Q.No Potatoes on Plants
We live in central Missouri and just went out to dig up some or our potatoes that we grew inside of tires. The plants looked very healthy all summer, they had plenty of sun and water, and we kept filling in dirt around them and adding tires as they grew. The tops finally died out about a month ago, but when we went to dig them up, there was absolutely nothing there. What happened to our potatoes?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
This is usually one of two things:
Temperatures may have been too warm, which was true with much of the country this season. Potatoes like to cooler temps. Keep the soil piled up as the plant grows or add a generous layer of mulch.
A nitrient imbalance may also be to blame - such as too much nitrogen, too little phosphorus. An abundance of nitrogen results in lush foliage growth with little to no blooms or fruit. You can remedy this by adding bone meal to the soil to encourage more root growth.
The same thing has happened here in Arkansas. I made a few small potatoes but my neighbor usually grows 600-700 lbs that he donates to a children's home. This year he had nothing.
We think it was due to the cool weather, lot of rain and then a complete switch to extreme heat and dry.
