Will Potatoes Grow If Leaves Are Eaten? Everything You Need To Know
As a serious home gardener, I’m always looking for new ways to keep bugs and diseases away from my vegetables. A question that comes up a lot is what should be done if potato plants’ leaves get hurt. If the potato leaves get eaten, will the potatoes keep growing and produce a crop that can be picked? I’ll talk about this in more detail in this article.
The Role of Leaves in Potato Growth
To understand how losing leaves affects potatoes it helps to first know the function of leaves in plant growth. The green leaves of the potato plant play several critical roles
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Photosynthesis is the process by which plants get energy from sunlight and grow. The leaves take in sunlight and use it to make carbs that the plant needs to stay alive.
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Respiration: Tiny holes called stomata let leaves take in carbon dioxide and let oxygen out. This process provides energy for plant functions.
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Through a process called transpiration, the leaves give off water vapor into the air. This pulls water and nutrients from the ground up into the plant.
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Food Production – Leaves contain chlorophyll to absorb sunlight. The energy is used to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose sugars which are used to grow the plant or stored in the tubers.
Factors That Affect Impact of Losing Leaves
If potato leaves get damaged, the severity of the impact depends on a few factors:
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Growth Stage – Young potato plants are more vulnerable to leaf damage than mature, established plants. Plants that lose a lot of leaves early on may struggle to form a decent number of tubers. More mature plants can compensate better.
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Amount of Foliage Lost – A few nibbles here and there on the leaves isn’t a big deal. But if a pest devours large portions of the foliage, that’s more problematic. The more leaves remaining, the better the plant can recover.
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Overall Plant Health – Vigorous, robust potato plants that receive adequate water and nutrients can rebound well after leaf damage. Weaker, stressed plants will have a tougher time.
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Presence of Disease – Any diseases infecting the plant in addition to leaf loss makes recovery very difficult.
So in ideal conditions, an established, healthy potato can tolerate some foliage loss. But when combined with other stressors, excessive leaf damage can threaten the survival of the plant.
Can Potatoes Grow Back Leaves?
If potatoes lose their leaves, the plant isn’t necessarily doomed. Potato plants can initiate new growth and regrow leaves depending on growing conditions and the level of carbohydrate reserves remaining in the tubers underground.
Here are some ways the plants work to replace foliage:
- Activating dormant buds below ground to generate new shoots
- Producing new side shoots off existing stems
- Growing new smaller leaves along existing stems
So even leafless stems may surprise you by generating new greenery. Support the plant by keeping it consistently watered and fertilized. Adding a layer of mulch can help as well. But patience is required. It takes time for new foliage to regrow.
Common Pests That Eat Leaves
A wide range of pests find potato leaves irresistible. Here are some of the most likely culprits:
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Colorado Potato Beetles – This notorious pest can quickly skeletonize leaves, leaving just the veins behind. The orange and black striped beetles and their spiny yellow/red larvae often reappear year after year if not controlled.
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Aphids – Large colonies of these tiny sap-sucking insects can cause curled, wrinkled leaves. They transmit viruses too.
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Flea Beetles – These small jumping beetles riddle leaves with tiny holes. Heavily damaged leaves turn brown and dry up.
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European Corn Borers – Caterpillars of this moth bore into stems and feed on leaves.
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Grasshoppers – These insects chew on leaves, leaving ragged edges behind.
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Caterpillars – Tomato hornworms, cabbage loopers, cutworms and armyworms all feed on potato foliage.
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Slugs and Snails – Nocturnal slimy creatures scrape holes in leaves.
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Rodents – Mice, voles and rabbits nibble on potato plants.
The best defense is maintaining healthy soil, rotating crops, removing weeds/debris, and encouraging beneficial insects. Row covers and organic sprays can also deter pests when needed.
Caring for Plants After Leaf Damage
If your potato plants incur pest damage, here are some tips for management:
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Inspect plants thoroughly and identify the culprit if possible. Are beetles present? Are there caterpillars? Try to pinpoint the cause of damage.
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Remove any visible pests by handpicking or spraying off with water. Check under leaves too. Destroy egg masses.
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Apply organic insecticidal soap, neem oil, or BT spray to deter further damage if pests are active.
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Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around plants to discourage crawling insects. Kaolin clay sprays can deter chewing pests.
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Maintain consistent soil moisture and fertilize lightly with a balanced organic fertilizer to promote regrowth.
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Monitor closely for signs of disease like blight and treat if found.
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Add a layer of mulch around plants to conserve moisture and temperature.
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Consider using floating row covers or insect mesh to protect plants from further damage.
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Harvest potatoes early if plants decline severely. Otherwise continue caring for plants and wait for maturity.
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When planting potatoes again, use crop rotation, trap crops and other methods to deter pests.
Can You Still Get a Good Harvest?
Losing some potato foliage doesn’t necessarily translate to a loss of your whole crop. As long as pest pressure doesn’t remain rampant, many potato varieties will go on to produce decent yields come harvest time. Potato tuber growth accelerates in the second half of the season anyway.
However, unattended pest issues that persist in devouring foliage will take a toll. Try to remain proactive with organic solutions rather than letting the pests win! With quick action to salvage and protect plants, you can still harvest armloads of potatoes for months of meals.
Key Takeaways
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Potato leaves play a key photosynthesis role in plant growth, but tubers underground have energy reserves to draw from.
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Mature plants can better tolerate some leaf loss versus young plants.
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Remove pests, treat with organic deterrents, and promote plant health for recovery.
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New leaves can regrow from stems and below ground.
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Taking swift action against pests still allows for a successful harvest.
How do you know when it’s time to harvest potatoes?
The great thing about potatoes is that once the tubers have started to set, you are welcome to dig them up anytime to grab potatoes. Depending on the size of potatoes you are after, here are two landmarks to look for:
- When to harvest new potatoes, or “baby potatoes,” first wait until most of your potato plants have started to flower. These soft and creamy early potatoes are a treat you shouldn’t miss in the spring.
- When your main crop potatoes are ready, all of their leaves will be yellow or brown, and the plants will start to fall over. The plant has put all of its energy into the tubers, so it’s time to dig! If you see spots or other signs of disease on the leaves, or if only some of your plants are dying, this might not be the end of the plant’s life cycle. You should check for potato diseases.
Once you have dug your potatoes, it is very difficult to replant the potato plant and get it to produce more potatoes—so just keep that in mind when you go to dig new potatoes! You can gently poke around the base of the plant to see the size of potatoes before digging with good results.
How many potatoes do you get per plant?
The yield of a potato plant will vary based on the specific cultivar, but in general, you can assume you’ll get 5-6 larger potatoes per plant, plus a handful of smaller-sized baby potatoes.
AVOID THESE 7 Potato Growing Mistakes
FAQ
Will potatoes still grow without leaves?
A. Potatoes are a hardy crop and your plants will bounce back. New shoots will appear from below the soil and new leaves may appear on the stalks that are left behind.
Why are my potato leaves being eaten?
The common black and yellow-striped “potato bug”, a very familiar insect, is the most serious pest of potatoes. Both the adult, or beetle, and the black-spotted, red larva feed on potato leaves. Their damage can greatly reduce yield and even kill plants.
What eats my potato leaves?
What’s Eating My Potato Leaves? The most common pests that eat potato leaves are the Colorado potato beetle, flea beetles, leafhoppers, snails and slugs, aphids, leaf-eating worms (caterpillars, armyworms and cutworms), deer and rodents.
Why are my potato leaves bare?
Several types of pests, both small and large, may be able to eat the dark green leaves of your potato plants
So if your potato plant begins to look bare, you’re going to want to know who or what is responsible, and how to get rid of them. What’s Eating My Potato Leaves?.
Do aphids eat potato leaves?
With their sharp mouthparts, aphids damage plant leaves and milk the sap from potato plant leaves. Aphids will generally occur in colonies on the undersides of potato plant leaves. As a colony, their feeding will weaken the plant, and lead to the defoliation of its leaves.
How do you care for a potato plant?
To care for potatoes during this critical phase of tuber formation, ensure they’re receiving plenty of sunlight — at least six hours daily. Regular, light watering helps the plant grow but be wary of waterlogging. This stage is marked by fast leaf and stem growth, which gives the plant the food it needs through photosynthesis.
How do you know if a potato plant is ready for harvest?
The final stage of the potato plant’s lifecycle is maturation and harvest. As the plant’s foliage begins to yellow and die back, it’s a sign that the potatoes are nearing readiness for harvest.
Do worms eat potato plants?
There are several species of leaf-eating worms that can feed on the leaves of potato plants, leaving the top half of the plant looking as though it has been chopped off. Caterpillars, armyworms and cutworms are leaf-eating worms are among those that will ravage your potato plants.