I've ordered 2 lbs. each of Red Gold, Purple Majesty, Caribe, Red Pontiac, and Ozette Fingerling.

If I do a potato crib or tower, what could I expect in yield?

len

I planted about 20 pounds last year (10 Kennebec and 10 Yukon Gold) and harvested 143 pounds but some hills did not do as well as others.

Mike

I do have one more question: I have seen Red Pontiac listed as both early and late on many various sites. I ordered from Ronniger's, and they list it as early, but Main Potato Lady lists it as late.

Does anyone have experience with Red Pontiac?

Do I have my bases covered with Red Gold, Purple Majesty, Caribe, Red Pontiac, and Ozette Fingerling. Would you suggest something else? I am looking into Green Mountain.

https://www.mainepotatolady.com/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCa tegory=34

https://stores.myregisteredsite.com/user1385939/mm5/merchant.mvc?Scree n=PROD&Store_Code=RPFL&Product_Code=7SNRPT&Category_Code=ESP

if you hill them every two weeks you iell get bigger and more potatoes.

that was are potato fields. in my garden i got about 100 lbs from about 7 lbs of seed. they we Yukon Gold. the field potatoes were LaRosa. that is a mid season red potato.

Dean

This man's blog ... with pictures of his 'tower' are actually updated. Starting with construction in Apr.

http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/4-sq-ft-potato-tower/
and a month-by-month report http://onestraw.wordpress.com/
scroll down to 'archives' and click onto each month for updates on progress (and problems/lessons learned) of the towers.
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Harvest of his tower in Oct.
http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/tech/
HERE are his conclusions from the year's experiment with tower-grown-potatoes: "•Technique is apparently paramount with the tower systems with alot of pitfalls for the gardener – it is far from idiot proof — and with all the variables Climate Change is throwing at us we need a less finicky system.
•Cultivar selection seems critical, and there is almost no research out there as to which kinds work. Carolas and Purple Viking seem to be a good choice – Kennebecs are not.
•Expense – $25 a tower for what seems to be only 10-20#’s of potatoes –if you can bring them to harvest– is a stretch
•The Hype – promising 100s# from 4sq ft.is a joke. It still may be possible -and I hope it is– but it is not easy, it is not guaranteed, and it needs alot more research and realism before anyone goes filling the internet with wild claims."
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Hope this helps answer the question about yields from towers. Disappointing in the described instance, but I'm playing with it, mostly because I have to fight for every bit of sunshine I can get...going up takes less space.

If I harvest 3 feet and get three pounds. I sell big potatoes for $1.00 a pound. 3 feet equals $3.00

New potatoes, If I harvest 3 feet and get 2 pounds, I sell them for $1.50 a pound. 3 feet equals $3.00

Then I can come back an replant the potato ground with another crop and make more money.

The trouble is some try planting x, y or z at far from ideal times and are stymied by far from normal results.

The second year I felt like experimenting with True Potato Seeds. I ordered six varieties that were supposed to produce potato seeds, but I got not a single seed and only a 1:1 ratio.

No doubt those two meals we had (one each year) were the best potatoes we had ever eaten, but somehow I don't have what it takes. More water? I don't know. But now that row is going to be planted with grapes so I will probably never know.

I have clay and have found deep planting, after trying several methods large scale is still best.
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There is also The Maine Potato Lady and The Potato Garden if you wish a truly large choice.

Check with your local cooperative extension office to see if there are any gardening groups doing an order that you can join.

How deep did you plant them?

I planted them 8" deep the first year and added soil as the season progressed, sort of to duplicate the potato tower effect. There were no potatoes on any of the stems so I counted the "Potato tower" as ineffective. The second year I planted them 8 or more inches but did not add soil. Surprisingly some of the ones that were forgotten sent up sprouts the next year so they were deep enough not to freeze. These early potatoes were true vectors for the flea beetle, and were consumed before the newly planted ones came up. (I didn't have a problem with the new ones and flea beetles, however)

What did you amend with?

I amended with B.O.S.S. compost. I also made fertilizer as described by Steve Solomon in Gardening When it Counts. (page 22).

How did you care for them after planting?

I watered them but not much else.

When did you plant?

In mid-May

There is also The Maine Potato Lady and The Potato Garden if you wish a truly large choice.

I ordered from Ronniger, AKA Potato Garden.