Most grocery stores and farmers’ markets will have these seven basic types of county-grown Maine potatoes: Russet type potatoes have brown netted skin and white flesh. Nowhere will you find higher quality Organic Certified Seed potatoes for planting in fields or gardens. How not to grow potatoes in a Maine garden by Reeser Manley May 6, 2011 May 6, 2011. Up to three hillings may be needed to build a potato hill, depending on conditions. The healed seed pieces can then be held at low temperatures until planting. The fewer cut surfaces the better. Any jagged or torn surfaces will invite seed-piece rot. Maine has many acid soils. PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (AP) — Potato farmers are worried about their crops as the northern part of the state experiences one of the driest summers on record. Potatoes planted earlier in colder temperature soils may emerge a little earlier, but if they sit in cold, wet soil they’re susceptible to decay. Its high yields of large, white skin, white fleshed tubers grow well under harsh conditions. If the tops have not died, pull them off or cut them off at least seven days before harvest. Yields vary, but most gardeners should expect between one and two pounds of potatoes per foot of row. However, higher soil pH levels are more conducive to scab, a potato disease caused by a soil-borne pathogen. Manure is not recommended on potatoes. The Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. “Pipping” or “green sprouting” can be used to encourage early production. For information about UMaine Extension programs and resources, visit extension.umaine.edu. Avoid storing diseased or damaged potatoes. Events and activities include an arts & crafts fair, Potato Feast Supper, potato pancake breakfast, and potato games. This can be done on a floor indoors or out, as long as the temperature doesn’t drop below freezing. You think of them as primarily for baking, but you can also enjoy them mashed or roasted. The Maine Potato industry prides itself on producing a high-quality product, whether that product is potatoes destined for your table, french fries, potato chips, or other processed potatoes. Potatoes can be grown in all parts of Maine in home gardens, but they need more attention and care than most vegetables. If larger seed is used, cut it into smaller pieces. Enjoy the wonderful events and allow yourself to be consumed by the amazing views of hundred acre fields covered with millions of beautiful flowers. For more information about this event, click here. Once the plants are about six inches tall, they should be hilled. In this video I share with you how easy it is for anyone to grow potatoes at home in containers. Later in the season Houlton serves host to Potato Feast Days, an annual fair held each autumn. Our free planting guide calculates the best dates for sowing seeds indoors and outdoors, and for transplanting seedlings to the garden—all customized to your … Find the best dates for planting and transplanting vegetables and fruit! Wood Prairie Family Farm – 49 Kinney Rd, Bridgewater, Maine 04735 – Ph:207-429-9765 If you do a good job controlling insects and diseases, you’ll improve potato yields, and also protect Maine’s commercial potato industry. A soil test will tell you how much lime to add. Maine Potato Lady Potato and Garlic Fertilizer may be worked in 2 weeks prior to planting. However, potatoes will grow in many types of soils. See more ideas about maine, potatoes, aroostook county. Early weed control is essential for good potato yields. Potatoes grown in gardens with low fertility may need fertilizer. Maine Garden Ideas. This will start the potato sprouting. Potatoes will respond well to high-fertility gardens but can produce lots of leaves and tubers that don’t keep well if plants are over-fertilized. Cultivation during hilling controls weeds between the potato rows; hand pulling can eliminate the remaining weeds. Colorado potato beetles and aphids are common potato insect pests. It tends to encourage scab development. If the seed is cut well before planting, store it at 50 to 55 degrees F and over 90 percent humidity. The ideal condition to green sprout potatoes is 70 degrees F with high humidity. Plant 12-15” apart in rows 36” apart. Ideal storage conditions would be 38 degrees F with 95 percent humidity. If your area gets hotter than 95, plant your potatoes so they have long enough to mature before the heat hits. Potatoes are traditionally harvested at the end of the growing season. Store seed at 38 degrees F, and keep cool up to two weeks before planting. Bryan Bell, of Bell Brothers, has no plans to expand the farming operation. University of Maine, 5741 Libby Hall, Room 103, 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Bryant Pond, 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Greenland Point, 4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove, Insect Pests, Plant Diseases & Pesticide Safety, Affiliated Programs, Partners & Resources, Non-Discrimination Statement & Disability Resources, Register for Workshops, Classes, & Events. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied. Commodity Planted All Purpose Acres Harvested Acres Yield Production Price per Unit Value of Production in Dollars; POTATOES: POTATOES: 52,000: 51,500: 325 CWT / ACRE The Maine Potato Board. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. Turn the potatoes over to encourage uniform sprouts. Store the harvested potatoes in a cool, moist, dark environment. According to a 2012 utilization survey, 68% of the potato acreage is dedicated to processing, 20% to seed and 12% to tablestock. Maine sources for seed potatoes: Here in Maine we have a lot of mail order sources to turn to for our seed potatoes: Fedco’s Moose Tubers, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Maine Potato Lady, Wood Prairie Farm, and Pinetree Garden Seeds to name a few. U.S. potato utilization for chips and shoestring 2001-2019; U.S. potato utilization for frozen French fries 2001-2019; Potato production area distribution in Sweden 2015, by county Late blight and early blight are two potato diseases that are common in home gardens. This year, Idaho growers harvested 322,000 acres of potatoes with an average yield of 405 cwt* and a little over one third of the fall potato crop in the USA, while Maine harvested 50,500 acres at 320 cwt per acre. All cut surfaces should be smooth. Nearly 25 percent of Maine’s potato production is for seed to supply the east coast. To learn more about the history of Agriculture in Aroostook Visit: However, potatoes will grow in many types of soils. Home Garden Thyme Blog Themes Flowers > > > Veggies > > > > > > > > > > > > > Herbs Gardening Basics > Birds > Fiddleheads and Fairies About Us Contact Us How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables Types of Tomatoes. Lime and manure may be worked into the soil the prior fall. Handle potatoes like eggs — potatoes will bruise. But if you’re using a garden tiller, be careful you don’t damage potato roots and stolons. ... Of course, Pennsylvania is a long way from Maine. Soils that are poorly drained tend to produce poorly shaped potatoes and tuber rot. How long does it take to grow potatoes? Of the two, late blight is the real threat. The Maine Potato Blossom Festival is one of Maine’s best known agricultural festivals. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Sarah E. Harebo, Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME  04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System). Potatoes are one of the state's best-known agricultural products and Aroostook County with its long, cold winters and a short, cool growing season is perfect for potatoes. In the North, you can plant your first crop of early maturing potatoes in April, usually six to eight weeks before the last frost. These are not true “seed,” but pieces of a potato tuber. Potatoes do best in fertile, well-drained soils. Herbicides used in commercial potato production are not recommended for home gardens. Maine is among the top 10 potato producing States in the US. In Mars Hill, Maine, a potato-growing family has been named Grand Champion Growers while raising only 300 acres. If you don’t have a current soil test, you might apply a balanced fertilizer (for instance, 10-10-10) at a rate of about 30 pounds per 1,000 square feet, or about one pound per every 10 feet of row. Maine Potato History In the 1700’s Irish farmers began planting potatoes in Maine’s rich soils. Warm the seed pieces to room temperature the last two weeks before planting. Soil with a pH lower than 7.0 is considered acid. We also grow many other great Organic Seed Potato varieties, some you may not have heard of! Most gardeners plant the whole seed, tubers that are less than two inches in diameter and planted whole. From our Maine farm we grow and sell many popular Organic Seed potatoes such as Yukon Gold, Caribe’, Reddale, and Adirondack Blue. With the significant contributions that the potato has made on our history and economic prosperity, is it any wonder that we still celebrate the potato each year with some of our best festivals? He said they want to continue raising good quality potatoes rather than increasing the quantity. While the amount of potatoes produced a year varies, Hart said the farm has storage for 25 million pounds, and also sells out of its fields. Soils that are poorly drained tend to produce poorly shaped potatoes and tuber rot. Get the harvested potatoes out of the light to avoid greening. These are available at garden centers and should be applied at seven-day intervals, or as directed on the label. These soils will produce more uniformly shaped potatoes but have a tendency to dry out if there isn’t a lot of rain. This variety is one of the top 10 potatoes grown in Maine and there is no question why. Green Mountain: While it was named after the mountains of Vermont, this is the potato that made the state of Maine famous. The dry weather in northern Maine also stretches into New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, two potato-growing Canadian provinces. Nearly 90% of potatoes are planted in the spring after the final frost of the season and harvested in the fall. The Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum Make a furrow four to six inches deep, and, after fertilization, place seed in the furrow and cover with two inches of soil. These soils respond well to irrigation. There's a reason we're obsessed with delicious Aroostook spuds - they taste great baked, mashed, fried, stuffed, boiled, scalloped, au gratin... we could go on and on. Over time the potatoes grown have also shifted away from table stock and into specialty markets. Potatoes do well at a pH near 6.0; they require calcium for adequate plant health and tuber-specific gravity. Potatoes do well across a wide range of pH, but prefer slightly acidic soils; a soil pH of 5.3 to 6.0 is typical for potato production. Ten pounds of seed will plant about 50 feet of row at eight-inch spacing and about 80 feet of row at 12-inch spacing. So began the long tradition of May planting and September harvesting in Maine’s Aroostook County. Oct 14, 2015 - The World of Maine Potatoes. It soon became evident that soil conditions, long warm days, and cool nights made it an excellent region for growing high quality potatoes. Set plants out in the evening if the day is hot and sunny. As this is not always available, a cool damp basement usual does fairly well, as long as the floor isn’t prone to wetness. The top potato varieties grown in Maine (fall harvest 2016, by acreage) are: Russet Burbank (40.6%) Frito-Lay varieties (15.7%) Norland (5.1%) Home gardeners should protect the growing potato plants with fungicides containing mancozeb, maneb or chlorothalonil. Potatoes can be planted very early in the season -- almost as soon as the frost is out of the ground and you're able to work the soil. Maine: Vegetable Planting Calendar Planting vegetable seeds or transplants at the correct time is important for getting the most out of your garden. If your soil is more acidic than this, mixing in wood ash will help raise the pH and make your soil more alkaline. Prepared by Steven B. Johnson, Ph.D., Extension Crops Specialist. Prepare the Soil: Carrots require deep, loose soil for their roots to grow.If planted in shallow or rocky soil, roots bend and … You can put fertilizer in the planting furrow and cover it with an inch of soil before planting the seed piece. As soon as the soil warms up to 50 degrees F, potato seed can be planted. Temperatures have dropped, and there has frequently been a frost. Green Thumb Farms grows potatoes, as well as beans and corn on 2,500 acres. Fields are covered with flowering potato plants on Sunday, July 19, 2020, near Fort Fairfield, Maine. The potato is northern Maine’s primary agricultural product and in the 1940s Maine’s potato production was tops in the nation. You may wish to consider potato varieties with some late blight resistance, such as “Kennebec.”. Even a barn or garage in early spring will work well. Use a tool that can lift the potatoes out of the soil without damaging them. Potato seed pieces should be blocky, must have at least one “eye,” and should weigh between 1 3/4 ounces and 2 1/4 ounces. Call 800.287.0274 (in Maine), or 207.581.3188, for information on publications and program offerings from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, or visit extension.umaine.edu. Do not use potatoes purchased at the grocery store for seed pieces. Over time the potatoes grown have also shifted away from table stock and into specialty markets. Each year in late summer Mark and Gloria Goughan open their... Information on Maine specialty food, farm stands, Christmas tree cutting, pick-your-own farms, farmer's markets and agricultural fairs. Potatoes can be planted earlier on lighter, better-drained soils as these soils dry out and warm up earlier. If seed pieces have sprouts over one inch long, keep them cool until planting time. Kennebecs are superb boiled, mashed, fried, hashed or baked! Don’t use seed smaller that one inch in diameter. Here’s how to do it: Spread seed potatoes out in a single layer in an area exposed to light. Lime will also raise the pH of soil. Light: Choose an area that receives 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day.Hours of sunlight do not need to be consecutive, but they must add up to at least 6 hours. For other gardeners, especially those in the South, the planting dates are quite different. The University of Maine is an EEO/AA employer, and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in … Tilling will help control weeds between the potato rows. Maine is one of the top 5 potato-growing states in the country, and it's our biggest cash crop. If your soil has a higher pH, chose a scab-resistant variety, such as “Russet Burbank.” Fertilizers work better at neutral (7.0) pH than a lower pH. Knowing your first and last frost dates will help you start your vegetable seeds at the right time. Either way, avoid direct contact with the seed piece. The state’s potatoes sold for about 40 cents per cwt., much lower than Maine’s 62 cents. Send queries to Gardening Questions, P.O. Buying certified seed pieces assures varietal purity and a low level of diseases. A soil test will tell you whether to use fertilizer and, if so, how much. Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. They are probably treated to not sprout. Ideally, fertilizer should be placed in two “bands,” each band two inches to the side of the planting and one inch below the seed piece. Select only intact and healthy potatoes for long-term storage. It is truly breathtaking. By 1994 however, Maine had fallen to the eighth ranked potato producer and the seventh in the number of acres devoted to potato cultivation in the United States. However, in the year 2000, Maine grew 63,000 acres of potatoes and nearly 90 percent of that was in Aroostook County. The Queen Anne has a smooth, thin bright yellow skin that's resistant to bruising, and is oblong rather than round. Another 45 percent is used for french fry processing, 20 percent for potato chips and 10 percent for the fresh market for home, restaurant and institutional raw potato use. Less energy will be used to heal the cut surfaces, making more energy available for growth. This will help the cut surfaces to heal. Many farmers in the state grew potatoes in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Planting calendars for places in Maine. Water well for 7-10 days after planting to encour- age quick root growth. These soils respond well to irrigation. Potatoes and Maine have a long tradition together. Sweet potato slips should be planted in warm (65˚) soil as soon as possible after you receive your order. Potatoes played a vital role in the economic prosperity of the region because of its large farms and fertile land. This is best done in the fall, but can also be done in the spring before planting. These soils will produce more uniformly shaped potatoes but have a tendency to dry out if there isn’t a lot of rain. In Mapleton, Maine, Darren Chandler is … Potatoes need 15-20 weeks before they are ready to harvest, so you can calculate the last possible planting date if you know the typical temperatures in your area. Usually, you have to order early and there are dangers of certain varieties selling out quickly. Potatoes are traditionally grown from seed pieces. Planting Dates For Potatoes By Zone It is even better if you pick it yourself you know exactly where it comes... Getting lost in a maze can be as much fun a family can have in a field of corn. The lime needs to be mixed into the soil. Seed can be freshly cut and planted into soil. The Maine Quality Trademark is your guarantee that the contents are only the highest quality. Nearly 25 percent of Maine’s potato production is for seed to supply the east coast. Maine Potatoes are Fresh, Sustainable, Delicious, and Nutritious! Seed spacing ranges from eight to 12 inches within the row and 30 to 36 inches between rows. There are insecticides and fungicides that are approved for organic production. It coincides with and celebrates the arrival of blossoms on the season’s potato crop. Replaced on most Maine farms in the 1940's by varieties that were easier to grow, "Mountains" are considered by many to be the most flavorful of all potatoes. Of the 255 potato farmers in Maine, 90 percent of the state’s potato crop comes from Aroostook County. According to the US Department of Agriculture, there are approximately 25,000 varieties of tomatoes worldwide. Potatoes have always been a popular crop in home gardens, especially since they can be stored for use during the long Maine winter. Recent economic impact studies of the potato industry on Maine’s economy finds total sales in excess of $540,000,000 with total employment of 6,150 jobs and a total income greater than $233,500,000 annually. Green sprouting will produce short stubby (less than 1 inch) sprouts that emerge quickly and set tubers early. Potatoes can be planted earlier on lighter, better-drained soils as these soils dry out and warm up earlier. Soils with pH levels at 7.0 are considered “neutral.” Soil with a pH level higher than 7.0 is considered alkaline. Round red potatoes … Farm fresh produce is the best tasting produce you will ever have. There are insecticide/fungicide combination products that will control both these insects and foliar diseases. The measure of soil acidity is the pH. Save the manure for other garden crops. Another option is broadcasting the fertilizer and mixing it into the soil. Potatoes do best in fertile, well-drained soils. Events include the popular Potato Queen pageants, a float parade, agricultural equipment, fireworks, bands and more. The University of Maine is an EEO/AA employer, and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. Late blight from an infected garden can spread spores and affect commercial potato production miles away. Potatoes grow best in areas with nutrient rich soil, ample rainfall or irrigation, along with warm days and cool nights. Buy certified seed from a reputable seed seller. Simply form a mound above the potato row. However, in the year 2000, Maine grew 63,000 acres of potatoes and nearly 90 percent of that was in Aroostook County. The fertilizer can cause rapid seed piece decay. Planting Your Potatoes Seed potatoes are subject to decay when they are exposed to hot, dry Find more of our publications and books at extensionpubs.umext.maine.edu. 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