Growing Potatoes Vertically… The Harvest

We wanted to update everyone on the results of our growing potatoes vertically project.

After all of the foliage turned brown and started withering we waited an aditional 2 weeks before attempting to harvest. When the big day came we trimmed back the foliage, separated the fencing and tipped the whole pile over.

Given the fact that we had a terrible growing season up here in Rhode Island this year I was pleased to see a good amount of potatoes. After picking through them and discarding those that were mostly green or scabbed over we ended up with just over 15 pounds. Not the 50 pounds plus we were hoping for but given the weather and the fact that this was our first attempt at growing potatoes vertically we were pretty happy.

The quality and flavor of the potaoes is amazing and we are already planning next years crop. The pictures below will give you an idea what harvest day was like.

Growing Potatoes Vertically... The Harvest

You can check out our other posts that chronical our growing potatoes vertically project by visiting these links…

Original getting started post

First update

Second update

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Vegetable Garden Update

Well…I haven’t discussed our vegetable garden in a while so here is an update. Most of our plants are doing well except the eggplant…we lost most of the eggplant due to unusually wet conditions during June and July but there is hope for a few that are very small and still alive. The tomato plants are doing well and need more time for the tomatoes to ripen. We have an abundance of zucchini squash and cucumbers…we are picking them every day…the challenging part is to think of ways to eat them. We add zucchini to breads, pasta dishes, egg scrambles, salads, oven roasted potatoes, and just cooked in a pan with tomato sauce, onion, garlic, and spices. We actually started vacuum freezing the zucchini so we can enjoy it during the winter months…it will be great to add to soups. There are times when we give our zucchini and cucumbers to family and friends for all to enjoy. We are enjoying some fresh green beans and onions also…and our herb garden is flourishing. There’s nothing like eating fresh vegetables and herbs right from the garden…the flavors and textures are unsurpassed. More on this later….

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Picking (harvesting) Sweet Potatoes

Harvesting sweet potatoes should begin before the vines die back and at least one week before a predicted frost. Because sweet potatoes are roots and not tubers like white potatoes they can be dug with a shovel or pitchfork. Be sure not to cut or stab the roots. Gently remove all soil until you see the exposed root. Sweet potatoes are very tender when dug and most are cured before storage. Cure the roots by keeping them in a hot (85º to 90ºF) moist area for a week. After curing, store them in a warm (55º to 60ºF) dry place.

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Picking Potatoes (harvesting)

Picking Potatoes (harvesting) can begin when the vines begin to turn yellow and die off. Lifting the potatoes out of the soil can easily be done by using a shovel or pitchfork. This needs to be with care so that you do not cut or stab the tubers that grow out from the plants above. Begin picking potatoes by digging as deep as possible starting about 8 to 12 inches away from the stem and work your way inward towards the row. Once removed from the ground you will want to wash the excess soil off the tubers and dry them by keeping them in a warm area until the skin dries brown. Avoid placing the tubers in sunlight or exposed to light in general because that could cause them to turn green and become inedible. Newly dug potatoes can be eaten immediately. To store tubers place them in a dark, warm (55º to 65ºF), moist area to heal over any scars and to toughen the skin for curing. After curing store in a dark, cool moist area like a root cellar. You should not refrigerate after picking potatoes.