Growing potatoes in mulch or straw??

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Recently I read an article about planting potatoes. Our soil is very rocky (to say the least), plus a lot of clay. The article stated "to plant your seed-potato pieces into fertile, well-worked soil and cover them with one or two feet of loose mulch; the sprouts can easily push their way up through the mulch and reach the surface. Using this technique means you don't need to weed the growing crop and you don't need to have to dig to harvest". My question is, can I substitute the mulch for straw??

-- Russ Bauer (russbauer22@msn.com), March 06, 2001

Answers

I had decent luck last year,, I put taters in a pile of last years wood chips,, though the chips compacted I stillo did ok. Going to try the mukch this year. I would think any mulch is fine,, as long as it breaks down during the season and you replace it as needed

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), March 06, 2001.

Russ, I used crappy old straw last year. I layed the potatoes on the soil, and put about a foot of straw on top. I got the usual amount of potatoes, with almost no weeding. The weeds that did come up pulled out easily. I would do it this way again.

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), March 06, 2001.

Just make sure you beat the mice to the taters, or they will have a good feed.

-- Martin Hilbig (martinh@wcl.on.ca), March 06, 2001.

In the past I have planted them in old tires and it worked very well. Put a tire down and add dirt, then put your potatoes pieces down then add another layer of dirt. Keep adding dirt and tires until the potatoes bloom. Keep them watered good. We got lots of taters this way.We used real loamy dirt, so it doesn't pack down. Good luck, Mary in Idaho

-- Mary in Idaho (oseancess@aol.com), March 07, 2001.

Some of the garden catalogues have upright plastic bins that snap together along one side, and big holes at intervals up the sides that are sold as potato growing bins. The application is the same as what Mary cited, alternating with straw and dirt. They themselves stopped selling them for a while because they had had mixed reports on them (some raved, some ranted). They're reusable, but I had to think that using a chickenwire cage with metal pole supports and filling it the same way would work just as well. Maybe wrap the whole thing in black plastic around the circumference to keep it moist.

An additional benefit of this method is some fairly well rotted down composted dirt after the season is over to build raised beds with, since your soil is so stoney. If you've got the straw or old hay, and can scrape up enough dirt, it might be worthwhile experimenting.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), March 07, 2001.



How about a big old free bathtub? We punch the drain plugs out of ours, we have 8 or 9 we use for water troughs. A tennis ball fits in the hole to hold water. But I have though about planting in them. The water would run out if you kept it at the angle. Mice can't get in. We have a friend that is a handy man remodeler, and he always has tubs for us. Very heavy, 2 will squat the truck, but free. We hook a chain to them with the riding mower, turn them on their front side and away we go.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), March 07, 2001.

Last year I planted my potatoes in dirt with the exception of one row because I wanted to test the mulching technique. I mulched with grass clippings throughout the summer. The hardest part was keeping up on adding mulch as obviously the clippings get beat down and shrivel, etc. The row did not have any kind of container on it to hold in the clippings so that makes it a little harder to keep covered. You have to ensure that the spuds keep covered and protected from the sun so they don't turn green. The output of this row was slightly less than the regular rows and it was easier to cover with mulch than hilling the dirt up on a regular basis but it produced satisfactorily. I might try doing it with straw this year to see if it is easier. Maybe surrounding the row with chicken wire to give some structure to the hilling process might make it easier.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), March 07, 2001.

So.... what state is famous for their potatoes? Yeppers! We are a desert and high desert state. Tons and tons of rock and sand. Not a lot of soil left - especially if there is a creek nearby - dredges got it all. The most important thing is plenty of loose soil under them with lots of sand, and a fairly alkaline pH.

Mulch should work, but that might cost you some. And.... even with two feet of whatever... Never believe anyone that says you won't have to weed.

In the method you speak of, there is a lot of compost and dirt on top of the first layer of straw, and then the seeds, etc. are planted on that. On top of this is more compost and dirt, with another thick layer of straw.... layering of a sort. Whenever dirt is used.... weeds come up. Fewer, maybe, but then you get critters instead.

Unless you leave it all to rot for a year, you will have to add lots of dirt and soil amendments. But... If the initial work doesn't bother you, it IS well worth the effort.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 07, 2001.


We tried growing potatoes under a thick layer of leaf mulch one year. The yield was as good or better than the regular rows. The real benefit was the following year because the soil was so enriched by the process - had the best onions ever.

-- David C (fleece@eritter.net), March 09, 2001.

I want to thank all of you for your responses, wish me luck. Russ

-- Russ (russbauer22@msn.com), March 12, 2001.


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