we don't cut ours at all, so all shoots are left to grow, more shoots could mean more 'taters, dunno never checked, just getting a supply of spuds to eat is all we worry about, if you can call it worry. being best at show not our concern.

current plantings (if you can call placing seed spuds on ground and covering with mulch planting?) are doing great (must take a pic)

done the hilling now using mulch all you need do with hilling is stop spuds going green from UV.

anyhow see our instant 'tater presentation.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens instant potato patch

Thanks, len. gonna let 'em go then! Really hope it does end up being more of a crop. I'll let you know...

No, never prune potatoes. Definitely let them all grow!

Hmmmm...........I have read other places that more sprouts/stalks means smaller potatoes. So maybe more in numbers but but not necessarily more in weight?

This year is my first time growing them. I have Yukon Golds planted only 8" apart, and have trimmed them down to 2-3 stalks per hill. (most of them only had 2-3 stalks anyway) My assumption was that since I am already planting them tight, I should keep the size of the plants down. I dont mind small potatoes, but I dont want them the size of marbles.

The number of sprouts correspond to the number of eyes on the seed. A big seed potato might have too many eyes clumped too closely. I would cut it in half such that each piece has no more than 3 eyes. So, instead of one big seed I plant two smaller seed( about 2" apart per hill).

Later on, , sometime after the first hilling, I will pull some of the smaller weaker ones, if there are too many of them clumped together. Also, try to distance the sprouts, by filling between the with soil.

That's never been our experience, mandolls. Planting tight means smaller potatoes, not the number of stalks. We usually plant 12" apart in rows 2' apart. In the past, hubby has crowed them and the potatoes have been smaller. I asked him to plant more than 1' apart one year and the potatoes were bigger... almost too big (some split). We've always cut bigger seed potatoes and planted smaller ones whole and never pruned. It's just not necessary and it doesn't make sense... to me anyway. More leaves equals more photosynthesis equals more food for the plant equals bigger potatoes. Spacing appropriately is more important and in our soil, 8" is too close. Maybe not for others, but for us it is.

These smell a little like chives. The blossom is similar to one. Look like onions. Found them growing in single stalks in the neighbors unkempt yard?

Potatoes are relatively inexpensive to purchase, but growing your own is the best way to ensure they will not have been exposed to excessive chemicals to offset their growing problems. Plus you'll have a lot more varieties to choose from. Oval baking potatoes and red potatoes have dominated the market, but there are actually over 1,000 different varieties of potatoes available for growing. The texture of potatoes, even more so than the flavor, is very variable from variety to variety.Therefore i love growing my own potatoes.

I agree. Growing potatoes is a blast. This year I'm trying out 24 varieties, plus all the no-name grocery store potatoes I've kept going for 30 years. I'm working my way through the bean, tomato, and squash varieties also. Life is good. Slugs, SVB, and CPB are bad.