A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening 2 potato questions

I have 10 potato plants growing and they are doing pretty well. I have a couple questions though.

First, last week I noticed one had some leaves that were turning dark, almost black. Today about half of them are that way. I cant tell if it is the leaf itself or something on it. Any ideas what it may be?

Second, I hadn't heard about the mounding idea until I logged on here. My plants are about 12 inches high now. Is it too late to mound them?

I guess it is not too late to mound them--as you can plant them in say a tire & every time they push thru the dirt & show green you can add another tire to the top & cover again with dirt--so I say go ahead & mound them now--it will make for a sturdier plant that way also.

about the other--I have never had that problem, sorry.

Unless you are just getting to the time of year when the plants start to die. I don't know anything about when that happens in the south. Have they flowered yet? They usually get about 16 inches tall, flower, the flowers turn to little berries, those fall off and the plants die. So if they are turning black prematurely I would be afraid they are diseased.

Thanks Tamara,
No they haven't flowered yet. I am tending to agree with you. I'm off this next Friday and I think I'll take a few leaves to the local nursery and see what they say.