Bad spots in center of potatoes

[Pat]

I have purchased potatoes that had that hollow in the middle which you would not know until you cut the potato open. It is good to know it is a weather thing and not a bug thing, I usually throw them out when I get a potato that has this problem, thinking bugs, now I can just cut around it or throw it out.

 

[Chuck]

As Bee's stated way too much water. From what I know about hollow heart it is caused by the overly rapid growth of the tuber. It more or less out grows itself. I think all of that manure along with too much water is causing this. I would also do a drainage test. Dig a 1 ft deep hole between the rows and slowly fill it with water. When it is full see how long it takes for it to completely drain away. Being sandy it will probably drain quickly but do it just to make sure.

Sounds like a perfect place to grow tomatoes

 

[headfullofbees]

Sounds like the perfect place to grow potatoes, if we just tweak the feeding/watering regime a little.

 

[Onatah]

That's far too much water, especially since all that manure will help retain it.
I'm also thinking that, since so much manure has been used on your plot, there's a chance that the soil is fairly acidic.

Nitrogen. Looks to me like you're adding too much nitrogen.
When you're growing potatoes, the nitrogen should be added in three doses, rather than all at once.
Probably you're manure is too fresh too. Add it in the autumn prior to planting, rather than the spring.


Do you ever get marking like this (scab) on your potatoes, because, with your use of animal manure which carries it, that is likely to be a good indication of roughly where your pH is?

Yes, I get scabs on them as well. Also very frustrating! I'll have to get the soil tested. How do you adjust the PH?

 

[Onatah]

As Bee's stated way too much water. From what I know about hollow heart it is caused by the overly rapid growth of the tuber. It more or less out grows itself. I think all of that manure along with too much water is causing this. I would also do a drainage test. Dig a 1 ft deep hole between the rows and slowly fill it with water. When it is full see how long it takes for it to completely drain away. Being sandy it will probably drain quickly but do it just to make sure.

Sounds like a perfect place to grow tomatoes

When watering, it not only drains very quickly, it's takes forever for the top of the ground to look like you even watered it. Give it 30 minutes, even after a couple hours of sprinkler, and it's dry on top. I haven't timed it but that would be my guess on time.
Our water table here is high in spots. We weren't allowed to even put in a basement because of it. However, the potatoes aren't buried that deep so never considered it an issue.

How much water is adequate for potatoes? Should I be growing them in a separate garden from the other veggies? My other plants don't do well if I don't water the way I have been.

 

[headfullofbees]

Yes, I get scabs on them as well. Also very frustrating! I'll have to get the soil tested. How do you adjust the PH?

Scab won't form on potato if the pH is lower than 5.2.
My recommendations for growing potatoes may sound complex, but followed step-by-step, over the autumn & winter, they are not too difficult, nor too hard work.

1st Get that manure into the soil in the autumn, so that some of the nitrogen leeches off.
2nd Give plenty to your other veg beds now to increase moisture retention; that is the problem, you need to build the soil structure there too.
3rd If you have any wood or bark chips that you can get hold of, dig them in with the manure, as they'll sequester some of the nitrogen as they decompose.
4th add a handful of yellow sulphur per sq yd to the soil, in order to lower the pH.

When you are growing potatoes, give them no more than one hour's irrigation per week, or twice a week when the weather gets very warm.

 

[Chuck]

I totally agree with Bees especially with point #3. You need to add copious amounts of woody material. Dried leaves, hay, wood chips, dried grass, anything to help retain moisture. When the water just drains away rapidly like you say it does it makes it impossible to maintain the correct moisture level. One day it is dry, the next it is soaking wet, completely irregular, thus leading to your problem.

 

[Rosyrain]

Ugh, this must be a regional thing. When I lived in the southern states for about a year it was not too uncommon for me to cut into a potato to find that it was rotten in the middle, but I do not have that problem here in the Pacific Northwest where potatoes are grown in bounties. Our potatoes will normally start to rot from the outside and so you are well aware that you need to throw it out without even cutting into it.

 

[Durgan]

I suspect thou hast a watering problem.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DDBQE 8 July 2012 Effective Watering.
Get the moisture to the roots of the plants! Not by guesswork, but by utilizing an effective delivery system. The watering magic wand and a bit of effort delivers the water where it can be utilized by the plant roots. The soil is hard packed clay between all the plants, yet the plants are thriving. The plant root growing area might be compared to a large pot.The pot being the hard packed clay outside the root growing area. All my plants are watered when large enough using the WATER MAGIC WAND.When the plants are small a watering can is used or a pail.Why would any thinking person water the ground between the plants where it does no earthy good? Even some of he large trees get water, since during this dry spell some are shedding leaves, a sure sign of they need water. Drip,soaker hose, and aerial spraying are almost insane as far as being effective for the plants.Plants so not need continuous watering, they like a deluge then a rest period.

Mulch helps retain moisture for longer periods, but it alone is not adequate if there is insufficient rainfall.TThe results are spectacular with little wastage of water.

Your Granddaddy did a better job watering his plants with a stone boat and a team of horses and a couple of 45 gallon drums, than most of your present methods. He sure didn’t blanket water, you can be sure.How much water is determined by experience. You don’t need a meter, your plants will inform you and usually quickly.
Quod Erat Demonstrandum. Pictures substantiate my method.

 

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?XRXAU 21 June 2012 Watering Methods.
I seldom water except for very young plants, and extreme dry conditions. I don’t have a sprinkler on the property, and consider them inefficient and not very effective, except for watering grass. I never water grass. To inhibit moisture loss from hot Sun evaporation all areas of the garden are mulched with wood chips.

Usually I utilize my four barrels of rain water. The wheelbarrow is used to transport the rainwater to the garden area, utilizing a milk cartoon carrier(or egg carton carrier)as a baffle to prevent spillage due to wave action when moving the wheelbarrow.

In extreme dry conditions it is necessary to use tap water.The tap water is delivered to the plant root system using a water wand cut off and pushed into the requires area. I call it the Magic Water Wand. In the main garden it is quick to walk along a row and push the wand into the ground every few feet and get the water to roots, where it is required.The foliage is not wetted, and there is little wastage of water.

 

[Durgan]

http://durgan.org/URL/?ARLGN 28 May 2009 Watering Plant Roots.

This method gets water to the root area of the plants. The hydraulic effect of the water makes pushing the wand into the ground effortless. The device is made by cutting off the end of a typical water garden wand as sold in most hardware stores.

 

[Chuck]

What Durgan says has some merit. That is why I suggested digging a hole between your rows to see what your plants are actually growing in but irregardless you need a lot of organic matter added to your soil and not just manures

 

[headfullofbees]

I suspect thou hast a watering problem.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DDBQE 8 July 2012 Effective Watering.
Get the moisture to the roots of the plants! Not by guesswork, but by utilizing an effective delivery system. The watering magic wand and a bit of effort delivers the water where it can be utilized by the plant roots. The soil is hard packed clay between all the plants, yet the plants are thriving. The plant root growing area might be compared to a large pot.The pot being the hard packed clay outside the root growing area. All my plants are watered when large enough using the WATER MAGIC WAND.When the plants are small a watering can is used or a pail.Why would any thinking person water the ground between the plants where it does no earthy good? Even some of he large trees get water, since during this dry spell some are shedding leaves, a sure sign of they need water. Drip,soaker hose, and aerial spraying are almost insane as far as being effective for the plants.Plants so not need continuous watering, they like a deluge then a rest period.

Mulch helps retain moisture for longer periods, but it alone is not adequate if there is insufficient rainfall.TThe results are spectacular with little wastage of water.

Your Granddaddy did a better job watering his plants with a stone boat and a team of horses and a couple of 45 gallon drums, than most of your present methods. He sure didn’t blanket water, you can be sure.How much water is determined by experience. You don’t need a meter, your plants will inform you and usually quickly.
Quod Erat Demonstrandum. Pictures substantiate my method.

I don't doubt that your method works well for you, but there are different soils, different climate, different levels of wind, even.
It is undoubtedly the case that Texas has a very different climate to Ontario, and especially on fast-draining soil, what you recommend may be insufficient.

 

[Onatah]

Scab won't form on potato if the pH is lower than 5.2.
My recommendations for growing potatoes may sound complex, but followed step-by-step, over the autumn & winter, they are not too difficult, nor too hard work.

1st Get that manure into the soil in the autumn, so that some of the nitrogen leeches off.
2nd Give plenty to your other veg beds now to increase moisture retention; that is the problem, you need to build the soil structure there too.
3rd If you have any wood or bark chips that you can get hold of, dig them in with the manure, as they'll sequester some of the nitrogen as they decompose.
4th add a handful of yellow sulphur per sq yd to the soil, in order to lower the pH.

When you are growing potatoes, give them no more than one hour's irrigation per week, or twice a week when the weather gets very warm.

Thank you so much for all of this great information! I will definitely take it.
When should I add the sulphur?
I have plans to turn out my mini pigs into the garden to till it up, intending to leave the plants in there as they work. I planned to do this in the next day or two and leave them until snow flies and I have to move them inside for the winter. I'm thinking I can turn them out to do their thing, once the plants are demolished, I can bring over the rabbit manure (which is mixed with hay and given where my pile is, leaves) and rototill it in. Or should I take a different approach? Sharing my intentions so maybe I can be corrected before I make a mistake.

 

[Onatah]

I totally agree with Bees especially with point #3. You need to add copious amounts of woody material. Dried leaves, hay, wood chips, dried grass, anything to help retain moisture. When the water just drains away rapidly like you say it does it makes it impossible to maintain the correct moisture level. One day it is dry, the next it is soaking wet, completely irregular, thus leading to your problem.

Makes sense. Thank you. I got notice on my phone that the electric company is going to be in our area the first week of November doing tree work. When they do this, it usually results in piles of shavings being dumped on the power lines down the road from us. I happen to have a long drive on my property that we take to get out to where the garden is located. Semi's have used it for turning around, etc. so I know it's plenty big enough for their trucks. I'm thinking maybe asking them if they would like to just dump there instead of the power lines, which would be easier for them and potentially beneficial to us? I was already tempted by doing it so I could use it for mulch in my memorial garden. If my vegetable garden can benefit as well, all the better.

Question: We have been cutting a lot of firewood since late last winter. We burn the brush. I keep eyeing our piles of ash... would it be valuable to add?