Re: Potatoes

rosenlund wrote:
> 
> Thanks Bill,
> 
> I do recall many folks in our garden club saying they too loved Yukon
> Gold. We have a local feed store that sells this seed potato. I'll be
> sure to get some then; can't have too many potatoes. (Still reading
> up on making a spud cellar.)
> 
> The other potatoes I have coming (minitubers) are Yellow Finn
> (someone said it was a parent of Yukon Gold-?)  Caribe, Nooksack,
> Peanut, Red Gold, Redsen and All Blue. Figure it will feed my big
> potato eating family for some months,  some for seed, and some to
> share with friends.
> 
> Anyone know if we have problems with Colorado potato beetles here in
> the Pacific NW ?  or any other potato pests ?   Years ago (old
> home-PNW)  we would get tiny pin size worms that would dig into the
> potato flesh (Russets) about 1/4 inch deep. Can anyone tell me what
> those might have been ?
> 
> Sincerely,
> ~Carleen~
> Keeper of Sheep & Old Roses
> Rainier, OR  zone 8


Carleen,

Sounds like you got you potatoes from Territorial.  I get my seed from
Ronninger's who have an office nearby here in Orting, Wa.  

You have to be careful with Yukon Gold.  There's more than one variety
sold under that name.  The "true" YG is a late-maturing good-keeping
potato.  Others sold under this name are really early potatoes that
don't keep well.  If you grow some YG and they come up quickly they are
the early variety.

We don't have Colorado Beetles west of the Cascades.  The holes you are
refering to are caused by organisms (nematodes or symphylans?) that are
in soil with too much organic matter.  You should always grow potatoes
on soil that has not had manure or compost for several years.  I also
dust a little (*very* little) agricultural sulfer on the soil around the
seed.  (NB: if you have acidic soil already that's not a good idea. 
This Mt. Rainier mudflow I live on has a fairly high natural pH so I can
get away with it.) 

The one disease you may be troubled with is late blight.  It will stunt
the plants and kill them early.  If you get too much summer rain it will
wash the spores onto the tubers and they will rot in storage.

Plant as early as possible (mid to late March in the Williamette
Valley), hill well with soil, not straw, and never water the plants, and
you should be OK.  It works for me and I have a later season than you.

Steve  (Maritime...)
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