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Minnesota

I am looking for a recommendation on a potato fork/broadfork for digging potatoes in heavy soil, I am done breakIng the box store forks every year in my soil, looking for something very heavy duty. Anyone have some experience in this area?

7/2/2020 10:16:05 AM

Central NY

I’d say get yerself a 2” core drill and about 17 pounds of black powder... er...I guess a shovel would do less damage...yer call

7/2/2020 11:28:08 AM

South Hero, VT

I've been using a broadfork from https://meadowcreature.com/ for 10 years. Has a lifetime guarantee. You might to look at Johnny's 920 Harvest broadfork for your potatoes. The Meadow Creature is a bear when it comes to breaking up heavy soil.

7/2/2020 12:22:08 PM

South Dakota

Go to a farm service store instead of box stores. Much better quality at the farm stores. Higher price too, obviously.

7/3/2020 8:19:58 AM

Buffalo, MN (Billsbigpumpkins@hotmail.com)

Nice to see you back on the boards. Those must be some big potatoes if your busting the forks. I'll be looking for one myself before long.

7/3/2020 8:53:49 AM

Minnesota

Hey Bill, good to hear from you again, it has been awhile, I did go to runnings and bought the expensive potato fork, nice ash handle, didn’t even last two years, I did find one online through hosstools, one piece airplane tubing with a five year guarantee, looks like the direction I am going.

7/3/2020 6:33:17 PM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

I've wondered about you from time to time Chad. Just wondered if you still grow giant pumpkins? It doesn't seem so long ago that you were the MN state record holder.
I grow my potatoes in a sandy loam, which isn't so hard on the forks. I hope you find one that lasts awhile. Take care.
Doug

7/4/2020 1:46:11 AM

Minnesota

Doug, I got out of the pumpkin game years ago, youth sports pretty much dominate the schedule now.

7/5/2020 10:57:14 PM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

I understand Chad. A person has to decide where to dedicate their time and energy. I hope your potato crop does well.

7/9/2020 2:16:27 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

I have planted potatoes for the first time ever in my life this year. I have been thinking about harvesting them with a pitch fork. I have sandy sand soil, so it should not be too difficult. It is hard to come up with the desire to bury the plants in these 90+ degree days. I have leaves that are over 14 inches tall...I know I should do something but heat takes away desire. If I can get enough seed potatoes, I will keep trying this future years. I would like to make a trencher. Digging with a shovel is more effort than I desire. I am also reading about TPS. Growing potatoes from seeds sounds better than growing from seed potatoes. Maintaining temps thru the winter is more difficult than dehydrated the whole harvest.I have russet burbank and yukon gold growing now. I will be looking to see if I can get any flowers pollinated. This year has settled down to be no giant vegetable plants growing. There is still joy in growing without the giants.

7/9/2020 5:47:05 PM

Grittyville, WA

On sandy soil just use a three or four prong rake? I have a four prong one. I put vinyl tubing on the tines to keep the tubers from getting scraped by the metal. The vinyl tubing is a bit softer on the taters than the metal but its resilient enough that it endures the digging.

7/10/2020 2:11:52 AM

50 Acres

I have a single blade and a 4 prong stone hawker, they work well in well hilled and lite loam soils. Jim

7/10/2020 9:33:31 AM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

Bob(bnot),
This is my second year in a row of not growing giant pumpkins. I've got a big vegetable garden growing this year. It's been great growing weather here. My vine crops(squash, melons, and cucumbers vines) are growing like crazy. I think there will be some big pumpkins coming out of Minnesota this year. I'm guessing a state record. The field corn crop looks significantly ahead of most years, here in central MN. My main trouble in the garden this year is deer. I've tried a few deterrents, but I'm still getting deer in the garden. I may have to resort to an electric fence. I think a deer trail goes right up into the yard where my garden is. I haven't had a lot of trouble with deer in the past, but the last two years have been bad in that regard. I'm growing three potato varieties: Dark Red Norland, Carola, and German Butterball. Thankfully, the deer seem to mostly leave the potato plants alone. The potato bugs haven't been bad this year. I pick them by hand, and squish the yellow eggs. I hill the plants once, when they are around 8-12" tall. Happy growing!

7/12/2020 4:30:16 PM

Long Island,New York

Im just curious how a certain someone is going to harvest a certain something with a bad back. Do I see minions coming?

7/22/2020 3:28:07 PM