This is my first year growing potatoes. I built a
2 1/2 ft x 6 ft x 3 ft high frame covered
by 1/2 wire mesh. I mulched with straw as they
grew. Today I took a peek down into the straw
and found a grayish blackish layer of what I can
only describe as some type of mold
I started these after the early season rains
the plagued the Northeast.
Something tells me this is not good.

zone 6

(KK from NJ) writes:

This is my first year growing potatoes. I built a
2 1/2 ft x 6 ft x 3 ft high frame covered
by 1/2 wire mesh.

I'm having trouble picturing this. I think you mean you built a box
to hold the straw, right?

I mulched with straw as they
grew. Today I took a peek down into the straw
and found a grayish blackish layer of what I can
only describe as some type of mold

If the plants are/were growing, I suspect they should have good
potatoes under them. Sometimes the original piece of potato will rot
away after the plant gets started, especially if it was large, so
maybe you found that. Have the plants died yet? That's when they're
ready to harvest.

I started these after the early season rains
the plagued the Northeast.
Something tells me this is not good.

Extra moisture (or very hot, dry conditions) can certainly cause
potato sets to rot, but in that case, they don't make plants. I'd
remain cautiously optimistic until you actually try to harvest them
and see what's there.


--
Aaron

On 16 Jul 2003 11:33:43 GMT, (KK
from NJ) wrote:

This is my first year growing potatoes. I built a
2 1/2 ft x 6 ft x 3 ft high frame covered
by 1/2 wire mesh. I mulched with straw as they
grew. Today I took a peek down into the straw
and found a grayish blackish layer of what I can
only describe as some type of mold
I started these after the early season rains
the plagued the Northeast.
Something tells me this is not good.


Doesn't sound good to me either.

If anything was *EVER* going to mold and/or rot, this spring
in the northeastern USA certainly gave it the ideal
conditions for so doing.

Pat - In Zone 5

I'm having trouble picturing this. I think you mean you built a box
to hold the straw, right?

Sorry I wasn't clear. The mold is in the straw. Its full of it

the cage
http://members.aol.com/kkfromnj/cage.jpg/

and if you can see it, the mold
http://members.aol.com/kkfromnj/mold.jpg/

KK from NJ said:

I'm having trouble picturing this. I think you mean you built a box
to hold the straw, right?

Sorry I wasn't clear. The mold is in the straw. Its full of it

the cage
http://members.aol.com/kkfromnj/cage.jpg/

and if you can see it, the mold
http://members.aol.com/kkfromnj/mold.jpg/

I couldn't see the pictures (pages of weird characters in the browsers I use),
but taking Aaron's word for it that the plants are healthy, you may have nothing
to worry about.

I plant my seed potatoes in the soil and mulch with chopped straw as they grow.
(In fact, I think I ought to top off the mulch this weekend.) The mulch usually gets
a bit rotten at the bottom, sometimes with weird ear-shaped fungus thingees on
it. The potatoes underneath are fine though (unless they've been nibbled by
voles, which is a whole 'nother problem).
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

(Pat Kiewicz) writes:

http://members.aol.com/kkfromnj/cage.jpg/

and if you can see it, the mold
http://members.aol.com/kkfromnj/mold.jpg/

I couldn't see the pictures (pages of weird characters in the
browsers I use),

Remove the trailing slash, and they should display okay.


--
Aaron

Aaron Baugher said:

(Pat Kiewicz) writes:

http://members.aol.com/kkfromnj/cage.jpg/

and if you can see it, the mold
http://members.aol.com/kkfromnj/mold.jpg/

I couldn't see the pictures (pages of weird characters in the
browsers I use),

Remove the trailing slash, and they should display okay.

Ah, nice healthy foliage. The spuds should be OK if they are buried slightly
under the straw.

I use a frame of 12" boards to contain the straw mulch on my potatoes. It's more
than enough, usually, to keep the spuds from going green. They generally form
on or slightly below the soil surface.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

(KK from NJ) writes:

Sorry I wasn't clear. The mold is in the straw. Its full of it

I guess I'd just wait and see. Your plants look very healthy, and I'm
not sure if it's possible to have big healthy plants if something's
going wrong beneath the surface.


--
Aaron