seed potatoes under straw not growing

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Hi, and thanks in advance for your answers. I live in North Arkansas. I cut and planted seed potatoes March 17th on top of tilled ground and then covered them with at least 12 inches of straw. Now it's the middle of April and no growth has showed through the straw yet. So I got curious and looked under the straw only to find that the cuttings had grown little or none. They wern't rotting, looked like the day I planted them. There had been a couple of cold nights after I had planted them when tempertures got down to 25 degrees F. Am I just being inpatient or do I need to replant? Is it too late to replant? Any replies would be appreciated. Thankyou.

-- Paul Martin (rpm44@centurytel.net), April 13, 2002

Answers

Isn't that too much mulch to start with? I haven't put mulch on at the beginning. We bury our seed potatoes a bit, then mulch after they are up. I believe your potatoes think that they are in cold storage. No signal coming through all that mulch that it is time to GROW!!

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), April 13, 2002.

Agreed, that much mulch is insulating the ground, not allowing the suns warmth to reach the potatos.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 13, 2002.

You're probably being impatient. I planted some potatoes in tires the end of February. About a week and a half ago, I finally gave up and figured it had just gotten too cold. When I looked under the straw, there was some growth, but nothing all that exciting. So, I piled some top soil on top of the straw mulch and planted some extra strawberries.

Last night I was out tending the garden and noticed some shoots coming up. Believe it or not, it was the potatoes. I wish I had been more patient . . . I wouldn't have had to spend a half an hour carefully digging strawberry plants out of the tire. :-)

-- Julie Woessner (jwoessner@rtmx.net), April 13, 2002.


Whoops . . . I hit the "submit" button too soon. I'd remove some of the straw--I think your mulch is perhaps a bit too deep given the temperature outside. You'll be adding more mulch down the road when the shoots start to appear, so 12 inches right now is probably over-kill.

-- Julie Woessner (jwoessner@rtmx.net), April 13, 2002.

if the ground was warm they should grow, the chill may have set them back , i would simply be patient, i have noticed that when i do the bales i need to really really wait for them to show above the bale.

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), April 13, 2002.


I think everyone is on the right track. I don't start out with that much mulch. I start out with about 6 inches and add as the pile compacts and when the first sprouts appear.

I was like you the first year. Thought the potatoes had died, then magically they appeared seemed like 6-8 weeks.

-- Carole Kington (kington@duo-county.com), April 13, 2002.


I was sur glad to see this thread. I am having the same problem. I dont have that mulch on mine but they still hadn't done anything yet.I hav been digging down in the mulch and re planting them in the dirt below when ever I have some spare time. I did notice that some were taking root and today I noticed a few stick their heads up above the straw. I think it has been too cool this spring and when you use the mulch method as I do the ground doesn't warm up very fast. I planted my potatoes Patricks day. I think removing some mulch is a good idea and then when they stick their heads up real good bury them again. That is what I have always done when I planted them in just soil. I bury them about 3 times. This gives you lots more potatoes. Mulch should be the same. My peas didn't come up this year either. I am going to plant them again.

-- corky wolf (corkywolf@hotmail.com), April 13, 2002.

I planted my potatoes on valentines day. Ihad a pile of live oak leaves. Ijust pulled the leaves back , and placed whole seed potatos on the bare ground, no cultivation at all . then I recovered them with 8 to 15 i nches of leaves . today I cheked them . about 75 % are up about 1 to 10 inches. I believe all of them will grow !I am having trouble with arthritis and cant dig . Today I planted Tomatoes . I just dug a hole, filled it with potting soil then put the tomato plants in. , Sure hope they make some tomatos . I just have to put something in the ground . Big George

-- George Wilson (cwwhtw@aol.com), April 13, 2002.

Sorry about that awful spelling. I don't type well and I forgot to proof read before I sent it. OOPs!

-- corky wolf (corkywolf@hotmail.com), April 13, 2002.

We live in upstate PA and what we do is dig a trench about 5 inches or a little more deep. Put the seed potato into the trench and then cover with the straw or used bedding from the animals pens. I think being in contact in the ground probably helps them grow. We don't plant ours until at least the end of May. Good Luck !!!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), April 14, 2002.


Thankyou for the answers! I'll be more careful next time. It never crossed my mind that straw would act like a insulator. But I'm sure you are right.

-- Paul Martin (rpm44@centurytel.net), April 16, 2002.

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