Growing potatoes is a very exciting process, like growing other vegetables, no matter whether you are growing them from the seeds or growing the eyes. But do you know that your potatoes could be of two varieties, they could be determinate or indeterminate? If you don’t know what potatoes are indeterminate, then we are here to tell you all about them. So that the next time the potatoes growing season is there in your garden, you know exactly what you are growing.
What potatoes are indeterminate?
As the name shows, these plants don’t have a specific height, determined size, or production. If you keep them healthy and provide them with suitable conditions, then they are going to grow bigger and bigger and produce more. These plants grow indeterminately till frost or winter arrives.
These potato varieties never stop growing, according to http://howtogrowpotatoes.website/index.php/seed-potatoes-planting-sprouting-chitting-storing/indeterminate-seed-potatoes/, and produce potatoes at multiple stem levels. So, even though you plant them at a depth of 10cm, you better keep mounding them up as they grow. These potato varieties have a longer growing season and produce a mid to late harvest.
The determinate potatoes, on the other hand, grow bushy and to a certain height and stop growing. These are early seasons and when the plant flowers, its growth stops, and the plant get a predetermined height.
What are some varieties of indeterminate potatoes?
When you know what potatoes are indeterminate, you should also know about some varieties of these potatoes. These potatoes are late season and some of the common varieties are:
● Bintje Potatoes
● The Butte Potatoes
● Canela Russet Potatoes
● Desiree Potatoes
● Green Mountain Potatoes
● Katahdin Potatoes
● Lehigh Potatoes
● Maris Piper Potatoes
● Elba Potatoes
● German Butterball Potatoes
● Red Cloud Potatoes
● Red Maria Potatoes
● Red Pontiac Potatoes
● Strawberry Paw Potatoes
Is it better to grow indeterminate potatoes rather than determinate ones?
When you know what potatoes are indeterminate, it is good to determine which variety you should choose. Since indeterminate potatoes are late-season varieties and they produce high yields and some of the largest tubers. Many home gardeners love growing potatoes in towers and choose indeterminate varieties of tubers for this purpose. These potatoes are believed to grow up along the length of the stem. If you need smaller and early or mid-season potatoes, then you should not be growing the indeterminate potato varieties.
How to increase the yield of indeterminate potatoes?
The best way to ensure the largest yield of indeterminate potatoes is to take care of them properly. The following factors can greatly reduce the amount and size of potatoes that you harvest:
● Inadequate sunlight
● Poor soil
● Pests or diseases
● Drought
When planting these potatoes, try to plant them 6’’ deep at the bottom of a potato tower. When you see the plant reaching a height of 8’’, add 6’’ of more either mulch or soil. Continue repeating these steps till you get a mound as high as 18’’ to 24’’. Then let the foliage grow and the plant reaches its flowering stage. If the plant is still growing and you are going to have a frost, then cut back the stem of the plant about a week before the expected frost so the potato plants start the curing process.
Does the indeterminate variety of potatoes grow undergrounds?
While trying to figure out what potatoes are indeterminate, you must also know the growing habits of this potato variety. According to https://www.outdoorhappens.com/indeterminate-potatoes-vs-determinate-potatoes-growing-tips-facts-and-more/, all potatoes grow underground and even the indeterminate ones also grow under the covers of soil.
You can see a beautiful small tree of potatoes above the soil. But the potato tubers form around the place you sow the original potato seed, approximately around 8-12 inches deep in the soil.
Potatoes love growing in moist and nutrient-rich soil, at least 6-10 inches deep. Another reason why potatoes tend to grow underground is that direct sunlight hurts them and damages the tubers. If potatoes are exposed to intense direct sunlight, a potentially deadly alkaloid may form in them, called solanine.
For these reasons, it is good to plant the potatoes at least 5-6 inches deep and keep adding fresh layers of soil on top of them so the tubers stay safe from sunlight damage.
Is it good to grow indeterminate potatoes in potato growing bags?
Many people are confused about whether they should grow potatoes in growing bags or not as a budget-friendly option. For indeterminate potatoes, this is going to work really well if you do it correctly. Potatoes love growing in deep, rich, and nutrient-dense soil. So, take a solid, thick, and deep potato bag to provide your potato the growing conditions it loves when you are growing it on the farm, garden, in the soil, or in a growing bag.
No matter where or how you grow them, remember that indeterminate potatoes need about 6 hours of direct sunlight every day. A good thing about growing in a bag is that you can move it around, place the plants in a sunny location and when the heat becomes too intense, move them to a shady spot.
How to plant potatoes?
After identifying that, it is good to know how to plant them correctly, so that you can get a big harvest at the end of the season. When you choose the seed potatoes and the growing season is here, you need to get them ready. Inspect all of them and if any potato has more than 3 eyes or dimples, then it is better to cut it into sections, leaving 2-3 eyes and as much potato as you like in each section. Leaving more potatoes with the eyes or lesser eyes in one section will be fine as it will go into the soil. If there are fewer than 4 eyes, then plant the potato whole without cutting it. Dig a hole almost 4-6 inches deep and place the potato in it with eyes facing up and keep the plants 12 to 24 inches apart.
If you are growing season potatoes or the ones that have large shoots, then simply cut the shoots and they will regrow. When they aren’t too long to cover with soil, then you can plant them as they are. If you feel it little soft, then don’t worry. Becasue it is going to grow just fine, but if you see mold, then throw it away.
How to grow indeterminate potatoes?
These are slow-growing potatoes, but they continue to grow vines all through the season and well into the fall. If you provide the right growing conditions, then they are likely to have a longer growing period and yield more tubers. Some varieties may take a long time to produce potatoes, but some may even produce crops within 135 days in some places. You should check the foliage growth as if the plant puts all its energy into growing too much foliage; this hinders the growth of large and well-rounded tubers.
To get a better yield of indeterminate potatoes, ensure that it has proper soil, nutrients, and water and you mound the soil around the plants to let tubers grow big.
If you are confused about the differences between determinate and indeterminate potatoes, then read this: Determinate vs indeterminate potatoes: what’s the difference?
Summing up
Now you know what potatoes are indeterminate, their growing conditions, the yield they are going to produce, and all the important details about them, you can decide which variety of potato you should grow. This would depend on what size of potato you want when you want to have the harvest, how big yield you expect to get, the growing conditions and amount of care you are going to provide, and so on. Choosing the right type of potatoes is the first step towards growing healthy potatoes that you can use for various potato dishes.
How to confirm that I am growing indeterminate potatoes?
The first step is to look at the stem as determinate potatoes usually never grow tall and usually have early blooms. While, if you see the stem growing up and up, then it is indeterminate potatoes. You can confirm this by mounding the stem and checking and seeing whether the new tubers form in the added layer or not.
With what conditions can I grow potatoes all year round?
You should grow potatoes in a deep container to make them thrive all year round, specifically growing the early potato varieties. You can help the drainage by adding some material such as a broken brick, a pot, ceramic, or even polystyrene to the container and then filling it with about 4 inches of soil or medium.
Do you always need to hill the indeterminate potatoes?
When you know what potatoes are indeterminate, you also know that these potatoes grow along the stem. So, hilling up the soil protects these potatoes from sunlight exposure and provides a cover for the surface roots.
Can I grow potatoes in all seasons?
The answer to this question depends on where you live and your climatic conditions. Potatoes grow best in warm, but not hot weather, so it is better to grow them after the last frost and harvest them before the peak summer heat. Another good time to plant them is late in the year and harvesting them before the first frost. It also depends on what size of potatoes you want and how big you need them to grow.
Can I grow both determinate and indeterminate potatoes in the same garden?
Yes, it is possible to grow both determinate and indeterminate potatoes in the same garden. Basically, it requires bit of a big space. Also, you would need appropriate growing conditions. However, it’s important to keep in mind that determinate and indeterminate potatoes have different growth habits and may require different management techniques. You should also take care to avoid planting different potato varieties too close together, as this can increase the risk of disease and pest problems.
What are the advantages of growing determinate vs indeterminate potatoes?
Answer: The advantage of growing determinate potatoes is that they tend to mature earlier than indeterminate varieties. Also, you can make them a good choice for areas with shorter growing seasons. Additionally, since determinate potatoes produce a finite number of tubers, they can be harvested all at once. It becomes easier to manage. Indeterminate potatoes, on the other hand, can produce a higher yield of potatoes over a longer growing season. Therefore, these are the good choice for areas with longer growing seasons. However, indeterminate potatoes require more management and attention to avoid overgrowth and disease.
