Today our neighbor who always has an amazing garden was over and I asked him if he knew about determinate and indeterminate potatoes and he did not! I called the local nursery and they said they had never heard about indeterminate vs. determinate potatoes. I’m not feeling nearly so dumb for having not known that.
According to the list found here, Russet Burbanks are indeterminate and I found those at Carter Farms Seeds. While I would have preferred something a little more exciting that russets, I’ll take what I can get. Also, the fact that the russet appears to be an indeterminate variety and since I most often plant potatoes from those that have sprouted in my kitchen, and since I buy mostly russets, that may explain why I’ve had good luck in the bags/containers with potatoes.
Carter Farms was out of the German Butterball, which is another indeterminate but I found those at Gardens Alive and ordered some of them. I think I need more grow bags! I think Vince is NOT going to be happy about that, nor that I’m putting grow bags EVERYWHERE!
I had written to the company that packaged the potatoes I bought from Home Depot. The packages just said “red, blue and white blend”. They wrote me back:
“Red Norland, White Superior, Adirondack Blue – All determinate.”
That’s ok. They’re all planted. More bags are ordered.
Roberta says
Determinate potatoes might be ones that the potatoes form very close to the plant stem. Indeterminate might be potatoes that form away from the stem. I know Red Norland potatoes will all be very close to the stem when you dig them up. Russets I’ve grown form wider out and you have to dig them carefully to avoid damaging the tubers. Just some thoughts from a 50+ years of gardening experience.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I’m not so sure it has as much to do with relation to where they grow on the stem but determinate will grow kinda in one layer where indeterminate will continue to grow upwards so long as you keep adding dirt/straw/compost. Here’s a definition I found on the internet: Determinate potatoes are considered fast-growing and produce tubers at the soil depth just above where the seed was planted. Indeterminate potatoes are classified as slow-growing and produce tubers all along the stem where soil exists.
Therefore, indeterminate are better for grow bags like I’m using. If I plant determinate, they will grow just above the seed – basically one layer of potatoes. I plant indeterminate, they sprout up about 6″ and I had about 3 more inches of dirt, straw or compost. They grow 6 more inches and I had 3 or 4 inches more of dirt. I continue doing that til the potato vines die and then I should have a whole bag full of potatoes.
Pamela says
We couldn’t find any indeterminate potatoes locally. My husband picked up three types of seed potatoes for me hoping one of them would be indeterminate. They were not marked and the people at the store didn’t know. I looked them up and they are all determinate. I think I am going to try some of my grocery store russets and see what happens with them.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I’ve used grocery store potatoes for as long as I can remember. Every now and then I’ll buy seed potatoes if they have a variety I like and most often, it was Yukon Gold. I’ve just never noticed that much difference in production but I’ll be paying attention this year.
Cindy F says
I learn so much from you! Last year I grew potatoes for the first time and was disappointed in how few, and how small many of the potatoes were. I grew a Yukon Gold variety I picked up from Home Depot. I’m wondering if they were determinate as I didn’t find them in layers like I thought I would. We don’t eat potatoes that much so I decided not to try again this year but now I have some extra knowledge to share with my sister who is growing potatoes for the first time this year. 🙂
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Yes, Yukon Gold are determinate. Determinates grow faster than indeterminates so there is an advantage but since I grow mine in bags and I can dig around and get potatoes that are ready and let the others keep growing, I’m going to try to stick with those now that I know the difference.