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.

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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• growing vegetables vertically

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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Planting and Growing Potatoes

Vertically Update 2

It has been 2 1/2 weeks since our last update about our growing potatoes vertically project. Absolutely amazing the amount of growth that has taken place over that time… at least above ground

The big unkknown is still whether or not there are actual potatoes growing under all that foliage… time will tell but we are very much encouraged.

The next step is build up the outside ring so that we can add some additional soil and compost and hopefully force another layer of potatoes to grow. That is this afternoon’s project. Will let you know how it goes on our next update.

Check out Our original post to see where we started from

Check out Our first update post to see where we were 2 1/2 weeks ago.

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.

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The Versatile Red Potato

Many kinds of potatoes are seen in restaurants, grocery stores, and even homes today, but the most common of these are the russet, round white and our personal favorite the red potato.

Good-quality red potatoes will be firm, smooth-skinned and have bright-red coloring. They should have few eyes, and those eyes should be shallow. Avoid product that is soft, wrinkled, has cuts in the skin or is green-tinted.

Red potatoes are high in fiber if eaten with skins on and can be prepared as baked, roasted, mashed, fried or serverd cold in salads with very good results.

You should not store red potatoes in the refrigerator because this will convert the starch to sugar which will cause the potato to darken when cooked.

Red potatoes should be stored in a cool, dry place and not exposed to extended periods of bright light. This can cause greening and make the potato taste bitter. You should peel or pare green areas from the potato before using it.

Red Potato Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1/2 cup, cooked (85g)

Amounts Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 70
Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 0g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 30%
Calcium 0%
Iron 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Check out our Roasted Potatoes Supreme Recipe for a great way of preparing red potatoes.

In a future post we will add our Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe which is another great way of serving red potatoes.