Supporting potato plants? When to harvest?

Anthony_Toronto · June 24, 2014

Rained today and half of my potato plants are lying on the ground. Is this to be expected, do potato plants ever need to be supported?

Did a little investigation under a plant or two and found a potato that was about 2 inches long but the only other one I found was about half an inch. Accidentally broke off the 2-inch one so washed it, sliced it, quickly zapped it with some salt pepper and olive oil, and it tasted creamy and delicious. But when should I be thinking about harvesting? Planted them about a month ago, several plants are 18 inches tall so maybe have some time to go, a few have some flowering, but in my few checks underground I haven't seen much, aside from some stolons that had nothing on the end of them yet. How can I know for sure when to pull up a plant, should I just keep on carefully checking every week or so until I find a bunch of taters under there?

June 24, 2014	#1
Anthony_Toronto Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Toronto Posts: 413	Supporting potato plants? When to harvest? Rained today and half of my potato plants are lying on the ground. Is this to be expected, do potato plants ever need to be supported? Did a little investigation under a plant or two and found a potato that was about 2 inches long but the only other one I found was about half an inch. Accidentally broke off the 2-inch one so washed it, sliced it, quickly zapped it with some salt pepper and olive oil, and it tasted creamy and delicious. But when should I be thinking about harvesting? Planted them about a month ago, several plants are 18 inches tall so maybe have some time to go, a few have some flowering, but in my few checks underground I haven't seen much, aside from some stolons that had nothing on the end of them yet. How can I know for sure when to pull up a plant, should I just keep on carefully checking every week or so until I find a bunch of taters under there?