Please help me with my potato plant
Hi everyone...
I hope this is the right forum to discuss my plant problem. I am comparatively new to gardening (this is my 4th season) and I never tried to grow potatoes before.
When one of my russet potatoes sprouted in my pantry I just decided to give potato growing a try. So I started the sprouts indoors in a large container filled 1/3rd to it's depth with a mix of potting soil and homemade compost (it was March end). Three plants emerged and they started growing rapidly. By April end I added more soil around the plants keeping top 3" of stem above soil level.
At th beginning of May I set the container outside in my balcony. Initially the plants looked good but after almost 5 days two plants wilted and died while the bottom leaves of the third one starred yellowing. I checked the dead plants and suspected overwatering. So stopped watering for few days and kept the plant in a spot where it got only morning sun. After 1 week of this treatment moved it back to a sunny location and started careful watering, but I try to pull it under shed whenever there is a chance of rain.
Now after 3 weeks the plant surely is not looking as bad as it was and yellowing of leaves has also stopped. But the plant is simply not growing. It is kind of sitting at the same height as it was about a month ago and the new growths are really slow to come up. I have checked for pests and couldn't find any.
Is there a chance that the plant will grow any potato at all? Being a balcony gardener I have limited space and if there is no hope would like to start something else in this container. Please advice me on what to do so that the plant gets its vigor and growth back. Also any tip about watering would be much appreciated. I'm attaching tow pictures for reference. Thanks in advance for your help.
Some of the old yellow leaves are still there
Another view
Comments (11)
natureinspiredM_ 6B NJ
8 years agoRelated Discussions
confused about when to plant seed potato! please help!
Comments (8)Have you Googled 'when to plant potatoes in zone 5a' or 'in Michigan"? Lots of easy and clear info available on it. Not to mention asking your local county extension office for the planting dates in your area. I know that has been suggested to you many times in the past. Have you ever contacted them? They have excellent services. MI State Ext. says to plant seed potatoes once the soil temp is 45 degrees or more which according to them is usually early to mid-April. Since you are gardening in containers according to all your previous posts then that should be easy to determine as containers warm up much faster than the ground does. And since you are growing in containers, the earlier the better as once the soil in the containers gets above 80 they will quit producing. You may want to consider insulating the containers somehow to keep the soil from heating up so much. I can't just store it until it's ready to be planted like I can with other seed; it has too short of a shelf life for that. Yes, you can. They will store for several weeks in the fridge and if planning to chit them first you will need them at least 2 weeks prior to planting them. So if your planting time is mid-April them you can have them delivered anytime from mid-March on. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: MI ST Ext. - Vegetable gardening in Michigan...See MorePlease help me identify this plant I planted in my garden!
Comments (1)Carica papaya...See MorePlease help me identify this plant I planted in my garden!
Comments (2)I was going to say the same thing but waited. If it is something that you have planted in rows, 18" apart, then its got to be some garden veggies not morning glories. So, as Fatamorgana has suggested, it might be sweet potatoes. I have not seen anything other than morning glories with three-lobed leaves. Never planted sweet potatoe. Passiflora Incarnata has similar leaf shape, but I doubt that you planted that one....See MoreAnts are literally eating my potatoes to death!
Comments (23)Hi there--sorry about the lag. In re ants on artichokes: I used to knock them off with a hose. I also sprayed with neem oil and insecticidal soap periodically to kill aphids and whiteflies so the ants would be less interested. This was when I lived in northern California, though, and so the artichokes were constantly in a favorable climate and therefore capable of regeneration. So if things got really bad pest-wise, I could chop them down and they would come back just fine. FWIW, diatomaceous earth didn't work. The ants just walked right across the line. I also had terro (borax) traps near their swarm sites and that helped some too. My son, who was 3-5 at the time we lived in that house, used to like to pee on the ant trails "to confuse them." I don't know if that worked :D but they certainly do follow scent trails so it might have helped! When it comes to aphids and whiteflies, I'm open to any and all solutions. :)...See More
drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoNever put plants that were indoors in direct light all at once, that will kill them. They need to be hardend off. Slowly exposing to more sun each day. The plant looks good, feed it, and add more dirt, Cover the damaged leaves. It probably needs food to grow more. Don't worry about the 3 inch rule, cover more of it. Soon it will be feet above the pot rim. BTW it does look extremely wet, let it dry out some before watering.
I started mine with only 6 inches of soil. here is a photo from 2 weeks ago. They have grown since then!
natureinspiredM_ 6B NJ thanked drew51 SE MI Z5b/6anatureinspiredM_ 6B NJ
8 years agonatureinspiredM_ 6B NJ
8 years agonatureinspiredM_ 6B NJ
8 years agodrew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoyes wait for the top 2 inches or so to dry out. Use best judgement. They do not like to be dried out, but too wet is just as bad.
Here is an updated photo of mine just taken.
Behind them is one of my strawberry patches. To the right in that bed is garlic.
Here a closer look at the strawberries, left on plant till super ripe.
natureinspiredM_ 6B NJ
8 years agonatureinspiredM_ 6B NJ
8 years ago
realcocacola78