Potato flowers

[bowdonkey]

This is kind of odd but I  never seen this before.  An article  said to remove the flowers to increase tuber size. Makes sense I guess, so I'm removing them this year for the first time. I like the process because I can hold a beer in one hand and snip with a scissors in the other . Have any of you done this? An old timer long ago told me if you want to get some wild looking potatoes put some of those green seed balls in a blender, grind to separate the seed and plant that next year. He said you can get some crazy stuff.  I have never tried it myself. Anyone here done something similar?

[Melissa]

I have never heard of this. We plant a lot of potatoes but I could try it with some of them.

[Tallpines]

"Those green seed balls"?
Please explain ... where do you find these "seed balls"?

[mogal]

I've seen those seed balls but never messed with them or the flowers. I figured the potato would grow true better with a seed piece the next season.

Tallpines, they grow where the flowers have been.

[Maura]

I just read to take the flowers off for bigger potatoes, but I don't have potatoes this year. I always wanted to grow the seeds, but DH nixed it.

[bowdonkey]

As always, the results are inconclusive,  to me anyway. It was a great year for potatoes, with or without flowers.  Regular rain being the driving factor for a great yield. The garden was also covered in mulch, the whole dang thing. Not just individual rows. There is still alot more to harvest as the different varieties mature. Next year I'll have two side by side rows, one clipped, the other left alone. Overall it was an easy job, clipping and drinking , and gave you time to inspect the plants a little. No potato bugs for the last 3 years either, and very little vole damage, so far. The potato growing process has changed greatly over the years, mainly working towards an easier,  faster, method with an acceptable yield. Gotta have more time to fish with retirement on the horizon!