|
Post by daylilydude on Nov 8, 2011 7:22:28 GMT -5
Let me know what y'all think of this idea.. Plant the tater, take a tomato cage and place around it, and as the plant grows, just add shredded leaves instead of hilling up the dirt, do you think this would work?
|
|
Durgan
Pro Member
Posts: 113
Joined: October 2011
|
Post by Durgan on Nov 8, 2011 9:50:35 GMT -5
Let me know what y'all think of this idea.. Plant the tater, take a tomato cage and place around it, and as the plant grows, just add shredded leaves instead of hilling up the dirt, do you think this would work? Potato new tubers grow above the seed potato about six inches up, and about a foot diameter around the seed potato. New tubers tend to rise above the surface by growth of the tuber. They must be protected from light to prevent the production of solanine, which is indicated by green on the new tuber. Six inches of soil then cover with anything to eliminate light. People babble about growing in straw, etc., but this is not the case. Nothing grows in straw except mice. The straw or leaves is only to prevent light from beaming onto the new tubers. I tend to cover the tubers, hilling if you like, with compost, which serves the purpose and gives some nutrients.
|
|
|
Post by coppice on Nov 28, 2011 13:02:50 GMT -5
DLD I never had tower-rings or boxes with incrimentally added mulch amount to much of an increase in spuds.
For me there has to be some kinda parity; IE twice the work equals twice the yield. It-they didn't, I quit doin' that.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2011 9:42:14 GMT -5
this past spring I had good success by planting potatoes in large storage tubs. I wanted to do this for my own experiment after reading about it. I also planted potatoes in the usual way (as Duggan suggests) by trenching and hilling with soil. Ih the tubs, I first put in 6 inches of horse manure and compost (only 6 inches) I had already made drain holes in the tubs. I then planted the spuds on top of the manure/compost,,then covered with about 8 inches of old straw. as the vines grew above the straw (about 6 inches above) I would cover with more straw, but left about 2-3 inches of vine above the straw. As the vines grew I would add more straw. You just have to remember to water more often (just moist) the straw kelp it moist . I had a good harvest of potatoes this way, and I have to admit just as good a crop as the ones that were planted in the ground, with lots less work. For 2012, all my potatoes will be planted in 4 20ft rows with thick layers of newspaper wetted down, then 4-6 inches of "composted" horse/cow manure nmixed with compost and oak leaves. then the potatoes planted on top then covered woth oak leaves and straw. gardening is a hobby with me and experimenting is what gardening is all about...having fun, trying different ways. Most are "old, sucessful" ways from many many yrs ago Errol
|
|
|
Post by paquebot on Dec 23, 2011 23:03:16 GMT -5
For an excellent documentation with photos and videos, check out www.jbest123.com/?cat=6He dispelled a lot of claims with that. Martin
|
|
|
Post by stratcat on Dec 24, 2011 17:22:46 GMT -5
Thanks for the link, Martin. Very informative including pictures!
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2011 12:47:50 GMT -5
Martin, you did a great job ! I have learned something new to me today! Seems that you, like me love to experiment with different growing ways. thanks for sharing Errol
|
|
|
Post by coppice on Dec 26, 2011 13:20:38 GMT -5
Um, um, I thought this was John Best's work, or his blog?
John posts here from time to time.
|
|
|
Post by paquebot on Dec 26, 2011 15:27:13 GMT -5
Yes, John does post here and it was his site that I linked to. I've also done the vertical growing but used wire with similar results. Another way is succession planting in towers, either boxes or tires. Cover the first layer of seed pieces with 6" of soil. When those plants are up 6", repeat with another layer of seed and soil. Continue for as long as there is ample time for the last planting to mature. The foliage will be quite thick after 4 or 5 layers but doesn't matter as long as the soil is rich enough to support it.
Martin
|
|
littleminnie
Pro Member
Gardening should be fun.
Posts: 264
Joined: February 2011
|
Post by littleminnie on Dec 26, 2011 22:01:35 GMT -5
OG mag had a trial of potato growing options and most of the grow up type things couldn't get enough water so the harvest was less than expected. Growing in a raised bed won. Potatoes need a lot of water.
|
|
jbest123
Junior Member
Posts: 60
Joined: December 2010
|
Post by jbest123 on Jan 2, 2012 15:51:20 GMT -5
If you plan to use a tower or other means of concentrated gardening to grow potatoes remember that if you expect twice the harvest per plant then you must provide twice the nutrients and water. Straw and leaves or paper just won't provide the necessary nutrients. Well composted manures and grass clippings lasagna style make an excellent bedding or mulch for the last spuds. Pay no attention to the nay Sayers, I guess if they can't do it nobody can. Its only the first of January and I can hardly wait for spring. John
|
|
jbest123
Junior Member
Posts: 60
Joined: December 2010
|
Post by jbest123 on Jan 2, 2012 16:00:33 GMT -5
For an excellent documentation with photos and videos, check out www.jbest123.com/?cat=6He dispelled a lot of claims with that. Martin Thanks for the link paquebot, just trying to dispel some claims by self proclaimed experts.
|
|
|
Post by paquebot on Jan 3, 2012 0:53:36 GMT -5
Thanks for the link paquebot, just trying to dispel some claims by self proclaimed experts. When I was "programmed" to patrol the potato patch for bugs, WW2 was still going on. Never have claimed to be an expert but also haven't forgotten much potato knowledge accumulated since then. Potatoes still grow the same as they always have despite what a few novices may claim. Martin
|
|
|
Post by coppice on Jan 4, 2012 15:26:26 GMT -5
I have a walking disability. I lost count long ago keeping track of the number of times I've fallen on my tochis. Its hard for me to be too embarassed by a pratt-fall.
Now just cause I fall down, should not be seen as an argument by you to not walk to the car.
Like wise, when I try a gardening thing and it falls down, it is to be hoped your milage will vary.
I'm planting spuds again after a more than twenty year hiatus. Just cuz I can't get a potato tower to work. Luck to ya'.
|
|
jbest123
Junior Member
Posts: 60
Joined: December 2010
|
Post by jbest123 on Nov 15, 2012 14:01:38 GMT -5
If you plan to use a tower or other means of concentrated gardening to grow potatoes remember that if you expect twice the harvest per plant then you must provide twice the nutrients and water. Straw and leaves or paper just won't provide the necessary nutrients. Well composted manures and grass clippings lasagna style make an excellent bedding or mulch for the last spuds. Pay no attention to the nay Sayers, I guess if they can't do it nobody can. Its only the first of January and I can hardly wait for spring. John Shortly after this post, I was in the hospital having an aneurism removed from my aorta which went wrong and I spent the next two Mo. on my back in rehab. I was late with starting my seedlings and planting my spuds and after this was done, we went into a 3 Mo drought. Mother nature did a number on me and the garden but the garlic was fantastic. If anybody grew spuds other than the conventional row method, I would like to hear how you made out. John
|
|
|
Post by paquebot on Nov 15, 2012 15:06:13 GMT -5
John, good to see that you survived and still with us. Hopefully 2013 gardening will be better for both of us.
Martin
|
|
|
Post by stratcat on Nov 15, 2012 20:49:08 GMT -5
Hi, John. Glad you're on the mend. I got inspired by your blog and the "Lasagna Gardening" thread to do something unconventional. This year, I decided to go with the potatoes in a tire. I bought 2 Yukon Gold seed potatoes for 21¢ and planted them in staggered heights as Martin suggested. One of the potato plants promptly died. The tire pile ended up four tires tall and grew with a minimum of inputs. The soil wasn't that rich and I only used a little organic fertilizer. As it was such a dry summer, I would imagine I didn't water it enough. I ended up with four big potatoes (bigger than the Yukon Gold from the store) and some tiny ones that tasted great! The first potato I found was about 17"(43cm ) up from the seed potato. I had a lot of fun growing the potatoes in a tire. ;D
|
|
|
Post by horsea on Feb 17, 2013 14:39:35 GMT -5
...People babble about growing in straw, etc., but this is not the case. Nothing grows in straw except mice. The straw or leaves is only to prevent light from beaming onto the new tubers... Well, I'm glad I read your above comment about growing potatoes in straw, because I was going to try it! I'd heard you can do that, but what you say makes sense. Growing a highly nutritious vegetable in nothing but straw doesn't sound right.
|
|
|
Post by stratcat on Oct 26, 2013 23:17:34 GMT -5
I grew potatoes in tires again this year. The 1st two didn't sprout, so I replanted two more. They were growing well and I added soil and two more tires. In the third tire, I planted two more potatoes. The bottom ones died and I thought both of the upper layer did. I had one seed potato left and replanted that one, added soil and another tire. Ended up with two plants and today I opened Al Capone's vault and harvested five medium potatoes and seven marble-sized ones. I wasn't sure there were going to be any at all!
|
|
|
Post by izitmidnight on Oct 29, 2013 22:32:01 GMT -5
Better harvest than I had!!
|
|
|
Post by stratcat on Nov 8, 2013 23:49:23 GMT -5
Lately, I was cleaning up the soil from the bottom tire and found a 1" Red Norland. The only one of that variety. The others were Yukon Gold.
|
|
|
Post by stratcat on Sept 23, 2015 1:25:58 GMT -5
On the 21st of September, I took the potato tires down. This year I planted four Yukon gold; two in the bottom and two in the third level. Had lot of fun growing these. Harvested nine including the tiny one. I even got one big honker!
|
|