball technique.
Tensiometers are plastic tubes with a porous end that is place in the soil down to the depth of the roots. A gauge on top of the tube provides readings of the soil suction. This represents the energy a plant must exert to extract water from the soil. These devices require a great deal of experience to correlate the reading on the gauge to the moisture content of the soil.
Soil moisture probes are often inaccurate in western Colorado soils as they can be negatively influenced by soil salts and thus may not provide accurate readings.
The easiest way to determine the moisture content of the soil is by taking a handful of the soil near the root zone of the plant and squeezing it into a ball. The publication at http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/soilmoist.pdf shows you how to determine the percentage of moisture simply by squeezing a ball of soil and comparing the results with the photos. Most people in western Colorado have silty clay loam so those are the photos you should look at.
For a list of places in Mesa, Delta and Montrose where you can purchase certified seed potato, check out http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/Sources%20of%20certified%20seed%20potato%20-%2018%20Mar%202011.pdf or give us a call at 970 244-1836 for a copy of the list.
During sprout development, the soil should contain 70-80% available moisture. After emergence, the soil moisture should be maintained at 75-85%. During tuber initiation and bulking, the growth period with the highest demand for water, the available soil water content should be maintained between 80-90%. When the plants start to die in the fall, the moisture content can be allowed to drop to 60-65%.
So, how do you determine how much moisture is in the soil. You could invest in tensiometers or soil moisture probes, or use the much simpler and less costly soil-ball technique.
Tensiometers are plastic tubes with a porous end that is place in the soil down to the depth of the roots. A gauge on top of the tube provides readings of the soil suction. This represents the energy a plant must exert to extract water from the soil. These devices require a great deal of experience to correlate the reading on the gauge to the moisture content of the soil.
Soil moisture probes are often inaccurate in western Colorado soils as they can be negatively influenced by soil salts and thus may not provide accurate readings.
The easiest way to determine the moisture content of the soil is by taking a handful of the soil near the root zone of the plant and squeezing it into a ball. The publication at http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/soilmoist.pdf shows you how to determine the percentage of moisture simply by squeezing a ball of soil and comparing the results with the photos. Most people in western Colorado have silty clay loam so those are the photos you should look at.
For a list of places in Mesa, Delta and Montrose where you can purchase certified seed potato, check out http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/Sources%20of%20certified%20seed%20potato%20-%2018%20Mar%202011.pdf or give us a call at 970 244-1836 for a copy of the list.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Preparing potato seed pieces for planting.
Preparing potatoes for planting may require cutting the tubers into pieces. If the potatoes are two inches in diameter they can planted whole. If they are larger they need to be cut into smaller pieces.
Each piece should be 2 ounces (about 2 inches in diameter) or slightly larger. Each piece needs to have 2, 3 or more eyes.
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| Yukon Gold and Purple Majesty cut for planting |
Each piece should be 2 ounces (about 2 inches in diameter) or slightly larger. Each piece needs to have 2, 3 or more eyes.
Once cut, the pieces need to be placed where the temperature is 50 - 55 degrees F. and has high humidity. Placing the pieces in a plastic bag helps retain the humidity. You may need to open the bag or poke holes in it to prevent water from accumulating in the bag and rotting the seed pieces. Keep an eye on this process.
If you are planting a large number of potatoes, putting them in a pile helps retain the moist warm air needed for suberization to take place. This process results in a layer of suberin forming over the cut surface. This layer helps prevent rot diseases from destroying the seed piece and developing potato plant.
It usually take 7 to 10 days before this protective layer is adequately developed so plan on cutting your potatoes into 2 ounce pieces at least a week prior to planting.
Since rot organisms remain in the soil for several years after potatoes have been growing in a section of the garden be sure to rotate your crops. Don't plant potatoes back in the same area for at least 3 years. Four years is a better rotation schedule.
For a list of companies in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties that sell certified seed potatoes, check out the list at http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/Sources%20of%20certified%20seed%20potato%20-%2018%20Mar%202011.pdf or give us a call at 970 244-1836 and ask for a copy.
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| The flesh of Yukon Gold is yellow and Purple Majesty is Purple. |
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Potato hollow heart is influenced by water, fertilizer and spacing
Hollow Heart of Potato
When potatoes grow too fast, the inside of the tuber tears apart as seen in this photo. This occurs when potatoes are improperly watered, improperly fertilized with nitrogen, or planted too far apart. Hollow heart not only results in the loss of edible flesh due to the need to cut out the discolored tissue before cooking, but can contribute to rot when hollow heart cracks to the surface of the tuber.
Fertilizer: Applying an excessive amount of organic matter high in nitrogen, or over applying an organic or synthetic nitrogen product can increase hollow heart due to an excessive amount of nitrogen being available during the tuber enlargement stage of growth. A soil test is important in determining the fertilizer needs of potatoes and your other vegetable crops.
Nitrogen products, whether organic (http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/Organic_Fertilizers.pdf ), or synthetic, should be applied in split applications and not all at one time. Once you know the amount of nitrogen required, one-third to two-thirds is typically applied after the plants emerge with the remaining required amount applied 60 days after planting. Smaller but more frequent applications of nitrogen are recommended.
A soil test will tell you what nutrients in addition to nitrogen are required. Other than nitrogen, these nutrients will need to be applied and worked into the soil prior to planting. If you want a soil test analysis run on your soil, you can submit a sample through our office. We will need to receive this form along with your sample(s). I will provide you recommendations on what you need and how the nutrients should be applied based on the crop you plan on growing. A soil test will also indicate if you have a salt problem you should be concerned about. We can test your soil and irrigation water for salts at no charge at our offices in Mesa, Delta, and Montrose Counties.
Watering: Potatoes should not be allowed to drop below 60-65% of available soil moisture. 75 – 85% soil moisture is preferred after the plants emerge from the soil and before they start to set tubers. When the plants start to set tubers, the soil moisture content should be maintained between 80 and 90%. The best way to determine when tubers start to set is by digging into the soil and checking the stolon tips to see if they are starting to swell. This usually occurs when the plants start to flower.
To determine the moisture content of the soil, you can use the soil ball technique (http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/soilmoist.pdf ) or by checking the lenticles. Lenticles become enlarged when soil moisture is excessive. See http://swiftsgardeningblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/potatoes-have-lenticles.html for an explanation of lenticles on potatoes.
Spacing: While the spacing of potatoes varies somewhat with variety, row width is typically 30 to 36 inches. For cultivars with a tendency to develop oversized tubers or set few tubers, such as Katahdin and Kennebec, seed pieces should be spaced 6 – 9 inches apart within the row. For cultivars that produce a heavy set, such as Norchip, seed pieces should be spaced 11 – 14 inches apart in the row. Be sure to check the production characteristics of the cultivar you are planting to determine the required spacing. Your local nursery or garden center should be able to provide you guidance on spacing for the varieties of seed potatoes they sell.
When potatoes grow too fast, the inside of the tuber tears apart as seen in this photo. This occurs when potatoes are improperly watered, improperly fertilized with nitrogen, or planted too far apart. Hollow heart not only results in the loss of edible flesh due to the need to cut out the discolored tissue before cooking, but can contribute to rot when hollow heart cracks to the surface of the tuber.
Fertilizer: Applying an excessive amount of organic matter high in nitrogen, or over applying an organic or synthetic nitrogen product can increase hollow heart due to an excessive amount of nitrogen being available during the tuber enlargement stage of growth. A soil test is important in determining the fertilizer needs of potatoes and your other vegetable crops.
Nitrogen products, whether organic (http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/Organic_Fertilizers.pdf ), or synthetic, should be applied in split applications and not all at one time. Once you know the amount of nitrogen required, one-third to two-thirds is typically applied after the plants emerge with the remaining required amount applied 60 days after planting. Smaller but more frequent applications of nitrogen are recommended.
A soil test will tell you what nutrients in addition to nitrogen are required. Other than nitrogen, these nutrients will need to be applied and worked into the soil prior to planting. If you want a soil test analysis run on your soil, you can submit a sample through our office. We will need to receive this form along with your sample(s). I will provide you recommendations on what you need and how the nutrients should be applied based on the crop you plan on growing. A soil test will also indicate if you have a salt problem you should be concerned about. We can test your soil and irrigation water for salts at no charge at our offices in Mesa, Delta, and Montrose Counties.
Watering: Potatoes should not be allowed to drop below 60-65% of available soil moisture. 75 – 85% soil moisture is preferred after the plants emerge from the soil and before they start to set tubers. When the plants start to set tubers, the soil moisture content should be maintained between 80 and 90%. The best way to determine when tubers start to set is by digging into the soil and checking the stolon tips to see if they are starting to swell. This usually occurs when the plants start to flower.
To determine the moisture content of the soil, you can use the soil ball technique (http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/soilmoist.pdf ) or by checking the lenticles. Lenticles become enlarged when soil moisture is excessive. See http://swiftsgardeningblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/potatoes-have-lenticles.html for an explanation of lenticles on potatoes.
Spacing: While the spacing of potatoes varies somewhat with variety, row width is typically 30 to 36 inches. For cultivars with a tendency to develop oversized tubers or set few tubers, such as Katahdin and Kennebec, seed pieces should be spaced 6 – 9 inches apart within the row. For cultivars that produce a heavy set, such as Norchip, seed pieces should be spaced 11 – 14 inches apart in the row. Be sure to check the production characteristics of the cultivar you are planting to determine the required spacing. Your local nursery or garden center should be able to provide you guidance on spacing for the varieties of seed potatoes they sell.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Potatoes have Lenticles!
Have you ever wondered what those spots are on a potato? Not the eyes but the white spots seen in this photo. They are breathing pores called lenticles.
The potato is a modified stem and stems have lenticles. These allow for the uptake of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide. All living cells respire and require oxygen. During respiration, carbon dioxide is given off as a waste product.
This tuber grew in the orientation shown. The lenticles are much larger on the bottom of the tuber, the portion that was deeper in the ground. The portion of the tuber closest to the surface has lenticles so small they are difficult to see. The oxygen level decreases and the carbon dioxide level increases the deeper you go in the soil. As a result the lenticles have to be bigger at the bottom of the potato to maintain proper gaseous exchange. This tuber may also have been overwatered which also would have increased lenticle size.
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