[AT] potato ground

[Ron Cook]

Grant,
     I buy my seed.  As a matter of fact, it arrived just this 
afternoon.  I may be better off waiting awhile and working up some new 
ground when able.  It could be a couple weeks off.  I typically do not 
plant until almost May and some years it has been near the end of the 
first week in May without any problems with the growing season.  Frost 
generally is the first week of October and by then I have  not been able 
to keep all the potatoes alive anyway.
Ron Cook
Salix, IA

On 4/17/2013 3:21 PM, Grant Brians wrote:
> Ron, you do need to rotate your soil. Otherwise the disease pressure and
> trace minerals balance kills the yield.... Planting later should be fine as
> long as the potato varieties you plant are suited to the timeframe. Do you
> have your seed or are you buying it?
>          Grant Brians
>          Hollister,California vegetable, nuts and fruit farmer
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of Ron Cook
> Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 7:41 AM
> To: jdat; Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: [AT] potato ground
>
>
> Okay, another question.
> I did not get a new potato area plowed last fall and may not be able to
> do that this spring either.  Ground is cold and wet and it is already
> getting time to plant.
>
> My current patch has been in potatoes for years and the yield
> continually has been falling off.  Do you think the proper amount of
> fertilizer can work out for me, or should I just wait a while so I can
> rotate to different ground this year and have later potatoes? Or
> probably do some of both?
>
> I flew a spray plane back and forth across hundreds of thousands of
> acres of potatoes years back.  At that time I did not have time nor the
> desire to pay attention to growing my own spuds.  Then I got old.  But
> not too old to learn.
>
> Ron Cook
> Salix, IA
>