green pots...?

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sarah*

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green pots...?
« on: July 28, 2006, 22:43 »
hello
I have dug up some of my potatoes and they have turned green?

Does anyone know why?

I guess you shouldn't eat green pots right?

Help me...please someone??

Sarah*
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I love my chooks...

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Heather_S

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green pots...?
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2006, 22:58 »
Green potatoes have solanine in them which is a mild poison. You get nasty tummy cramps and such if you eat too many green potatoes especially if you're a person who is quite sensitive to solanine.
Green potatoes come from light exposure... usually from not earthing up your potatoes to block the light out.

I'm naughty and just peel off the greenness usually. If you're sensitive to solanine, you can't do that apparently because there's still a small amount in the potato itself but you do remove most of it through peeling until there's no more green.
wistfully hoping to one day be mostly organic gardener in North London.

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GrannieAnnie

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green pots...?
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2006, 23:09 »
I'm naughty there too Heather!  I peel off the green bits.  Ive had some on a few of my potatoes, because although they were under terram, the ones nearest the hole that the potatoes grew through caught the light.  

I know, I should have covered the hole up after the haulm started to grow, but I didn't want to in case I'd missed a bit and the haulm didn't grow properly!!!!

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sarah*

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green pots...?
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2006, 08:32 »
thanks for that - I'm a fairly new gardener and am loving the fruits it bears!
we have aubergine toms onions bean melons cucumbers - the list goes on!

But, forgive me , quote "usually from not earthing up your potatoes to block the light out" what does this mean?
Sorry but I have never grown potatoes before...

 :oops:

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Heather_S

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green pots...?
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2006, 09:52 »
You're suppose to dig a little ground up and cover up the potato plant until you can only see the top few leaves during its growth. It protects the top tubers from light and blight(disease that makes your potatoes go funny and corky).
If you're on heavy clay like I am, make sure you don't crush and kill your plant with a large clump of clay  :lol: Clay soil means you can mould the soil in your hands and it's similar to pottery clay. It also cracks badly when it dries out and that's what can cause the light to get to the potatoes.

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GrannieAnnie

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green pots...?
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2006, 13:40 »
I had planted my earlies traditionally, in a trench, then instead of coming back later to 'earth up' I pulled up the earth along the row, so that the potato had more room to produce it little potatoes and it saves me going back and earthing up later.  The potatoes take a bit longer to grow through the extra soil but swings and roundabouts, when you earth up you are covering a bit more potato up anyway.  There is an article about potatoes that someone (John I think?) put on here, I'll look it up and send it to you.

My maincrops this year I experimented with terram (weed control fabric)  It lets water through, but not light.  I laid the terram down first, cut little crosses in the fabric with a knife, then made a 4inch hole with my bulb planter, dropped in my potato and covered it up.  The potatoes are growing through the holes and when I pick up the terram, there they are, mostly on the ground, with a few under the earth, much easier to pick them up and I've had more potatoes from those than I did the ones in trenches.  Hubby said I'd have a lot of slugs, but we don't get many slugs here, just a bit of common scab and possibly wireworm chonking bits out of the sides of the spuds!!!!

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GrannieAnnie

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green pots...?
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2006, 13:44 »



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