Digging Potatoes - An Amazing Harvest June 2011

[juicememelon]

that was awesome!! tx for making this vid!

[GreenhouseSalvation]

bless you brother-that garden looks mighty fine-rows always look longer on camera-how long are your rows---that tractor made good work of it all-i am not lazy-i use what ever i have to at my disposal-i call it being smart and not lazy-i have farm equipment at hand-folks think it aint nothing to operate a tractor-they have not been on one 6 or 8 hours in 90 plus degrees--it be hot and you feel like you been beat with an ugly stick at the end of the day-you are top notch my friend---peace

[mhpgardener]

@GreenhouseSalvation Thanks James. The rows are only 75 ft....not too bad. Yes sir, if you have the equipment, you gotta use it..just makes things easier. Heck yea...riding a tractor for several hours is not a piece of cake. Unless you have one of the new ones with the AC in the cab...maybe

[wyoladyreb]

wow wow wow, i am impressed! the Lord has certainly blessed u w-a green thumb. i'm gonna show this 2 my other half. thnx so much 4 posting! i had no idea that 50# would plant so much! we love the blues n yellows n such, 2, but can't afford 2 buy a whole lot of them but u've shown we don't need 2! way cool n God Bless!

[mhpgardener]

@wyoladyreb Thx. I've never done the blue ones. I've seen them, kinda purple looking. Very pretty. Yep, a little goes a long way under good growing conditions. ;-)

[peifarmer1]

they are all gonna get sunburnt



[mhpgardener]

@peifarmer1 LOL...no worries...they were all picked up the next morning. :-)

[TheOntarioGardener]

That is amazing. I am hoping for a nice return next year.

[mhpgardener]

@TheOntarioGardener I was surprised myself. It was really dry, I didnt water, and we got one good rain a couple weeks before digging. That made the difference.

[mhpgardener]

@davettalashley You got that right ! Definitely way more than I expected. :-)

[hammerandnails777]

Great videos. God bless you and give you strength!

[RanIntoSomeConfusion]

Very impressive return on those potatoes! I'm growing potatoes for the first time this year (Kennebec). Have you harvested your Kennebecs yet? I hope you make a video of that, too!

What's the best way to store potatoes long-term? Also - how long will they last in storage? Thanks.

[mhpgardener]

@RanIntoSomeConfusion Yea, I got them up a few days after the reds. Got up close to 300 lbs from those 2 rows. Not too bad considering they were taters left over from last year. As for storage, the important things are cool temps, good ventilation, and no sunlight. You can store them in a pantry for several months. These are in a dry van right now, will be moved later. Last years were stored under the house, held up pretty good.

[dianemummvideos]

wow you have spuds already.. wonderful.. and that is lots of potatoes..

[mhpgardener]

@dianemummvideos Oh yea...spuds spuds, and more spuds. I've never seen that may in person. Glad I dont have to eat them all...whew !

[Planogardener]

Fantastic Harvest! Glad you got the Word on the tractor. Doing all of that by hand would have been crazy hard.

[mhpgardener]

@Planogardener You got that right. It wouldnt have been so bad with a shovel if I had some help. But the tractor certainly saved the day.

[Hard2HandleRandall]

that is one impressive harvest. congrats on 900#. hopefully you can store some for that certain situation everyone talks about, or maybe even help some folks. in any case, thanks for sharing. really impressive. oh, how long was the rows, you said 7 rows. and that middle buster was just turning up great soil.

[mhpgardener]

@Hard2HandleRandall Thx...the rows were about 65-70 feet. I'm trying to grow enough to feed folks when the S does HTF. This is all a test run, learning what I can and cant do. Making mistakes while I still have time to learn from them.

[Hard2HandleRandall]

@mhpgardener ok yeah i understand, im an only lonely, lol, but my wife has a good size family and i have two kids myself, so i understand about learning before it hits the fan. same boat. wanna learn as much as i can before "the fan".

[Watsamadoing]

That was s... mashing :) You said you stored some of the potatoes. How do you store them? Do you just leave them in the bags?

[mhpgardener]

@Watsamadoing haha..Smashing..nice . They are in dry trailer right now...total darkness and cooler than outside. We'll move them elsewhere before freezing weather get here.

[baddogonline]

That was really hard work, and in the heat of the day! No wonder why you were breathing hard. Great video... :)

[mhpgardener]

@baddogonline Sometimes I wonder about me. I seem to do the hardest work on the hottest days. That makes no sense. And I just keep on doing it too. You'd think I would have learned better by now.

[03DexterHauler]

900lbs of potatoes... That's awesome! You won't go hungry for a while. What is the planting season for potatoes in your area, and how long did it take until harvest?

[mhpgardener]

@03DexterHauler Hunger ? Whats that ? lol Planted first week of March, dug second week of June. About 100 days, give or take.

[RICHROOFER1]

cool deal ,heck it never to that long to get to emporia for me but it depends on where your at.That would be cool though if i can i love to garden even though yours is way bigger but heck its just an honest days work to me and im always willing to learn as much as i can

[mhpgardener]

@RICHROOFER1 The front gate is always open ! Actually, I don't even have a gate ! I can always use a hand around here, doing whatever it is on any given day. Can I pay you in taters ? lol

[MsDKGirl]

Can you not compost potato stalks? I have been told they can spread disease and not to plant them near the same place as the season prior. I have a small city garden and not too much room for rotation, and suggestions or advice?

[mhpgardener]

@MsDKGirl I guess you could. But, why take the chance. Tomatoes and potatoes are notorious for fungal diseases. Many people actually pull the vines and burn them. If I were doing a small compost pile, I wouldn't take a chance on messing it up with a few sick potato or tomato vines. And yes, crop rotation is highly recommended. But you do what you have to sometimes. Keep everything healthy, well fed, and you should be ok.

[PurePrairieProduce1]

lol .... I am laughing ... I sure know the feeling. The tractor is always better . nice potatoes. congrads

[mhpgardener]

@PurePrairieProduce1 At least I wasn't shakey when I did this...lol. Sweating, but not shakey ! ;-)

[WickedHazeSilver]

This is awsome ! I love watching your updates very much ! It looks like an amazing harvest ! I want to get more in the ground lol Im not sure if its to hot to do now or to late in the season. Well thank you again for taking the time out to show us all what you love !

[mhpgardener]

@WickedHazeSilver Thx. I just planted a row of Arkansas Travelers...supposed to be a heat tolerant tomato. We're gonna find out just how tolerant they really are !

[WickedHazeSilver]

@mhpgardener Oh sweet ! I cant wait to see how they grow ! Have you ever kept your seeds ? I was wondering how to "harvest" the seeds at the end of the season. My goal is to get strains of plants that I like. Then keep the seeds so I can plant my own year after year. I have this thing about "weird" veggies lol like crazy colors lol well as always THANK YOU for taking time out of your busy life to share the growth with us all !

[MrStepheninKY]

Thats a lot of work and a lot of taters. Great vid

[mhpgardener]

@MrStepheninKY That WAS a lot of work..thx !

[flyguy1725]

Bobby, what a great harvest of potatoes!...thats one of the few things i havent grown yet...yo did really good...good thinking on the tractor attachment..im sure that helped alot...ok well cant wait till your next update!...

[mhpgardener]

@flyguy1725 Yep, it was a mess of taters ! I use that middle leg to dig the furrow when I'm laying off rows. Why I didnt use it to begin with...I dunno !

[MrPaka420]

Timing is everything, I loved this vid, I'll be back for more.

peace

[MrPaka420]

very nice, good harvest, I have a small raised bed and been harvesting Yukon, so nice to bring it to the table.

peace

[mhpgardener]

@MrPaka420 Ty sir ! I've never grown Yukon Gold's, but have heard good things about them.

[knyquol]

Thanks for sharing this when/if we get our farm I'm going to have to give this a shot, we have a small garden compared to yours but still the old shovel makes for a LOT of work! Great harvest!

[mhpgardener]

@knyquol Thx. I'd use the shovel if I had too, even the old pushplow...but the S hasnt HTF yet, so I've still got gas for the tractors !

[TalksWithDirt]

I'm viewer 0xFF!

[gardenvespers777]

lol WOW That was incredible! Way to go Bobby! Whew that did look like alot of work too!

you did all that with no gloves either! loll ;-) I need a tractor!

God Bless!

[mhpgardener]

@gardenvespers777 Thx ! It was a definitely a full day. Glove? What glove ? hehe ;-)

[dustyanderson1]

Your right, awesome spud crop. Think you said in an earlier vid that they were red lasoda?? Nice tractor too btw.

[mhpgardener]

@dustyanderson1 Thx....these were Red Pontiacs. Very satisfied with taste and production of them.  And the Ford? lol..Shes a little old, but still getting around ! :-)

[stymye]

Bobby,how do you store all the potatoes?..or do you sell some?

[mhpgardener]

@stymye in a storage trailer, on the floor. They'll get rolled over a few times over the next month or so, then coated with lime. Its black dark in there, stays cooler than outdoors. And I'll move some under the house later on, just to make sure they dont freeze. I took the lady from church a bag a few days ago when I dug them up..took her another bag of the Kennebecs today. I haven't sold any..just giving them away, crazy huh ?

[mediamaker2000]

LOL you should do one of those pick your own fields like they do with strawberries except they get to dig up their own potatoes! Nice very impressive video Bobby!

[mhpgardener]

@mediamaker2000 Did you see the size of those onions? I'd have to stand out there with a shotgun to keep folks away ! Either that or hire a guard ! Thx Dale. :-)

[horticultureandhomes]

If we have a famine, you are all set and good to go! I figure you got some Irish in ya with that many taters. Taters for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

[mhpgardener]

@horticultureandhomes Irish ? I dunno. I've heard of the tater famine though. But it aint happening here ! Hashbrowns, french fries, and fried taters and onions...that will cover the 3 meals...quite well too ! ;-)

[horticultureandhomes]

@mhpgardener Have you heard Mark Lowry (Gaither vocal band) sing about deep fried okra? Just change the words to deep fried taters!

[Carrie3570]

Awesome yield!

[mhpgardener]

@Carrie3570 I shoulda quit trading stocks a long time ago. My ROI is much better in the garden !

[cfenster]

Looks like Donald is rubbing off on you! :) Tater soup is in you future!!!

[mhpgardener]

@cfenster Donald, the forum, youtubers...lots of folks done rubbed off on me ! Yep..plenty of tater soup this winter !

[SasyBecause]

Absolutely incredible Congrats

[mhpgardener]

@SasyBecause Thank you !:-)

[RICHROOFER1]

Sweet harvest what state do you live in,dug some of my potatoes and got one worth eating the rest were rotting,to much water

[mhpgardener]

@RICHROOFER1 Ty ! Southern VA. Yea, water is not good for a tater..unless its a pot of boiling water ! :-)

[RICHROOFER1]

@mhpgardener COOL i feel like were neighbors im in norfolk va

[mhpgardener]

@RICHROOFER1 Hour and a half away...you're close enough to come help me ! LOL If you're ever gonna be near Emporia, let me know. I'm just around the corner .

[BLBMZ]

What a haul!!! Very nice. Still waiting on mine, the plants are just now flowering. Thanks for sharing, gives me hope that mine will do just as well and something to look forward too!! Thanks

[mhpgardener]

@BLBMZ Thx ! I snuck a peek a few weeks back, didnt see much. This was a very nice surprise. Hope ya'll make a bunch !

[BexarPrepper]

You should go ahead and pressure can some of those so that maybe next year you won't have to plant potato's again. Wonderful hard work as usual. Wore me out just watching you so glad I only planted a single 30ft row the shovel doesn't sound like I'm gonna have much fun with it. Blessings!

[mhpgardener]

@BexarPrepper I mentioned that canning to my wife, she liked the idea, especially for the little taters. Wore you out? Just watching ? I guess that happens as people MATURE ! lol gotcha ;-)

[BexarPrepper]

@mhpgardener Alrighty tomato head..you got a package on the way I forgot to include your depends :)

[mhpgardener]

@BexarPrepper You forgot the depends? , ...hmmm, thats a real disappointment ! :-( guess I better not say anything about memory loss and mature folks, huh ? ;-)

[jwlrymkr]

Nice harvest brother! These 100 degree days are taking their toll on me too. I see a real nice spot for a chicken coop. :D

[mhpgardener]

@jwlrymkr Thx ! It was some kinda hot for sure. Chicken coop? Oh yea..I see...I'd have to cut down a few of those trees, but no doubt it would be a nice spot. You were talking about in the woods right ? lol ;-)

[ptboy4]

On my farm we hasked a friend to make our potato harvester. It was a lot cheapper then buying one. we re-used some steel we had and buyed some more and then made a sketch.. after that we asked a friend of ours that knew how to work with metal and it worked preety well. :-)

[mhpgardener]

@ptboy4 Yea, I just took the quick and easy way. Got the job done and didnt have to buy anything new. ;-)

[foofarters]

Nice Job, smart man....

[mhpgardener]

@foofarters Thx, I try to use my head now and then !

[oaktreega]

All those lovely potatoes!!! nice work.

[mhpgardener]

@oaktreega The first few were lovely indeed !..After that first row...the lovely kinda went away ! lol

[emsapowell]

Looks great Bobby! I can't wait to get my own land so I can have harvests like that!. Every day I tell myself just another year or two at most and I'll be gardening for real... :) This little spot we have where we are renting this lot, just doesn't give me a lot to work with but I'm happy with what I have!

[mhpgardener]

@emsapowell This is what I've always wanted. I cant think of anywhere else on this earth that I'd rather be. I am one happy fella !

[emsapowell]

@mhpgardener I'm the same way. Give me a spot out in the woods maybe a pond or creek to fish out of, plenty of space to garden and I'm a happy girl!

[NWOIS666]

Your land and garden is absolutely beautiful ! 

[mhpgardener]

@NWOIS666 If you could only see this red clay up close ! This stuff is hard to work with. That garden there is my best spot..no clay. I hated to use it for taters, but it worked out pretty good !

[bowlmeoverva]

Out of the veggies I grew this year, I am really pleased with the taters growth this year. Hopefully your harvest is a good sign for us all. Great job on the taters and those onions look great.

[mhpgardener]

@bowlmeoverva Thx..and if ya come up short, I know where you can get some really nice taters, and onions, and squash, and snaps, cukes, and maters..... I guess ya get the idea ! ;-)

[imstillworkin]

Great potato harvest! Something doesn't look right with my plants either. The bottom leaves look fried. I'm also starting to see something going wrong with my tomatoes. It looks like some kind of blight, but I'm not sure. How are you going to store them? I'm hoping to bury a 55 gal. drum in the shade to try to store mine in. Never enough time.

[mhpgardener]

@imstillworkin Thank you ! Most are in a storage trailer, on the floor. They'll get rolled over a few times over the next month or so, then coated with lime. Its black dark in there, stays cooler than outdoors. The others are being given away or brought inside to the pantry. It looked like blight. The maters just a few feet away had Septoria I think..leaf spot. And I've seen a few leaves that looked like blight. I trimmed and sprayed Daconil..they look better now.

[MyHollowpoint]

Wow! You're gonna need help from the Lord eating all those too,lol. :)

[mhpgardener]

@MyHollowpoint You got that right ! A little help with all these replies would be kinda nice too ! :-0

[lotusblossomed]

Wow, I'm impressed!!! That was really fun to watch..start to finish, like that..must have made you feel great to get that done. Thanks!!

[mhpgardener]

@lotusblossomed Thx ! Lets just say I was one happy camper ! Tired, but happy !

[goldenscales]

Why not experiment a little and make some potato whiskey? Sit out on the porch, sip a little liquid sunshine?

[mhpgardener]

@goldenscales Lol...don't get me started ! Been almost a year since I had a drink. But a little sip of shine..maybe blackberry,,,,just for medicinal purposes of course ! I can't..I made a promise to the One that makes this all possible ! ;-)

[goldenscales]

@mhpgardener Remember Paul's words? Everything was created for our good. So long as we use moderation, I don't believe God is going to fry our bacon for having a little break from routine. A vengeful god is an abomination!

[mhpgardener]

@goldenscales As much as I've screwed up, and I still get blessed like this...He's definitely not vengeful. And I know He wouldn't leave me now if I went back on my word. I'm human, I sin, I make mistakes, but everything happens for a reason. I'll tell ya'll how and why I quit drinking sometime. Lets just say I was told too. And yes, moderation is a good thing....but sometimes its best to stay away from temptation. I know me, one drink becomes 2, and so on...

[goldenscales]

@mhpgardener Fair enough. I'm a recovering druggie, so I know what you're going through. Bless you for your stand. Take care! :-)

[EMOTTYVILLE]

nice spuds!

[mhpgardener]

@EMOTTYVILLE Ty sir ! Not as cute as the ones you had, but certainly edible !

[markelious]

wow... potatoes in June......wow

[mhpgardener]

@markelious Yea, usually second week of June around here. Just in time too, the snap beans are loaded. You know what that means !

[SheepDog707]

Don't get much better than that.

[mhpgardener]

@SheepDog707 Thats kinda what I was thinking !

[redberrychick43]

I never doubted you for a minute Bobby! I knew you would get it done!! Wonderful blessings you showered with those you shared those potatoes. I sure hope they appreciate it. But giving is such a wonderful feeling also. I hope to one day be able to do the same. We did pretty good with our potatoes also but we had only planted a few lbs. Very 1st thing we planted. Take care & God Bless.

[mhpgardener]

@redberrychick43 Thank you mam ! I was told not to be in a hurry to leave church this Sunday. A lot of folks are wanting to thank me, hug my neck. I might just leave early ! ;-)

[redberrychick43]

@mhpgardener You are welcome. Oh oh~you might be trampled! LOL Maybe slip out the back Jack! LOL

[KayakFisher01]

If you plowed that field again, you probably could pull up another 50 pounds.

[mhpgardener]

@KayakFisher01 I thought anout that. I went thru the dirt pretty good though the first time, since it was kinda loose. I saw a few when I went thru with the btm plow, but not many. I did make a second pass today in the other garden, cuz the ground was so hard. Good thing, I missed a lot the first time ! :-)

[JaxRL]

You are a fortunate man! What a wonderful harvest. Bet you sleep like a log tonight!

[mhpgardener]

@JaxRL Yes I am...and gonna sleep good tonight too. Dug up the 2 rows of Kennebecs today, another 300 pounds...geeeeeezzz !

[MelodeeRose]

Wow Bobby! You've been working hard! What a clever way to dig your potatoes. No worries about cutting into them with the shovel blade too. I can never grow good potatoes; you'll have to share your secrets ;-)

[mhpgardener]

@MelodeeRose Thx ! Me share secrets ? Now that just wouldnt be right, or would it ? ;-)

[MelodeeRose]

@mhpgardener it would be right for you to share your secrets, but it wouldn't be right for me to share mine ;-)

[mhpgardener]

@MelodeeRose I saw a sign about that somewhere.... oh yea.. on the side of the road...something about a ONE WAY STREET ! ;-)

[sumip90x]

don't we get any potatoes? me and jiana are fighting for the keyboard and mouse\

[mhpgardener]

@sumip90x It just aint cost effective to ship taters ! Maters either, but thas a different story ! At least you're not fighting over the Cat and Mouse ! ;-)

[DeadPlasmaCell]

Another great video! Awesome harvest!

[mhpgardener]

@DeadPlasmaCell Thanks ! It was fun, but I'm glad its over ! :-)

[loislaney23]

Good Job!! Yeah, you really needed that tractor. Hope you did get some help there. Don't won't you being the little red hen. lol

[mhpgardener]

@loislaney23 Thx, I'm not as young as I used to be! So the tractor really helped. Yea, I had some helpers show up to put them in bkts, just in time. And I'm all too familiar with the little Red Hen ! But, when you produce so much vegetables, they have to go somewhere.

[SpikenAL]

grandad dug his taters with a horse and plow... i know its hard work.. sleep good :)

[mhpgardener]

@SpikenAL Hard work, a nice dinner..yep..I sleep pretty good !

[qualqui]

Woweeeeee.....luvin' them potatoes ya just harvested,....you sure got a GREEN THUMB Bobby,....thumbs up to ya and thankin' ya for the COOL UPLOAD!! = )

[mhpgardener]

@qualqui I had a dirty thumb after all that digging ! Thx !

[whimberly1]

Wow that's amazing! Good job. 

[mhpgardener]

@whimberly1 I checked them a few weeks ago, when it was so dry, and really didnt find much. We had a couple of good rains, one of which was the storm that I thought would wipe out everything. Turned out to be more taters that I could have imagined. The blessings just keep coming !

[whimberly1]

@mhpgardener I'm a new sub and watched alot of your videos yesterday. I watched you plant them, then the storm, after the storm, etc. I'm just amazed by that harvest. Listen theres not a plant in the world that doesn't shake in fear, if I come too close lol. Watching all of these various preppers on here grow gardens, can food and grow livestock is just really blowing my mind. All if yall are so far ahead of the general population, kudos to you all is all I can say. Pray 4 us that havent started

[mhpgardener]

@whimberly1 " theres not a plant in the world that doesn't shake in fear, if I come too close " LOL ..thx for the laugh, that is just hilarious. I can see it now..."here he comes, might as well drop dead !" lol

[centervilletn]

im in tennessee and planted mine in late february...when did you plant yours?

[mhpgardener]

@centervilletn I planted about March 7th, give or take a day or so. Hope ya'll made a bunch ! :-)

[centervilletn]

we are digging our now too...red pontiac are amazingly gpod to eat...you got a great harvest....excellent vid

[mhpgardener]

@centervilletn Ty sir ! Those little reds are great with green beans...or all by themselves !

[susannamcintyre]

Wonderful harvest.

[mhpgardener]

@susannamcintyre Thx Suzi !

[mmlrc6atgmailcom]

Now that is an awesome harvest. Yo know how to grow a potatoe!!! All I have is my little ol' hands and a shovel. And Serenity..lol. You have to work a garden whether it is hot or not, if you want a good harvest. And that sir you have!!! No doubt you would not finish...MAN that is awesome!!! 900lb. What do you use for fertilizer?? And lots of water? Fine looking onions also...Thank u for shareing.....God Bless you Bobby...

[mhpgardener]

@mmlrc6atgmailcom Thx ! I used 5-10-10 at planting, switched to 6-6-18 to side dress. And I NEVER watered that garden. Its farthest away,kinda in a bottom. By the time I got finished irrigating the gardens on the hill, it would rain. I wasn't sure if they'd make anything. Boy was I wrong !

[greatwf]

man those new taters look good! good job!

[mhpgardener]

@greatwf Yes sir. Had some of those little ones for dinner. Very good !

[Allen2045]

WAY TO GROW BOBBY!!!!! Are you going to use the potatoe vines in your compost pile?

[mhpgardener]

@Allen2045 NO ! I couldn't tell if it was some kind of blight or leaf spot, but the leaves didnt look right. Been having a little trouble with some maters too. So I dumped those vines a long ways from the gardens. Tomatoes and potatoes are bad for fungal issues.