Monday, February 4, 2013

Tater Experiment

This will be the first time I have planted taters like this. Why not, last year my potatoes did not do well and I ended up having to buy some to have enough to put up. Worst case is, I will have to do the same thing this year to.

Being frustrated last year about the yield on the potato crop I set out looking for a new way to plant these things. I do not have the room to plow up 100 foot rows and just plant them like some folks so I have to come up with creative ways to square foot garden. This is what I came up with this year.



With only a few inches of soil in the bottom of one of the raised beds, I put news paper down covering the whole bottom. Of course the wind wasn't blowing until I started this. 


Next I wet the papers down to keep them in place until I could get the seed potatoes cut up and put and ready.
If you were wondering, yes that is 100% free rain water being used at 45 psi powered by the sun.










I cut as many eyes out of each potato as I could and rolled them in wood ash so they would not blacken or start to rot.












Then the potato chunks were set on top of the news paper, no digging.

This is really strange to me too. but that's how this is done. They say the roots will go do down through the paper and into the soil. This way the grass and weeds won't come up into the bed and around the plant.





Then I just covered it all with straw. No dirt, just straw.

You have to keep the straw moist to keep it from blowing away but other than that it's done.
I will add a little more straw when the plants come up and that's it.

The idea is when you need potatoes all you have to do is move back the straw and pick what you need without digging. This way the plants continue to produce for a longer period of time. Then when the tops dies off you harvest without any digging.
This one 12x4 bed has 12 plants in it. I don't know how many I could have put in it, but for now I didn't want to crowd it too much. 12 plants being harvested on and off until they are done will yield a lot of potatoes. I will know more once this gets going.

I also got the carrots in the ground this weekend and baby goats are everywhere, even in the house.

That's it for now. Baby goat pictures are to come.  

20 comments:

  1. I am trying something similar to this myself this year. I am hoping for better tator results as well... I am with you might as well try something new, the old way wasn't working. :O)

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    1. Good luck with yours Texan, I am hoping to find something that finally works.

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  2. I've heard about this! I'm tempted to try this myself. Our problem is those stupid potato bugs.

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  3. I've used this method with good luck...but you have to keep piling on the straw (or mulch) as the vines grow or else you won't get good tubers. It works better with red potatoes than white. I'm anxious to do some reading about your rainwater collection and pump.

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    1. Queen, I have done potato towers either in tires or stackable squares i built for many years with little results. I am hoping this method of not using dirt will produce much more.

      On the water system just put it in the search bar on this blog and it will give you everything you need or email me with the questions you have and I will answer them, or I could come out and do a consultation.

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  4. Lately I have been growing mine in pallets, on end, to form a square and I layer dirt, straw and potatoes....It has done well, and no digging--I just unwire one corner, and get out what I need and close it back up.
    Here is a pix if you want to see. http://countrysidechristianacademy.blogspot.com/2011/06/blueberries-and-potatoes.html

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    1. Thanks for the link April. Over the years I have tried the way you described and I am glad it works for you. I am trying a way I have never done before because it sparked my interest being there is no dirt involved. It may or may not work but at least I can say I gave it a shot.

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  5. We used straw last year and had the best potato results we've ever had. We did have a fair amount of mouse gnawage, but at least we got to eat SOME potatoes for a change of pace!

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    1. Oh crap Barb, I did not think about that. I wonder how I can keep them out?

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  6. This is great! Thanks for sharing this with us. :o)

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  7. Good luck with your new potato way.

    We've also been disappointd in the way the sqauare-foot-garden book describes how to plant these. He says 4 seed potato's per square foot. I wonder if that is too much?

    Curious to see how yours turns out!

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    1. QKid, The book is just for reference and what it don't tell you is you have to plant them by the moon as well. The main reason I am changing the way we do it is the yield. I need more potatoes.
      I do think 4 per foot is a little much.
      I will keep you posted.

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  8. Thanks for posting this- I want to plant potatoes this year- we may try this method!

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    1. J&M, So far so good with this method. I am liking it.

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  9. my tater method....
    a layer of manure a layer of hay (or leaves)
    taters planted whole not cut (as whole they simply make more taters.) of if you want when you peel potatoes save the peelings the eyes will sprout and make roots too!
    then another layer of hay.
    mouse proofing .... try to put screenwire over your boxes, wagonbeds or whatever.

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  10. Anony, Anything that works is good. I am trying to find the best method. I have had success in many different ways on and off but still trying to find that one way that is the easiest that gives the most yield.

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