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what to feed potatoes?

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  • #1

    what to feed potatoes?

    hi everyone!
    what a great forum, ive learnt so much from here!
    im growing totties again, got some wee beauties last year!
    last year's were simply left to their own devices - no watering or feed as i was away working up north. this year i planted a chitted red rooster spud from supermarket and they are looking amazing!
    they arent even flowering yet but when i watered them yesterday there was an abundance of red spuds visible!
    just wondering if its ok to feed them miracle gro or is there a type specific fertiliser i can get?
    thanks for any info!!!!
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  • #2
    You can buy a specific potato fertilizer. It's granular and you sprinkle it on the rows. To be honest, I never feed spuds but then I grow earlies so they aren't hanging around! I try to keep the soil in good nick with home-made compost and, this year, my own chicken manure (from last year, our first year with chickens) so I don't add anything else.
    Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

    www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

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    • #3
      Hi Steve, welcome to the Vine

      Miracle grow should be okay if that's what you've got handy. Or tomato food is okay too, I believe.

      If you've got potatoes showing when you water, then it sounds like you need to add a bit more compost if you can. The reason being that potatoes that are exposed to the light will turn green, and they then have to be discarded because the green is poisonous. Putting another layer of compost on will protect them from the light

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      • #4
        I feed my spuds with a dash of comfrey tea when I remember to
        All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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        • #5
          If you don't have any more compost then cover the spuds with grass clippings, newspaper or anything to keep the light off them.
          Welcome to the vine by the way.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by steve71 View Post
            just wondering if its ok to feed them miracle gro or is there a type specific fertiliser i can get?
            Definitely not Miracle-Gro. It's very high in nitrogen, it'll encourage your potatoe plants to grow lots of leaves at the expense of tubers.

            Tomato fertiliser will be good to use as it usually comes in a liquid which will be quickly utilised by the plant. As TwoSheds says, if you've got comfrey then a comfrey tea will do wonders.

            Usually to fertilise potatoes, you'd add a slow release granular feed specifically tailored for potatoes at the time of planting tubers. However if you haven't done that a liquid tomato type feed will do a good job. Don't overdo it though. Only apply it half as frequently as the directions state for tomatoes.

            And get those tubers covered up. If they're exposed to the light for too long then the tubers will go green and they won't be good for eating. Just cover them over with soil or compost or a mulch of some sort. It's one of the reasons why a lot of growers adopt a practice of 'earthing up'.
            Last edited by maypril; 26-06-2010, 02:06 AM.

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            • #7
              I use water butt tea... I fill the legs of a pair of tights with Groworganic (type of fertilizer bought in bags) tie a knot in the top and drop them in a water butt. The resulting dark brown tea is then mixed one cup in a 5ltr watering can or two in my thirteen ltr can. I use this to feed everything accept brassicas. I feed them by following the exact same method except I use chicken pellets in the tights.. I can make a bag of Groworganic or bag of chicken pellets last a few seasons.
              Cryin won't help you, prayin won't do you no good!

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              • #8
                thanks guys!
                i did water them with miracle gro other day, the foliage is all over the place!
                gonna have a root around and see if they are harvestable!
                i am sure they must be!
                feeling like a kid in a candy shop lol!
                fingers crossed guys!
                thanks again!

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                • #9
                  When should you start feeding tats in bags with Tomato feed?

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                  • #10
                    I've got tatties in bags too ... Just planted them last week. It never occurred to me to feed them at all, so I'd also be interested to hear when to put tomato feed on them :-)
                    Diagonally parked in a parallel universe!
                    www.croila.net - "Human beans"

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                    • #11
                      We tend to plant the potatoes on a well manured area (cow manure/house manure/chicken manure well dug in) then use potato fertiliser. Whilst they are smaller do water with comfrey tea but as the plants get bigger its either rainwater or housepipe. Our first earliers are usually grown in a big planter so its easier to continue watering them with comfrey tea. Agree that if you can see the potatoes they need earthing up/covering up. I have views about using Miracle Grow etc especially on vegetables but I wont bore you with it here.

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