Potatoes Should be Planted Early.
I have Early Rose potatoes planted about May first. The tops look fine,
but there are few potatoes and small, and, though not developed, have
commenced growing a second time, sprouts starting from the new potatoes.
When should I plant and what care should they have?
Your potatoes act peculiarly because of intermittent moisture - the
plant being arrested by drought and then starting again, which is very
undesirable. To avoid this, potatoes should be planted earlier so as to
get a large part of their growth during the rainy season. If planted
late the ground should be well wet down by irrigation, and then plowed
and cultivated, and irrigation should be used while the plant is growing
well. If this is done, potatoes can be successfully grown by irrigation,
but if the land is allowed to become dry the plant is arrested in its
growth for a time and a second and undesirable growth is started.
Potato Balls.
I find in potato writings of forty years ago that the seed from the
potato balls which form on the tops of the plants is recommended for
growing the best potatoes. In later books I find no mention of them and
all are advised how to cut the tubers to get seed potatoes.
The seed of the potato plant which is found in the "balls" which develop
on the tops of the plant is only valuable for the origination of new
varieties, with the chance, of course, that most of them will be
inferior to the tubers produced by the plant which bears the seed.
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