Re: Unidentified sub. (taters)

In a message dated 6/14/99 1:12:18 PM EST, cyoung1@iupui.edu writes:

<< 	If I understand potatoes correctly (and I believe I have had great
 success), here's what happens: you dig a trench a foot or so deep, and place
 the 1/4 (more or less) potato with eye in the bottom of the trench. Cover it
 with dirt (eventually you'll have a hill instead of a trench, which is why
 it's called hilling them). Let them begin to send up shoots. Add a little
 more dirt (don't cover the leaves, just tuck the dirt under them). Shoots
 grow more. Add more dirt. And so on 'til harvest time when the leaves begin
 to turn yellow. The potatoes form along the stems in the cool dark earth;
 the more you hill, the more room for 'taters to grow! Evidently, if you
 don't hill, you just get a very pretty plant! 
 	Even if you have luxuriant foliage now, and haven't hilled, I'd
 begin to heap dirt around them. I think there's plenty of time for potatoes
 to form.
 	Any other thoughts, gang? Good luck, Beth!
 
 Carol 
 Indianapolis
  >>

I've only grown potatoes twice so I appreciate your advice Carol (and 
others).  

This year, I hilled a little later than I probably should have.  The plants 
were about 12 inches tall before I hilled.  I'm now harvesting a few potatoes 
from each plant, but all the potatoes have formed right at the spot were the 
seed potato was.  I've dug out as far as 1 foot from the plant just to make 
sure I wasn't missing any.  Any idea why my crop is so confined in area?  The 
soil is the loosest in my garden.  The plants looked really nice a month ago, 
and are now almost completely dead.

Thanks for your post and any advice
Tom
Zone 7/8
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