Thread: Potato's in Issan

I have been informed on numerous occasions that potato's will not grow in Issan (Buriram ) has any one out there had a go at growing spuds and succeeded?

I used to live in Nakhon Phanom and didn't have any problem getting spuds from the market. I assumed they were grown locally.

Its should be OK as long as you walk backwards

In a Land of Rice, a Potato Crop Blossoms

On one of his trips, Stevenson observed workers spraying 60 acres of potatoes by hand with limited protection. “When they walked across the field, their clothes become soaked with pesticide,” he says. “That’s not sustainable, and it’s pretty risky.” After discussing the problem with the grower and Sanchote, a simple change was implemented: The workers now walk backward while applying the sprays.

Are mechanical sprayers banned in Thailand or is this practice frowned on because a farang sprayer cannot do the job of a Thai worker?

Maybe they are just used to backward agricultural mathods.

A local farmer grows them (well, potatoes actually) in Udon.

Very nice potatoes grown locally in Oman. If I live in NN for a while then I'd like to grow potatoes - very nice for chips, proper chips.

My brother lives in UK and for years has grown spuds under glass just for Christmas dinner.

Tried to grow spuds in my garden in Issan and failed, First and last attempt. Didn't need telling several times that they wouldn't grow.
There was a thread on spud growing 2-3 years back if you would like to dig it up but as remember spud growing had little or no success.

Originally Posted by jamiejambos

Tried to grow spuds in my garden in Issan and failed, First and last attempt. Didn't need telling several times that they wouldn't grow.
There was a thread on spud growing 2-3 years back if you would like to dig it up but as remember spud growing had little or no success.

As stated before I have heard from several sources that spuds do not grow here in Issan ,I was just fishing around to read other people's's experiences as to if there was some sort of successful method ,I heard that the plant itself grows well but when lifted there is no tubers at the bottom .

For what it's worth Piwanoi I was just passing on my own experience of
spud-growing to save you a lot of hard work and trouble.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Very nice potatoes grown locally in Oman. If I live in NN for a while then I'd like to grow potatoes - very nice for chips, proper chips.

One Time when I was in South Africa ,we was invited to a Bar B Q, I part of the fare was Chips ,which were absolutly scrummy, I inquired how they made them so good , I was told the secret was to boil the chips in water for about 10 minutes or so ,put them in a strainer to dry off then deep fry them as normal ,I have been making chips by this method ever since

Originally Posted by jamiejambos

For what it's worth Piwanoi I was just passing on my own experience of
spud-growing to save you a lot of hard work and trouble.

Yeah Cheers for that, yours and other posts just confirm what I have been already been told ,that to attempt growing spuds here is akin to pissing into a strong head wind

Originally Posted by piwanoi

As stated before I have heard from several sources that spuds do not grow here in Issan

TV by any chance? Hence the misinformation.

If you know what you're doing, they do grow here, but they are tricky.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by piwanoi

As stated before I have heard from several sources that spuds do not grow here in Issan

TV by any chance? Hence the misinformation.

If you know what you're doing, they do grow here, but they are tricky.

Yeah, it can be done with successfully with a little preparation and careful managing.

Originally Posted by Rural Surin

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by piwanoi

As stated before I have heard from several sources that spuds do not grow here in Issan

TV by any chance? Hence the misinformation.

If you know what you're doing, they do grow here, but they are tricky.

Yeah, it can be done with successfully with a little preparation and careful managing.

Then maybe you would be so kind and pass on your knowledge and experience
to myself and Piwanoi who will greatly appreciate it.
Cost me over a quid last week in the mall for 4 spuds...sheesh.

You can grow potatoes in Isaan during the current (cold dry) season. The trick is to make sure the soil is not too hot (>75F) if you want them to grow bigger than marbles. I used a 70% shade net and compost was added to the furrows to keep it at least 4" deep as the plants grew.

^
Cheer's for that Troy .will soon be attempting my second try.

^ The soil in our area is around 5.0ph this is just about tolerable for potatoes. Do not be tempted to add lime to the soil to increase ph before growing them. I double dug the plot and laid manure in the trench (in a similar way to growing sweet peas in the UK) before adding the top half of the dig. Also don't put carrots in the same plot as they will deform due to the manure.

Gardening Guides: How to grow Hydroponic Potatoes

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by piwanoi

As stated before I have heard from several sources that spuds do not grow here in Issan

TV by any chance? Hence the misinformation.

If you know what you're doing, they do grow here, but they are tricky.

No Marmite ,how it came about that one guy in the bar remarked how expensive spuds were here , I just said well why not grow your own , it was then I was informed it was "mission Impossible "

laos grow good pots.

Pi try thrice cooked chips they come out really nice and crisp yes boil them in water with skin on, then blanch them and then cook

try some rosemary salt or chicken salt on them

Originally Posted by Yasojack

laos grow good pots.

Pi try thrice cooked chips they come out really nice and crisp yes boil them in water with skin on, then blanch them and then cook

try some rosemary salt or chicken salt on them

Thanks for the info Yaso, I love Jacket spuds done in the Micro wave and eat everything skin and all ,do you mean fry the chips with the skin on?of course there will be some which have no skin on , and I am always willing try anything !

skin on or off whatever floats your boat

Originally Posted by Troy

You can grow potatoes in Isaan during the current (cold dry) season. The trick is to make sure the soil is not too hot (>75F) if you want them to grow bigger than marbles. I used a 70% shade net and compost was added to the furrows to keep it at least 4" deep as the plants grew.

Jan(my wife) lived for quite some time in Chang Ri ,she said spuds are a third of the price of what they are here in Buriram as they grow fields full up there ,as you commented its obviously the difference in soil temperature cos she said it,s a different climate there than what it is here altogether .

Potatoes grow best in a rich fertile soil, with plenty of organic matter incorporated and ideally, soil pH should be around 6.5 or lower. Never add lime before planting potatoes, as this can encourage scab. In spring, dig well-rotted manure into the top 30cm of soil. Use around one barrow load to 10 square metres of ground. If manure is unavailable, homemade compost, a general organic fertiliser (plus leafmould for water retention), or a proprietary brand of bagged manure can be used. Potatoes should form part of a crop rotation plan and should not be planted in the same ground for four years.