Red Norland potatoes after only 65 days?

11 years ago

Is that craziness? I pulled a spindly plant the other night and found some small potatoes at the end of it (thought it was doing badly and needed the space). So today I was thinking about how great new potatoes are and decided to go look for them. The Kennebecs I found are what I'd consider new potato-sized, but I pulled out two Norlands that are bigger than my fist! The other Norlands are normal-sized potatoes already too. We didn't even dig too much, and we came up with 12 potatoes. I planted these seed potatoes on April 19.

Should I just consider myself lucky, or are Norlands usually like this? Everything I've read about them says 90-100 days, but these sure look like mature potatoes to me.

Thanks!

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Comments (13)

denninmi
11 years ago
Yup, they grow really fast. I don't think 90-100 days is very accurate unless they are talking about full maturity with dead tops. I had a couple of volunteers in the spring of 2010 that sprouted in early April, grew extraordinarily fast in the warmest spring (until 2012) on record in Detroit, and has reasonable sized new potatoes around Memorial Day.
melissel
Original Author
11 years ago
Wow, I had no idea! I am very, very happy about it though :-) These will definitely be regulars in the garden from now on. Thanks for the confirmation!
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ltilton
11 years ago
Norlands are one of the earliest varieties. Really good for early new potatoes.
pnbrown
11 years ago
And of course the tubers get starchier and reach maximum nutrition more to the 100 days and beyond.
2ajsmama
11 years ago
When did they flower? My Norlands are just starting full blossom, the Pontiacs are just behind, the Yukon Golds aren't yet and I thought they were supposed to be early. Planted Mother's Day.

Oh, and I came to the forum looking for info, if you don't mind the hijack, we got 3/4" (officially) to 1" my measure rain last night, it's been 95 degrees for past 3 days (Wed-Fri) so I gave each plant about 1 quart Thurs AM but today they look worse (wilted) than they did Thurs! Do potato plants wilt from too much water? Ground felt cool and damp, but not muddy, under the hay mulch. Sandy loam drains well. Thanks
kr222
11 years ago
They might be dying back because they are mature. Either that or they have rotted due to overwatering. The best way to find out is to reach in an see if you find solid potatoes. If they are mushy, then you'll know your answer. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: My potatoes and garden
melissel
Original Author
11 years ago
ltilton, I'll definitely start looking for them earlier next year :-)

pnbrown, thanks, I didn't know that. I wondered what would have happened if I'd not even gone looking until the end of July like I'd planned. I'm happy to know that we can keep enjoying them at our leisure through the summer!

ajsmama, I don't remember exactly, but I want to say that I saw at least a few flower before we left on vacation on June 3, and a bunch more were in full flower or had finished by the time we got back on the 10th. There are still some in the other bed flowering now, but I think they're mostly done. I do know that not all potato plants flower, and it seems like about 1/3 of my own plants didn't flower as well. Can you see buds on your plants? I definitely saw large buds on mine before they flowered.

As for the wilting, I can't help there since this is my first year and I'm still learning myself. I agree that you should just reach in and start digging around for potatoes and see what you find. It sounds like your setup is much more amenable to it than mine, even!

Good luck!
2ajsmama
11 years ago
I've got fully open flowers on some of my plants (mostly the Norlands, but some of the Pontiacs too, the Yukon Golds don't seem to be flowering yet but I think some have buds). I was just wondering, since I read that you dig new potatoes about 2 weeks after they flower - don't know if that means fully open, or buds. And no way to tell if they don't flower - though if they are getting flower buds, I guess I should wait? It's only been 6 weeks - so I figured at least another 2 weeks til new potatoes going by planting date too, not just flowers.

If they still look wilting today maybe I will poke around and see what I find - I've got kale to use, some new potatoes would be good with it. It also would be nice to have something besides lettuce to sell at market this week (though blueberries are starting to come in - I have to net them before the birds get them!).

I only watered them on Thurs b/c of the heat wave - they have gotten no water but rain since planting (I did water them in), and we've been running under normal. I figured I'd better water them now not only b/c of the extreme heat, but also since flowers were present I figured they'd be forming tubers and read that the watering is critical during that time (it's just a pain to me b/c I have to haul water by hand - no irrigation out in the field). And they didn't wilt the beginning of the month when we got 1" of rain on day, 1/4" the next and 1/2" the day after that - of course tubers weren't forming then, or I would have been afraid they'd rot! I also didn't have as much hay over them 3 weeks ago.

I'll let you know what I find!
denninmi
11 years ago
Do plants wilt from too much water? Yes, absolutely they can. And, it can be a sign of trouble, or it can be perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. Just depends on the situation. If they are kept overwatered for a period of time, or for some species that are very sensitive to oxygen deprivation to the roots and are flooded out, they can begin to show distress signs quickly. But, some plants normally wilt a bit when environmental conditions change quickly, particularly if the air warms up rapidly and the soil doesn't, the tops are just going at a higher physiological rate than the cooler roots, and the roots can't keep up. That type of wilting isn't anything to worry about.

If you planted Mother's Day, you won't have useable new potatoes just yet. A few more weeks.
2ajsmama
11 years ago
More of a leaf roll on some leaves than a wilt. We're supposed to get more T-storms today (hopefully not another inch!) and maybe tomorrow afternoon. I felt around and every time I thought I felt a potato it was a "CT potato" (rock) so yes another couple of weeks I guess, even for the ones with fully open blossoms.
pnbrown
11 years ago
We'll take that inch of rain, over here....
2ajsmama
11 years ago
Might be headed your way - had a good T-storm this AM, not sure how much rain but more coming this afternoon too.
pnbrown
11 years ago
Getting it now, and pleased enough about it. Just in time for some crops.

Red Norland potatoes after only 65 days?

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Red Norland potatoes after only 65 days?

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melisselOriginal Author

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